diduflos2day@yahoo.com

It is really interesting, how Dentist in VA are NOT willing to give Hygienist any extra duties, but its OK to increase on CDA"s responsibilities!? RDH earns AS, BS or Master's degree and is able to provide much more then just scaling! If you are in the office where 20% of your pt's are "prophys' , then get a hygiene assistant, and let him/her polish, take x-rays, go over basic brushing/flossing/mouthwash techniques. But would you really want a CDA, a person, who's extent of scaling is limited to cement removal, scale YOUR mouth? Really, have you thought about that??? How many times those CDA's lacerate the patients or cut the papilla off during the cement removal??? Where does one draw a line on the difficulty of the perio level? The presence of the pockets? The amount of calculus? At what point does it become "Gross debridement" (code 4355) and when is it still a prophy (1110) ? In both description there is no mentioning of going beyond 3mm pocket. Who is to say "no that's to much for CDA" ? The DDS who is saving 50-60% on CDA vs. RDH salaries? Or a pt, who calls CDA and RDH a "nurse" because they don't care enough to even know the difference? Dear Dentists, have you considered insurance follow up to that law? Why should they pay $50-84 for a prophy, if you have a $15-20/hour "professional" doing the work!? And how about those Dentists, who obviously have Higher standards and want to keep their Hygienists, who are knowledgeable in pharmaceutical, biological, chemical and technical domain of Dental Hygiene? Would YOU, Dear Dentists of VA, allow Hygienists to take away part of your duties, such as small facial composites, cavity preps, laser gingevectomies? Procedures, that RDH's in other states have been doing for a very long time. Or are you afraid, that patients might like RDH better and not value your skills and, lets not forget, FEES for those procedures. And later, when you sell your practice, and 80-90% of your patients are Perio Involved, because CDA is not allowed to probe and, admit to yourself: how often do YOU probe (unless your RDH tells you there is a problem), YOU WILL BE SUED AND LOSE YOUR PRECIOUS SAVINGS, because you have provided your patients with nothing more then SUPERVISED NEGLECT!

PLEASE, Think about the consequences this law would have on economy as well. If you expand CDA duties and for savings purposes let go of RDH, well, that's over 3000 hygienist in Virginia, a lot of them single moms, who can potentially lose their jobs? Is that something you want to subject your fellow professionals?

I would be happy to discuss any and all concerns anyone on this forum has for or against my beliefs.

Marina Nittinger, RDH