I believe there is a problem with access to care- but the solution is not to provide sub-standard care to the patients.  As one previous dentist has posted there is only one qualified school to train DA II applicants.  Therefore this is not increasing "qualified" (and I use that term loosely) professionals to scale teeth.  If you are truly concerned with increasing access to care then create more 2/4 year dental hygiene programs to increase the number of hygienist that are able to work in the more rural areas.  Also on this topic is has been shown that typically in a lower socioeconomnic status you find decreased oral conditions. So how do we have an overabundance of Class I perio patients that need assistants to scale their teeth in these rural areas?  The true concern here is for dentist to be able to lower the quality of care that their patients receive in order to increase profits in a trying time.  It is also abusive to assistants who already are overworked and underpaid.  I am STRONGLY AGAINST letting a dental assist scale teeth.  I'd be interested for these dentists who are in favor of this to poll their patients- Its obvious to me from the posts on here that the patients are speaking and we should listen.  NO to expanding the dental assistants responsibilites to include scaling.

Stacey Lynn Kenyon, RDH