Dear Board Members,

As a dental patient, I oppose having a dental assistant clean my teeth!  Living in an underserved area, I realize that there is a shortage of dentists in rural VA. It is worth my comute to the DDS to see my dental hygienist.  She not only keeps my mouth healthy, she educates me on how my oral health impacts my overall health.  She can do this because she obtained a degree from an accredited dental hygiene program AND passed a rigorous test.  Dental assistants provide a valuable service to the dental office however providing actual care should be left to the professionals that have attended an accredited dental or dental hygiene program.