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     I am writing in opposition to the proposal to allow an individual credentialed as Dental Assistant II to do supragingival scaling.  A comprehensive college degreed education is essential to determine and perform appropriate care for individual patients.  

    The assertion that access to care is the issue is not valid.  More hygienists then dentists are graduating each year.  Too many hygienists from dentally underserved areas are not able to obtain employment after graduation due to the lack of employing dentists. The phenomenon is spreading to urban areas as the number of hygienists outpaces the number of dentists.

     Allowing dental assistants to scale supragingivally will not increase access to the current standard of care.  That action will lower the standard of care for patients.  I urge the Board of Dentistry to regulate the practice of dentistry, dental hygiene, and dental assisting to truly serve the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Betsey Soulsby, RDH, BSDH