I sincerely believe that this separate dental assistant title and scaling duties are ridiculous, to be subdued about it!

Teaching an assistant with limited knowledge of anatomy, function and disease process to knock off the big chunks of calculus that are visible to the patient is laughable, if not downright dangerous.

There is the question of the dental hygiene diagnosis of periodontal disease in all forms.  The years of education required on this matter alone is enough to stop  this legislation. 

There is also the question of proper patient education.  There is a difference in showing a patient how to floss and explaining the reasons and resulting disease consequences. 

There is also the question of subgingival calculus.  Does that just remain?  Do the dentists feel around under the gingiva with their sheperd's hooks and see if they can find anything?  Because we all know that THAT is where they need to spend all their time - checking for calculus.   Maybe there could be a dental assistant III to place those crowns while they're checking for subgingival calculus!

There is the concern about the quality of patient care.  Does anyone honestly not think that there might be a "rural" dentist, as one gentleman described himself,  who may forego a hygienist's specialty and hire himself a couple of assistants in all their shapes and forms to scrub up the crowns of the teeth and make them look good?  The patients can't see subgingivally.  Who would be the wiser?  I'm not implying that there is a large group of unethical dentists out there, but a few bad apples do spoil the bunch!

And lastly, where does it stop?  Maybe that large chunk of calculus dips below the gingiva a bit.  What's the harm?  Where is the line and how far can you push that grey area?  You're going to get what you pay for!

I feel that either we'll end up with a large amount of the dental profession "inadvertantly" breaking the law, and/or a large amount of our profession "dusting off" our patients' teeth and compromising the quality of patient care. 

I am so proud to be a dental hygienist.  My contribution to my dental practice is invaluable.  I provide a preventive, therapeutic and educational scope of care involving my patients' whole body health.  A dental assistant II position would cheapen the dedication I have to my chosen profession and reduce the quality of patient care in every dental practice.