I am asking the board to refuse this action to allow a dental assistant to be trained to scale teeth. After working for years with military installations, there is just no way to "train" someone to scale teeth. It requires the methodical learning, teaching and building of a set of skills to become proficiant in scaling, above or below the gingiva. In addition, a hygienist is carefully screened prior to enrollment into an accreditted Dental Hygiene curriculum. Not only are we are tested for our dexterity skills, we are tested to make sure we are drug free. I find it unimaginable that any good dentist would want anything less than a Registered Dental Hygienist treating his patients. How can you live with the consequesnces that will results from lawsuits that are certain to come?

I beg you to look past your short term greed for the safety of the general public.