I urge the Board to vote "NO" to dental assistants being able to scale teeth. Unless you are a RDH, you do not fully understand what it takes to effectively provide scaling.  When I think about my education as a RDH and all of the practice it took to perfect the scaling technique, I know that my formal education from a DH educator provided me with the knowledge, skills and tools to provide quality care to patients.  I am very proud of my profession and the high standards of care that is expected of us and delivered from us on a daily basis.  What we learn in DH school can't be summarized into a CE class or taught "on the job".  Those long days scaling fingernail polish off of dentoform teeth and torturing family and friends in the clinic at school or on the sofa of our dorms while we learn to "fulcrum" and "close angles" are still fresh in my mind and serve as a constant reminder of where I started and what it took to get where I am now.....A PROFESSIONAL.... A REGISTERED DENTAL HYGIENIST.