Dental assistants should not be doing the job of a dental hygienist. I am a student in another aspect of healthcare and the information that is imparted to us through our required schooling is to give us the information that is necessary to make professional decisions based on the circumstances. Without the background knowledge that hygienists learn, a dental assistant is not adequately prepared to make decisions that can have a profound impact on their patients. I refuse to have my teeth cleaned or scaled by any one other than a dental hygienist.