An Act to amend and reenact § 54.1-2729.01 of the Code of Virginia, relating to dental assistants; supragingival scaling and coronal polishing; certification.
Summary
HB970 amends Virginia law governing dental assistants to create a pathway for dental assistant I and II personnel with at least 1,800 hours of clinical experience to obtain additional certification to perform supragingival scaling and coronal polishing. To qualify, the assistant must complete specified training through an approved dentist- or hygienist-led curriculum, certain federal or military-related programs, or an existing dental assistant education program, and a supervising licensed dentist must certify under oath that the required training and at least 20 supervised full-mouth supragingival scaling procedures were completed. The bill also allows documentation of that certification to be kept by the dentist and relied upon by later employers.
Impact
The bill expands the scope of practice for certified dental assistants by authorizing them, under indirect supervision of a licensed dentist, to perform supragingival scaling with hand and ultrasonic scalers and coronal polishing. It also limits supervision by providing that a dentist may not indirectly supervise more than two dental assistants at once while they are performing these procedures. In addition, the bill exempts Board of Dentistry regulations adopted under the act from the Administrative Process Act, giving the Board more flexibility and speed in implementing the new certification framework and related rules under § 54.1-2729.01.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and moved through the legislature with strong favorable votes. It was reported from committee with little opposition, passed the House by a substantial margin, and passed the Senate unanimously. The voting history suggests general agreement that the measure is a practical workforce and access-to-care adjustment rather than a controversial policy change.
Contention
The main points of potential contention are the expansion of duties for dental assistants and the degree of oversight required to ensure patient safety. The bill addresses those concerns by requiring substantial clinical experience, formal training, dentist certification under oath, and a cap on the number of assistants a dentist may indirectly supervise at one time. Any debate likely centered on whether these safeguards are sufficient and on the use of an APA exemption for Board regulations, which reduces public rulemaking procedures but may be viewed as necessary for timely implementation.