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
SB178 amends Virginia law governing the practice of dental assistants to create a pathway for dental assistant I and dental assistant II personnel to obtain certification to perform two additional procedures: supragingival scaling and coronal polishing. The bill allows these assistants, after at least 1,800 hours of clinical experience and specified training, to be certified to perform those tasks under the indirect supervision of a licensed dentist. The required training may come from a dentist or dental hygienist using an approved statewide association curriculum, certain federal or military-related programs, or an existing dental assistant education program.
To qualify, the dental assistant must also complete at least 20 supervised full-mouth supragingival scaling procedures with patient consent, and the supervising dentist must certify under oath that the training requirements were met. The bill requires the dentist to keep documentation and allows later employers to rely on that certification. It also limits indirect supervision so that a dentist may not supervise more than two dental assistants at once while they are performing supragingival scaling or coronal polishing. In addition, the Board of Dentistry’s regulations implementing the act are exempted from the Administrative Process Act.
Impact
The bill expands the scope of practice for certified dental assistant I and II personnel in Virginia by authorizing them to perform supragingival scaling and coronal polishing under indirect supervision, subject to training, experience, and certification requirements. It amends § 54.1-2729.01 of the Code of Virginia and directs the Board of Dentistry to promulgate implementing regulations that are exempt from the Administrative Process Act, which speeds regulatory adoption and limits formal rulemaking procedures. The measure affects dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, dental practices, and training/certifying organizations.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have broad support overall, passing the Senate unanimously and clearing the House by a substantial margin. Committee votes were also favorable, though not unanimous in the House committee, suggesting some reservations even as the legislation advanced comfortably. The vote pattern indicates general agreement that the bill is a practical workforce and access-to-care measure rather than a controversial overhaul.
Contention
The main points of contention likely center on patient safety, supervision, and the appropriate scope of duties for dental assistants. The bill addresses these concerns by requiring substantial clinical experience, supervised procedures, dentist certification, and a cap on the number of assistants a dentist may indirectly supervise at one time. Any opposition appears limited, as reflected in the small number of negative votes in the House committee and the larger but still minority opposition on final House passage. Supporters likely viewed the bill as a controlled expansion of dental workforce capacity, while skeptics may have questioned whether the training and supervision standards are sufficient.