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Arizona Sends Oral Preventive Assistant Bill to Governor
The Arizona Senate has passed a bill that would create a new oral health professional in the state, known as an Oral Preventive Assistant (OPA). Under the bill, a dental assistant who has completed additional training and meets specified requirements would be permitted to remove plaque, calculus and stains with scalers or sonic or ultrasonic scaling devices on patients who have first received a periodontal evaluation by a dentist or dental hygienist.
In order to meet the training requirements to become an OPA, a dental assistant must:
Complete a board-approved, OPA training course that includes at least 120 hours of didactic and clinical instruction with patients and that is provided by a qualifying institution;
Hold a current certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation;
Hold a board-approved certification for both coronal polishing and radiography; and
Either hold a current national board certification in dental assisting or have successfully completed a dental assisting educational program accredited by a state or national organization that accredits dental programs.
Additional limitations for OPAs under the bill include:
An OPA would be limited to practicing only on periodontally healthy patients or patients with localized mild gingivitis.
An OPA would be prohibited from using any air polishing technology or device or practice on patients who have been treated for periodontal disease, have generalized recession, are medically compromised or are under sedation.
An OPA would only be permitted to practice in under the direct supervision of a dentist or dental hygienist.
The bill will be sent to Governor Katie Hobbs (D) for consideration.
The Arizona Senate has passed a bill that would create a new oral health professional in the state, known as an Oral Preventive Assistant (OPA). Under the bill, a dental assistant who has completed additional training and meets specified requirements would be permitted to remove plaque, calculus and stains with scalers or sonic or ultrasonic scaling devices on patients who have first received a periodontal evaluation by a dentist or dental hygienist.
In order to meet the training requirements to become an OPA, a dental assistant must:
Complete a board-approved, OPA training course that includes at least 120 hours of didactic and clinical instruction with patients and that is provided by a qualifying institution;
Hold a current certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation;
Hold a board-approved certification for both coronal polishing and radiography; and
Either hold a current national board certification in dental assisting or have successfully completed a dental assisting educational program accredited by a state or national organization that accredits dental programs.
Additional limitations for OPAs under the bill include:
An OPA would be limited to practicing only on periodontally healthy patients or patients with localized mild gingivitis.
An OPA would be prohibited from using any air polishing technology or device or practice on patients who have been treated for periodontal disease, have generalized recession, are medically compromised or are under sedation.
An OPA would only be permitted to practice in under the direct supervision of a dentist or dental hygienist.
The bill will be sent to Governor Katie Hobbs (D) for consideration.
