The Virginia General Assembly recently passed legislation (SB 178) that would establish an oral preventive assistant (OPA) model in the state, a new form of expanded function dental assistant (EFDA).
Under the provisions, Dental Assistant I and II licensees who have at least 1,800 hours of clinical experience and complete specific training and certification may perform supragingival scaling and coronal polishing under the indirect supervision of a licensed dentist. Certification can be obtained through approved training programs, and the supervising dentist must certify that the assistant has completed the required training, including at least 20 supervised procedures.
While the model will have little direct impact on OMS practice, the scope expansion’s goal is to improve access to preventive dental care. The bill was supported by the Virginia Dental Association, and similar EFDA models currently exist in Arizona, Kansas, Missouri and the Indian Health Service. The bill next heads to Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) for consideration.
