A Virginia law allowing medical assistants to apply fluoride varnish to young children will go into effect July 1, according to the Augusta Free Press.
Fluoride varnishing helps protect children against cavities, the most prevalent chronic disease among pediatric patients.
Since many children are more likely to visit a physician before they see a dentist, medical and dental advocacy groups pushed for legislation allowing medical assistants to perform fluoride varnishing. Medical assistants make up about half of family medical practices' clinical staff, so this new permission will increase protective fluoride varnishing among young patients.
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