The Arizona Senate recently passed a bill that would create the role of oral preventive assistant in the state.
The bill would allow dental assistants who meet specific criteria and training to remove plaque, calculus and stains with scaling devices on patients under the direct supervision of a dentist or hygienist.
These providers would only be allowed to practice on "periodontally healthy" patients or patients with localized mild gingivitis, according to the bill.
To become an oral preventive assistant, dental assistants would have to complete a board-approved training course that includes at least 120 hours of didactic and clinical instruction with patients.
The bill was introduced to the state Senate Jan. 22 and passed Feb. 26. It now sits with the state House of Representatives for consideration.