oral preventive assistants; qualifications

HB 2326 sets new qualifications and practice rules for dental assistants in Arizona who provide preventive care. To become an oral preventive assistant, a dental assistant must complete a 120-hour training program (including 90 hours of didactic instruction), hold CPR certification, and have specific dental certifications. The bill restricts their scope to removing plaque and tartar only on periodontally healthy patients or those with mild gingivitis using scalers or sonic devices - banning air polishing, treatment of periodontal disease, and services for medically compromised patients. They must inform patients they aren't seeing a licensed provider and prominently display their training certificate. Supervision is limited to one dental hygienist or three assistants per dentist.