ADA advocates for high-quality dental care in letter to VA

Association responds to request for information on dental hygienist practice standards

The ADA is providing the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs with comments for its ongoing project to establish a national standard of practice for all professions within the VA, including dental hygienists. 

The goal of the project is to create more uniform care across VA locations, allow VA professional employees to more easily work across state lines at VA facilities and increase interoperability with the U.S. Department of Defense. The ADA responded to a request for information from the VA on dental hygienist practice standards and sought clarification on how a national standard would affect individual state practice laws or standards.  

In the Jan. 6 response, which was addressed to VA Secretary Denis McDonough, the ADA said it is committed to advocating for access to the highest quality of dental care for veterans and all Americans. The Association commended the VA for its attention to priorities like improved distribution for dental professionals and license portability but also asked for clarity on questions about the proposed standard of practice for VA dental hygienists.  

The VA’s request for information sought stakeholder comments on what individual states permit and prohibit, and whether there are any areas of variance between state licenses, certification, registration or other requirements that the VA should preempt.  

The ADA letter urged the VA to use caution whenever it chooses to preempt state requirements with its national standards, stating that a number of member dentists with experience in federal programs that do not fall under the jurisdiction of state dental boards have said there is often limited recourse “when unfortunate cases of patient care occur.” 

If VA hygienists must practice according to the requirements of the dental practice act in their particular state, the ADA also asked how a new national VA standard of practice would affect a VA dental hygienist.  

“The ADA stands ready to assist the VA as it seeks to regularize the quality of dental care across all VA facilities and as it ensures that members of the dental team can meet the needs of veteran patients within their licensed scope of practice,” the letter concludes.  

For more information on the ADA’s advocacy efforts, visit ADA.org/Advocacy.