Legislative News

Our lobbyists who are helping us push forward important legislation for hygienists will be preparing weekly updated on the session for our members.  Through the 2024 General Assembly session, you can find these weekly video updates here.

Save the date now to join us in January!

Thursday, Jan. 11 7:30pm -8:30 Zoom Orientation

Friday, Jan.19 Rally Day at the General Assembly

Want to encourage colleagues to join you? Download this flyer and post it!

Alert and Call to Action for all Registered Dental Hygienists licensed to practice in the Commonwealth of Virginia

YOU, as a licensed and college-educated dental professional, could be at risk of losing your career to someone whose qualifications are below the standards of our education and licensure. We need to act now, or the consequences could be grave for the profession of dental hygiene in Virginia and the public’s well-being.

The Virginia Dental Hygienists’ Association’s (VDHA) mission is to improve the public’s total health, and to advance the science and practice of dental hygiene. As you know, we earn 72-122 college credit hours including, but not limited to, biomedical, dental and dental hygiene sciences, medical and dental emergencies, pharmacology, local anesthesia, nutrition, and extensive clinical practice.  What could organized dentistry possibly hope to gain by allowing inadequately trained and unlicensed individuals perform substandard and potentially harmful  oral health services to the public at large? 

See the Full Message Here

VDHA is also supporting a bill introduced by Delegate Dawn Adams (D-Richmond) which allows dental hygienists employed by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to practice under remote supervision and offer mobile dentistry programs: (http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=191&typ=bil&val=hb1849). VDHA, VDA and the Board of Dentistry (BOD) contacted the patron after we found out about the bill. It had to be amended because a related 2010 protocol is outdated and is not the current protocol. The following language was inserted into the legislation:

“Notwithstanding any provision of law, a dental hygienist employed by the Virginia Department of Health or the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services who holds a license issued by the Board of Dentistry may provide educational and preventative dental care in the Commonwealth under the remote supervision of a dentist employed by the Department of Health or the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. A dental hygienist providing such services shall practice pursuant to a protocol or protocols jointly developed by the Department of Health and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services in consultation with the Virginia Dental Association; and the Virginia Dental Hygienists' Association. Such protocol shall be adopted by the Board as regulations.”

VDA and VDHA are supportive of this legislation, as amended above. It has passed the House of Delegates and been referred to the Senate Education & Health Committee. 

HB 2493 carried by Delegate Kathy Tran (D-Springfield) (http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?191+sum+HB2493) is our legislation that VDHA worked on with the Board of Dentistry and Virginia Dental Association (VDA). It corrects unintended restrictions and omissions that prevent dental hygienists from administering certain topical drugs for which they are trained and permitted to administer under general supervision.

The bill allows dental hygienists practicing under remote supervision to administer certain Schedule VI drugs approved by the Board of Dentistry and prescribed by a dentist, as currently allowed under general supervision. It also allows dental hygienists, under a standing order from a dentist or physician, to administer topical fluoride varnish to patients of all ages instead of only to young children.

HB 2493 reported unanimously from a House Health, Welfare and Institutions (HWI) subcommittee. Susan Pharr, MPH, RDH testified in favor of the bill on behalf of VDHA. It will move to full committee where we expect it to pass with no objection, after which it will cross over to the Senate and likely be assigned to the Education & Health Committee. VDHA will continue to lobby in support of the bill.

Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe signed SB into law today expanding remote supervision for dental hygienists.

Virginia Dental Hygienists’ Association (VDHA) and Virginia Dental Association (VDA) worked together for several months to expand remote supervision of Registered Dental Hygienists to new settings (health clinics, schools, nursing homes, etc.) to serve more patients.

A three-year pilot study of remote supervision of dental hygienists employed by the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) began in 2009 and proved to be a highly successful model in prevention and improving access to care. SB 712 expands the Remote Supervision Public Health Model for the dental hygienist employed outside of VDH. Expanding the model allows more patients access to care by the oral health team, including opportunity for important referrals to the supervising dentist.