Mission Statement Regarding Access to Care

South Dakota Dental Hygienists' Association (SDDHA)

It is the intention of the SDDHA to introduce a bill to the South Dakota Legislature requesting a change in the supervisory restrictions of the practice act so that dental hygienists can provide preventive therapy to underserved populations. 

Currently, a South Dakota dental hygienist can provide care only to persons who are patients of record of the dental hygienist's employer-dentist and who also have been examined by that dentist within the past 6 months. While this regulation works well in the typical dental practice where the dentist and dental hygienist have easy access to one another, it is impractical when trying to meet the needs of those who have no access. People with limited or no access to dental care generally do not have a dentist of record, and thus would not have been examined recently, if at all. 

The new designation of "Limited Access Permit Dental Hygienist" will allow licensed dental hygienists, who possess the qualifications of the act and who are certified by the State Board of Dentistry, to assess the oral cavity for disease, and to provide such preventive and therapeutic dental hygiene services as are needed. These services will include, but are not limited to: oral health assessment, oral health education, removal of deposits and stains from the teeth, and application of decay prevention agents....duties dental hygienists routinely provide in their daily practices.

The preventive and therapeutic services dental hygienists provide can improve the access to care situation. We can teach parents and children how to prevent oral disease. We can provide therapies that strengthen the teeth and make them less likely to decay. We can clean the teeth to prevent or heal gum infections. We can help people develop ties with the dental community and assist with referral to dental care providers. The provision of dental hygiene services alone can significantly affect the future oral health of those with limited access to dental care. Prevention now can help prevent dental pain, reduce loss of productive time in school and at work due to dental sickness, and reduce costs of restoring decayed and infected oral structures.