At the ADA annual session in Orlando, FL, last month, the 2010 House of Delegates adopted two workforce resolutions that support the organization's opposition to midlevel providers and dental health therapists for some procedures.
Resolution 46H-2010, which amended the ADA policy "Diagnosis or Performance of Irreversible Dental Procedures by Nondentists," maintains that the dentist should be the healthcare provider that performs examinations, evaluations, diagnoses and treatment planning and the healthcare provider that performs surgical procedures, with surgical procedures defined as the cutting or removal of hard or soft tissue, according to a story in the ADA News.
Resolution 92H-2010, which amended the policy "Opposition to Pilot Programs Which Allow Nondentists to Diagnose Dental Needs or Perform Irreversible Procedures," notes that if a pilot program involves a new member of the dental team, they must be supervised by a dentist. It also outlines the ADA's general position on these programs:
"The ADA may support pilot programs that do not jeopardize the patient's oral health, is based on a valid assessment demonstration that the program is necessary to fulfill an unmet need, and does not allow a nondentist to diagnose, treatment plan, or perform irreversible/surgical procedures."
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