CODA Proposed Changes to Hygiene Standards — Your Voice Was Heard!

Feb 9, 2024
On Friday, Aug. 3, the CODA Commissioners voted to defeat the proposed motion to change the dental hygiene standards.
In May, Florida Dental Association (FDA) then-President-elect Dr. Jolene Paramore sent out a call to action asking FDA members to write the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) Commissioners asking them to oppose the proposed changes to the Definitions of Terms Used in Dental Hygiene Accreditation Standards regarding dental hygiene diagnosis and process of care. Well, you responded, and your voice was heard!

As a reminder, the FDA opposed expanding to the dental hygiene curriculum to include diagnosis and formulation of a treatment plan because the term “dental hygiene diagnosis” was inappropriate, as only a doctor determines the diagnosis. The standard will remain as “Dental hygiene sciences provide the knowledge base for dental hygiene and prepares the student to assess, plan, implement and evaluate dental hygiene services as an integral member of the health team. Dental hygiene sciences provide the knowledge base for dental hygiene and prepares the student to assess, plan, implement and evaluate dental hygiene services as an integral member of the health team.” Diagnosis involves far more than questioning the patient and performing a periodontal probing, and should remain under the scope of the dentist. It’s a term reserved for those with a dental doctorate degree; anything else can be misleading to the patient. Similarly, the term “dental hygiene treatment plan” is confusing and will not be added as a part of their accreditation standards. Treatment planning is done by a doctor in consultation with the patient as a result of a doctor-determined diagnosis and the dental hygienist follows the treatment plan. Lastly, the FDA opposed the change, “formulation of dental hygiene diagnoses” in standard 2-13 under Dental Hygiene Accreditation Standards under Patient Care Competencies, because the development of diagnoses requires a knowledge base that is beyond the scope of a dental hygienist.

Thank you again for responding to the call to action and leading the way to defeat these proposed changes!

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