Welcome to the website for the Pennsylvania Dental Assistants Association
Congratulations to our EFDA's
The Pennsylvania Dental Assistants Association would like to congratulate all of our dental assistants who passed the new PA EFDA exam. As of June 2008 we now have 1062 permanent EFDA permit holders in Pennsylvania - that is a 94% pass rate!! Congratulations on a job well done. As part of your permit, EFDA's are required to take State Board of Dentistry approved continuing education courses. The PDAA offers such courses at a reduced rate to PDAA members. Please check our "Meetings and Seminars" page for the dates and course topics.
HB1257 in the Senate
HB1257 (the bill that would allow dental assistants to perform coronal polishing and give fluoride treatment) passed the House and is currently in the Senate sub-committee for review and consideration. This bill has the full support of the Pennsylvania Dental Association and the Pennsylvania Academy of General Dentistry. The PDAA has been in communication with the Pennsylvania Dental Hygiene Association and the Dental Assisting National Board regarding the terminology and recommended guidelines on this bill. There is still a lot of work ahead of us but for the first time in a long time ALL the professional dental organizations in PA are working together to advance dental assisting in our state.
HB494 PASSES THE HOUSE
The PDAA was informed that on February 12, 2008 HB494 ( the PDAA bill that would create a seat on the PA State Board of Dentistry for an Expanded Function Dental Assistant) passed the House of Representatives and now moves to the Senate side. We would like to thank Representative John Yudichak for all his hard work and support.
DANB IS NEW RADIOLOGY TESTING AGENCY
The PA State Board of Dentistry is not satisified with the current agency administering the PA Dental Radiology Exam. At the September 7, 2007 meeting it was suggested by Board Counsel, and unanimously approved by the board members present, that the Dental Assisting National Board will be the new recognized testing agency for dental auxillary radiology permits. DANB's Radiation Health & Safety exam is one of three components of the CDA creditaling exam. Effective date has not been announced since the regulatory process is very lengthy and impossible to predict a timeline.
THE PDAA IS WORKING FOR YOU!
The Professional Licensure Committee had a hearing on November 7, 2007 regarding HB494 (the PDAA bill to create a seat on the State Board of Dentistry for an EFDA) and on changes to the scope of practice for dental assistants. The proposed legislation would allow EFDA's and CDA's to do coronal polishing and give fluoride treatments. PDAA President Colette Jesikiewicz CDPMA gave testimony at that hearing as well as at the November 30, 2007 State Board of Dentistry hearing on these matters. We will post updates on this site as they become available.
Get involved in the Pennsylvania Dental Assistants Association today by joining the American Dental Assistants Association at www.dentalassistant.org Your membership is your voice. Now is the time to get involved in YOUR professional organization.