Arizona Dental Hygienists Urged to Act Against Change to OPA Educational Standards
A proposed amendment to Arizona’s oral preventive assistant (OPA) law could weaken educational standards by bypassing CODA accreditation. Dental hygienists are being urged to speak up before the bill advances.
Arizona’s dental hygiene community is sounding the alarm over a proposed amendment to SB 1037 that could alter the integrity of the oral preventive assistant (OPA) law. Lobbyists are pushing to expand the definition of “qualifying institutions” to include for-profit schools not accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, a key safeguard agreed upon in the original legislation. If passed, the amendment could dilute training standards and set a troubling precedent. With the bill moving rapidly through the House, the Arizona Dental Hygienists’ Association and American Dental Hygienists’ Association are urging dental hygienists to contact their legislators immediately to oppose the change and protect professional standards and patient safety in Arizona. Click here to read more.
