The comparative status of dental auxiliaries and medical auxiliaries

Abstract

This paper will compare the auxiliaries in medicine and dentistry in terms of evolution, need, education, role function and legal restriction and will show how the dental profession is not growing in the area of expansion of roles; more specifically, the dental hygiene profession has been held back by state practice laws which limit the expansion of the dental hygienist’s role and therefore limits the dental profession from delivering dental care to larger numbers of the population.