Posted on 12-16-2010
Expanded Duty Dental Assistants Expand the Practice, Revenue by Natalie Kaweckyj, LDARF, CDA, CDPMA, COA, COMSA, MADAA, BA
When Dr. Edmund Kells of New Orleans hired the first “Lady in Attendance” for his dental practice, he was simply trying to expand his practice by assuring that female patients would not hesitate to visit.. but what he was really doing was creating a profession.
At first, the “Lady in Attendance” needed to do little more than show up for work each day. But after awhile, her duties started expanding and soon she was helping Dr. Kells with his pioneering work in dental radiography. Malvina Cueria, a long time ADAA member, sacrificed all her hair to his experiments but took it all in stride and eventually it all grew back. And the duties of dental assistants have been expanding ever since until now we have a recognized category of Expanded Function Dental Assistant which is also known as Expanded Duty DA in some states.
Whatever the form of recognition, Expanded Duties means something different in each state, but it means the same thing wherever it is found... the dentist is free to conduct other procedures while the EFDA or EDDA relieves him or her by performing duties previously reserved for the doctor. The scope of practice for dental assistants has increased tremendously in many states from forty years ago when many states began to recognize dental assistants in their practice acts.
Expanded duties make good business sense, just as employing an assistant makes good business sense, because it allows for the increase of patient base for the practice while still providing top level professional dentistry. Many states have been able to increase access to care through the use of EFDAs/EDDAs with functions such as restorative and preventative procedures commonly reserved in the past for only the dentist or dental hygienist.
The 2008 survey of dental practices conducted by the American Dental Association Survey Center reports that gross billings per practice hour for dentists with no assistants was $169.70; with one assistant, $300.51 and with two chairside assistants it rose to $427.35 (mean figures). Many practices use multiple assistants operatively as well as the use of a hygiene assistant to assist with preventative procedures and oral health education for the patients.
These figures are not based on EFDA or EDDA assistants, but wouldn’t it follow that the revenue would increase when the doctor is freed for more productive activities as the “advanced” assistant works at procedures previously reserved for dentists only.
Your state practice act will dictate what the EFDA can do within the practice and that will drive the amount of time the dentist will have freed up from duties he or she had previously been required to perform. It’s a win-win situation for everyone... particularly the ultimate consumer who may not have to wait as long for his or her next appointment with the EFDA/EDDA there to speed things along while still providing the best dentistry possible. For the dental assistant, it may mean opportunities to advance one’s career with various career ladders offered in many states.
Natalie Kaweckyj, LDARF, CDA, CDPMA, COA, COMSA, MADAA, BA President, American Dental Assistants Association Legislative Chair, Minnesota Dental Assistants Association