Which statement best describes the relationship between procedures delegated to dental hygienists and expanded duty dental assistants?

• A. A hygienist can delegate all procedures to any assistant, without supervision
• B. Any procedure delegated to a hygienist can be delegated to an expanded duty dental assistant
• C. No procedures can be delegated to expanded duty dental assistants
• D. Expanded duty dental assistants can perform only administrative tasks

Answer: (B)

Delegation and scope of practice go hand in hand with supervision. Expanded duty dental assistants are credentialed to perform many of the same clinical procedures that a dental hygienist can perform, as long as the dentist or supervising hygienist approves and oversees those tasks within the EDDA’s defined duties. Because of that shared clinical capability under regulation, the procedures a hygienist is permitted to delegate can also be delegated to an EDDA when it fits within the EDDA’s scope.

In other words, the idea is to extend the team’s capacity by allowing EDDA to take on the same delegated procedures that a hygienist can, under proper supervision. That doesn’t eliminate safeguards or differ from required supervision, and there are limits where some tasks may still require a hygienist or stricter oversight, but the overarching relationship is that EDDA can carry out those delegated hygienist procedures when authorized.