The Missouri Dental Hygienists’ Association and a licensed dental hygienist have filed a lawsuit seeking to block a proposed Missouri Dental Board rule that would allow expanded-function dental assistants to perform supragingival scaling and comprehensive periodontal charting.
The petition, filed Sept. 29 in Cole County Circuit Court, asks the court to declare the proposed rule unlawful and enjoin the board from implementing it before or after final promulgation.
The proposed rule, published in the Missouri Register Sept. 15, would add a new “periodontal” category of expanded functions for dental assistants holding a periodontal permit. Public comments are due Oct. 15, with the rule potentially taking effect as early as January 2027, according to court documents.