From proposed bills to a $65,000 scholarship donation, here are four updates for dental assistants that Becker's has reported on since Jan. 27:
1. A bill, sponsored by the California Dental Association, was proposed with the goal of tackling the state's dental assistant workforce shortage.
2. A proposed bill in Oregon to allocate $20 million for programs to recruit dental hygienists and assistants is being considered in the state House.
3. Dental assistant programs are most expensive at private, for-profit technical colleges and vocational schools, with an average total cost of more than $27,000, according to the ADA's Health Policy Institute.
4. The Pacific Dental Services Foundation awarded scholarships totaling $65,000 to dental assisting students.