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HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons hosts the most downloaded sports podcast of all time, with a rotating crew of celebrities, athletes, and media staples, as well as mainstays like Cousin Sal, Joe House, and a slew of other friends and family members who always happen to be suspiciously available.
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It's legal in Arizona. Missouri is running a pilot program. And more states are considering it: the Oral Preventive Assistant (OPA) model allows dental assistants with just 120 hours of training to perform "dental cleanings."
In this episode, I break down what OPAs can and cannot do, why this model is being pushed as a solution to the dental hygiene shortage, and why it's actually a symptom of much bigger problems in dentistry.
We'll talk about:
- The training gap between OPAs (120 hours) and dental hygienists (2-4 years, 2,000-3,000 clinical hours)
- What "supragingival scaling only" really means for your oral health
- Why patient satisfaction surveys don't measure clinical outcomes
- The gender dynamics of creating cheaper substitutes for female-dominated professions
- What happens when an industry regulates itself with zero independent oversight
- Real solutions that would actually address workforce shortages
This isn't about gatekeeping. It's about patient safety, professional standards, and the systemic devaluation of healthcare workers - especially women.
If you've ever wondered why your dental office feels like a production line, or why there's no independent body watching out for patients in dentistry, this episode connects the dots.
4 episodes
