Controversy over the supervision of dental hygienists: impact on a community-based sealant program

In 1983, the New Mexico Board of Dentistry ruled that the New Mexico Health and Environment Department's sealant program violated its rules and regulations concerning the supervision of dental hygienists. The state was forced to reduce the number of children served by the program to comply with the decision. Attempts to secure a revision of the rules and regulations to accommodate the needs of public programs were unsuccessful. Relief eventually came through the revision of the Dental Practice Act itself to permit general supervision of all dental hygienists. The supervision controversy was an explosive political issue between dentists and dental hygienists that had negative repercussions for the state dental public health preventive program.