What If OPAs became the strength we didn’t see coming?

Whenever something new enters the dental space, especially a role adjacent to ours, it's easy for hygienists to brace for impact. We hear oral preventative assistant (OPA) and immediately wonder: What happens to us? Our scope? Our future? 

But what if we flipped the lens entirely? What if this shift isn’t a threat, but an opening? 
What if OPAs are not the beginning of the end, but the beginning of a stronger, more sustainable hygiene model? 

Let’s explore what could happen if we chose possibility over fear. 

What If we supported OPAs? 

What if hygienists shaped this integration from day one? What if we stepped into the role of leaders who define how OPAs fit, what they learn, and how they operate under clinical oversight? Instead of watching from the sidelines, what if we took ownership of the preventive care lane and said: 

• Yes, we need support. 

• Yes, we can increase access to care. 

• Yes, there is work OPAs can do that does not require a hygiene license. 

What if supporting this did not mean losing anything and instead meant gaining bandwidth, sustainability, and a real opportunity to work at the top of our license every single day? 

What If we helped create the criteria? 

What if hygienists were the ones building the standards?  What if we guided: 

• Competency checklists 

• Delegation protocols 

• Training requirements 

• Safety guidelines

• Boundaries around what OPAs can and cannot do 

What if instead of reacting to legislation, we helped shape it?  What if our profession had the courage to say: If OPAs are coming, let us define the criteria so patient safety stays protected and the hygienist’s expertise stays respected. 

Imagine the impact if hygienists were leading, not chasing, these conversations. 

What if we continued pushing for our own autonomy? 

What if OPAs became the catalyst that pushed hygiene even further into clinical leadership? 
What if their presence sharpened the distinctions instead of blurring them? 

OPAs cannot diagnose. They cannot stage or grade. They cannot establish perio therapy plans. They cannot manage complex cases. So what if their support allowed hygienists to step more fully into what we are trained to do? 

What if autonomy did not diminish, but expanded? 

Imagine a future where hygienists spend more time on: 

• Perio diagnostics 

• Risk assessment 

• Laser therapy 

• High-level clinical judgment 

• Motivational interviewing 

• Comprehensive prevention models 

And less time on tasks that do not require our license. 

What If OPAs and RDHs worked in alignment, not in competition? 

What if we stopped seeing new roles as replacement threats and instead viewed them as ecosystem enhancers? People working in healthcare has done this successfully for decades though partnerships between RNs and MAs, NPs and RNs, and physicians and PAs. 

What if dentistry finally caught up? What if this was how we reduced burnout, stabilized workflows, increased access to care, and elevated patient outcomes? 

What if OPAs and hygienists working together actually strengthened the entire dental model? 

What if this Is the evolution of hygiene and not the erosion? 

What if the story we tell about OPAs determines what they become? What if our leadership in this moment shapes the next decade of our profession? 

Because here is what I believe: 

I envision a future where hygienists and OPAs are collaborative, not competitive. 
OPAs can support preventive care while hygienists lead clinical judgment, perio diagnosis, and comprehensive care. And when these roles work together in partnership rather than tension, access increases, burnout decreases, and our profession does not shrink. 
It grows. 

So what if we leaned into possibility instead of fear? What if we helped build the structure rather than resisting the change? What if this becomes the turning point where hygiene steps into its most powerful era yet? What if the future of dental hygiene becomes stronger because we chose to lead?