New Mexico Dental Journal, Summer 2015
22
Expanded Function Dental Auxiliary (EFDA)
I
n an economic analysis of EFDAs in
Colorado, Beazoglou, et al (2009),
concluded that private general dental
practices can substantially increase gross
billings, patient visits, value-added, effi-
ciency and practice net income with the
delegation of more duties to auxiliaries.
The Navy Dental Corp and the Phila-
delphia Department of Dental Health
have publicly stated that EFDAs allow
for the leveraging of dental personnel
to increase access. Researchers from
the University of Colorado in a study,
A Pilot Study to Determine Barriers to
Implementing Productivity Enhance-
ment Strategies in Dental Practices
found that when high delegation dentists
were asked how delegation had affected
their practice, they responded that they
believed that expanded delegation had:
1. Increased the number
of patients seen
2. Increased productivity
and income
3. Reduced the stress of
practicing dentistry
4. Permitted reduced hours
without a decrease in income.
The EFDA
Every US state is different in defining
the term EFDA. According to the New
Mexico Board of Dental Health Care,
“Expanded function dental auxiliary
(EFDA)” means a dental assistant,
dental hygienist or other dental auxil-
iary that has received education specific
to the duties delineated by the board
for an EFDA, and has met the educa-
tional and certifying exam standards set
by the board for an EFDA, and works
under the direct supervision of a NM
licensed dentist to perform the functions
allowed under the section 16.5.42.7(E).
“Direct supervision” means the process
under which an act is performed when a
dentist licensed pursuant to the Dental
Health Care Act is physically present
throughout the performance of the
act; orders, controls and accepts full
professional responsibility for the act
performed; and evaluates and approves
the procedure performed before the
patient departs the care setting.
The New Mexico Board of Oral Health
requires the EFDA license applicants
to satisfactorily complete an accepted
expanded function dental auxiliary
course at an institution accredited by
the Board or Joint Commission on
Dental Accreditation where in the
offering program is also accredited by
the Commission. Currently, CODA
does not accredit EFDA educational
programs. The Santa Fe Commu-
nity College (SFCC) EFDA Program
is designed to train licensed dental
assistants and registered dental hygien-
ists in the art of restorative dentistry.
Upon successful completion of this
program, an auxiliary is eligible to
take the state certifying examination-
Restorative Examination (RE) provided
By Dr. Aamna Nayyar
What the heck
is an Expanded
Function Dental
Auxiliary (EFDA),
and does your
office need one?
continues
