---
title: "What Is Oral preventive assistant? Dental Practice Glossary"
description: "A Missouri pilot-program role, a type of expanded function dental assistant who provides added preventive services to children, healthy adults and patients with..."
url: https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/oral-preventive-assistant
publisher: Copeland Consulting Services
email: drcopeland@joncopelanddds.com
contact: https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/contact
---

Team and HR

# Oral preventive assistant

A Missouri pilot-program role, a type of expanded function dental assistant who provides added preventive services to children, healthy adults and patients with gingivitis.

An oral preventive assistant, or OPA, is a kind of expanded function dental assistant. The ADA describes the OPA as an EFDA who has taken the required education and completed training to provide patients with additional preventive services.

The Missouri Dental Association says an OPA is meant to assist dentists and hygienists with preventive care for children under 18, healthy adults and patients diagnosed with gingivitis. The role began as a pilot project with the state's dental board and Office of Dental Health, with the aim of improving access to care.

The OPA is a type of [expanded function dental assistant](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/expanded-function-dental-assistant) and is tied to [scope of practice](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/scope-of-practice) rules in Missouri. Current rules may change, so check the dental board. This entry is a general definition.

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## Related terms

-   [Expanded function dental assistant](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/expanded-function-dental-assistant)
-   [EFDA](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/efda)
-   [Scope of practice](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/scope-of-practice)
-   [Missouri Dental Board](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/missouri-dental-board)
-   [Dental hygienist](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-hygienist)

## Sources

1.  [ADA, Emerging and Current Models to Address Dental Team Workforce Needs](https://www.ada.org/-/media/project/ada-organization/ada/ada-org/files/resources/practice/practice-management/emerging_workforce_models.pdf)
2.  [Missouri Dental Association, OPA EFDA FAQ](https://www.modental.org/member-resources/advocacy-pac/opa-pilot/opa-faq)

## Talk with Dr. Copeland

[Contact Dr. Copeland](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/contact)[Email](mailto:drcopeland@joncopelanddds.com)