Changes to the Dental Practitioners Amendment Act requested by the Senate were rejected when the matter came back before the House of Assembly on Friday.

Opposition and Independent Senators had objected in July to clauses which limited every dentist to employing no more than a set number of dental assistants and hygienists.

It was argued that it should be left up to individual businesses how many staff they hired, and the bill got sent back to the House of Assembly – where the Opposition originally raised concerns but failed to block the bill.

Giving his response to the message from the Senate on Friday, Minister of Health Nelson Bascome said that Government still took the same stance after being asked to reconsider the amendments.

"The Opposition put forward the argument that the Dental Board should not have the authority to determine the number of persons that can be hired by a dentist. The issue was represented as a business matter and considered an imposition on the successful business operations of the dentist.

"We the Government have maintained and continue to insist that this is a matter of public safety," he said.

Mr. Bascome added that the position is in line with other jurisdictions.

"This boils down to an issue of how many persons can one dentist be expected to supervise safely. If we are to ensure the safety of the public, there has to be a limit on the number of persons who can work under the supervision of any one dentist," he said.

He went on to cite instances from Mississippi, New Jersey, Arizona and Virginia, and said he hoped that having heard the explanation, the Senate would support the bill without the requested amendments.