DLA 1203- Exam 1

1. INTRODUCTION TO THE
DENTAL OFFICE AND BASIC
CHAIRSIDE ASSISTING
Chapter 17

2. DENTAL OFFICE DESIGN
• The office may be small with two or three treatment rooms or it may have a
clinic setting with any number of treatment rooms
• Most offices are designed with:
• a reception area
• a business area
• treatment rooms
• a sterilizing area
• a laboratory
• x-ray processing room
• a restroom
• dentist’s office.

3. RECEPTION ROOM
• Area that the patient initially enters
• Gives first impression of the office
• Room needs to be pleasing, comfortable, neat and clean.
• Dental staff should tidy the room regularly
• Straighten magazines and make sure they’re current
• Patient education materials
• Area for children to play
• Decorated to keep atmosphere friendly and positive

5. RECEPTION DESK AND BUSINESS OFFICE
• Part of or adjacent to reception room
• Appointments are made here
• Telephone calls received
• Patient records updated and stored

6. STERILIZING AREA
• Near tx rooms
• Neat and clean at all times
• Good air circulation
• Protect from chemical fumes and
exhaust from sterilizers
• OSHA has specific requirements for this area
• Instruments, trays and so on flow from
dirty to clean areas to minimize cross-
contamination
• In this area:
• Sink
• Counter space
• Sharps container
• Hazardous waste
• Ultrasonic equipment
• Handpiece cleaner/lubricating
machine
• Sterilizing equipment
• Storage

8. DENTAL OFFICE LABORATORY
• Separate area that is also well
vented
• Amount of lab work done depends
on dentist preference
• Used for:
• Finishing or adjusting crowns, bridges,
partials, dentures
• Pouring impressions
• Trimming models
• Polishing removable prosthetics
• Making custom trays
• May contain:
• Vibrator
• Model trimmer
• Lab handpiece
• Vacuum former
• Sink
• Exhaust fan
• Plaster and stone storage bins
• Heat source
• Dental lathe
• Storage

10. X-RAY PROCESSING ROOM
• AKA darkroom
• Small, near tx rooms
• Room contains:
• sink
• Processing tank
• Drying rack
• Space for storage
• Safelight
• Counter space

11. RADIOGRAPHY ROOM
• In most offices, radiograph machines are in each tx room for
intraoral xrays
• Bitewings, PA, FMX ect.
• Extraoral radiographic equipment is in the radiology room
• Provides occupational safety from ionizing radiation and be large enough
to house this equipment
• Guidelines come from state health department and periodic
inspections may be required by state agencies

12. CONSULT ROOM/AREA
• Where dentists can sit down with patients and discuss the
treatment plan and financial arrangement.
• This rooms has:
• Chairs
• Table
• Computer
• Xray viewbox
• Possible models
• Anything to assist the dentist in explaining the tx to the patient

13. OPTIONAL ROOMS
• Dentist’s private office
• Staff lounge
• Patient Education Area

14. TREATMENT ROOMS AND DENTAL
EQUIPMENT

15. OPERATORY
• Dental treatment rooms are also called Operatories
• Each dentist usually has a minimum of three treatment rooms/operatories
• The tx rooms in general practice are usually designated operative or hygiene and
are equipped accordingly.
• Contains:
• Dental chair
• Dental unit
• Operating stools
• Cabinets
• Sinks,
• X-ray machine
• View box/computer screen
• Mobile carts

16. THE DENTAL CHAIR
• Center of all clinical activity
• Designed for the operator and the assistant to provide
patient tx comfortably and efficiently.
• Supports patient’s entire body in either and upright, supine
position, or subsupine position
• upright: back of chair is in a 90 degree angle
• Supine: reclined position with the nose and knees on the same
plane
• Subsupine: reclined position with the head lower than the feet.

17. THE DENTAL CHAIR
POSITIONS
• The type of procedure, dentist preference, and area of the mouth
determines the position of the chair.
• Upright:
• Whens eating and dismissing patient, taking radiographs, and taking
impressions
• Supine:
• Most dental procedures; provides easy access to different areas of the
mouth
• Subsupine: emergency tx and for the unconscious patient

18. THE DENTAL CHAIR
• Designed to accommodate children and adults
• Narrow head rest to allow dentist/assistant to be close to patients
head
• Arm rests that lift or move out of the way
• Controls that move the chair up and down, as well as recline
• Either on the sides of the chair, the floor, or unit
• There is a lever on the back of the chair that unlocks it, so it can be
rotated left or right
• Be sure to re-lock if using this feature!

20. THE DENTAL UNIT
• Consists of:
• Handpieces
• Air-water syringe
• Saliva ejector
• Oral evacuator (HVE)
• Ultrasonic scaling unit
• Tons of other options

21. THE DENTAL UNIT
• Can be fixed to the wall, cabinets, or on mobile carts
• Positioned according to the preference of the dentist, whether
they are left or right-handed, whether they work with assistants
and according to the design of the tx room
• Three basic modes of delivery:
• Rear delivery system
• Side delivery system
• Front delivery system

22. REAR DELIVERY SYSTEM

23. SIDE DELIVERY SYSTEM

24. FRONT DELIVERY SYSTEM

25. AIR-WATER SYRINGE
• Provides air, water, or combination spray of air and
water
• AKA: 3-way syringe
• Tip of the syringe is removable
• Made from disposable plastic, or autoclavable metal
• IVCC uses REUSABLE METAL- DON’T THROW
AWAY!!
• Controls are on the thumb side.

26. DENTAL STOOLS
• Required by the operator and the assistant for MOST
procedures
• Ergonomic studies have resulted in the improved design of
stools to provide comfort and prevent fatigue during dental
procedures
• Adjustable height
• Adjustable back rest/extend arm
• Comfortable seat
• Mobility
• Broad base
• Foot rest easy to adjust

27. DENTAL STOOLS
• The assistant is positioned 4-8” higher than the dentist
• Feet resting on foot ring and thighs parallel to the floor
• Extended arm is for support of the abdomen and side areas
• Moves easily into place and locks to stabilize the assistant when reaching
or leaning
• 5 casters are usually recommended to provide stability
• Broad base to prevent tipping
• Can be quickly and easily adjusted

28. DENTAL STOOLS

29. OPERATING LIGHT
• Attached to dental chair or mounted to the ceiling
• Operator and dentist should be able to adjust the position of the light
(DA job)
• Has a switch for high and low intensities, and an on/off switch
• Handles on both sides
• Handles and switch are covered with barriers during procedures and
changed between patients
• Keep the shield clean!!
• Wait until it cools to wipe

31. CABINETRY
• Storage of supplies and materials used during tx
• Units include:
• Cupboards that open from front and back for tx trays
• Drawers for materials frequently used
• Sinks for the operatory and the assistants

32. SINK
• Some rooms have two sinks
• One on each side of the dental chair
• Some have one sink centrally behind dental unit
• Water controls should be operated by wrist, foot, or knee controls.
• Prevents it from being contaminated
• There are also light and motion sensor device that turn the water on and
off automatically when standing in front of the sink

33. SMALL EQUIPMENT FOUND IN THE TX ROOM
• Xray view box:
• Used to read traditional radiographs; bright light source
covered with frosted surface
• Dental Curing light:
• Used to “cure” or “set” light-cured materials; various
types to choose from;

36. AMALGAMATOR
• Small machine that triturates (mixes) dental amalgam and
some dental cements
• We will discuss more later on

37. DENTAL AIR COMPRESSOR AND CENTRAL
VACUUM SYSTEM
• Air compressor:
• Provides compressed air for the handpieces and air for the air-water syringes
• Size of the compressor depends on the number of dental units
• Stored away from the main office because of size and sound
• Important that filters are changed routinely and checked for condensation in the lines
• Could cause particles, moisture and algae to grow, and move into the dental unit
• Central Vacuum System
• Suction for saliva ejector and oral evacuators (HVE)
• Filters and traps must be cleaned regularly
• Stored away from office, usually with compressor
• Can be set up on time clocks, or by a switch