Dental Assisting Lecture

1. Introduction to Dentistry
DA101
Induction to Dentistry
Lecture one
Dr. Somaia Hasan Dashti
2017
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2. Lecture outline
 Historical background
 Highlights in Dentistry
 Members of dental Health care team and role
 Dental specialties
 Dental office overview
 Lesson Activities and questions
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3. Historical background in
Dentistry
 Dentistry has long fascinating history
 Dealing with pain and treatment
 Human cleaned and cared for teeth from early days
 Early toothbrushes ranged from wooden sticks to ivory
handled brushes to animal hair bristles
 Cosmetic dentistry was seen in skulls from ninth-
century with decorative turquoise and jade front teeth
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4. Highlights in Dentistry
 Wilhelm Conard Roentgen (1845-1923):
 A physicist that discovered x-ray beam in 1895; he made
a revolution in diagnostic dentistry by using x-ray beam on
films that known as Radiographs
 C. Edmund Kells (1856-1928):
 Employed the first dental assistant in 1885
 “Lady in attendance” made it respectable for
unaccompanied women patient visiting dental office
 Dr.Kells worked with chairside dental assistant and
secretarial assistant in 1900
 Soon after, many dentist recognize the value of dental
assistant
 Today, Dental Assistant is a key member of dental health
team
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5. Highlights in Dentistry
 570-950, Muslims used
Siwak as a toothbrush
 In 1844, Horace Wells used
Nitrous Oxide for pain
 In 1908, Fredrick McKey
discovered Fluoride
association with dental
caries prevention
 In 1913, Alfred Fones
Established first dental
hygiene school
Wilhelm Conard
Roentgen
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6.  In1982, first Hepatitis B Vaccine become commercially
available
 In 1924, The American Dental Association was founded
 In 2003, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
releases guidelines for infection Control in Dental
Health Care Settings
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7. Members of Dental Health Care
Team
 Members strive to provide quality oral care for patient
in the practice
 All members play important role, but the patient is
always the most important person in dental office
 Members are:
 Dentist : General and specialist
 Dental assistant ( Clinical , Expanded functions, business )
 Dental Hygienist
 Dental Laboratory technician
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8. Dentist
 An individual who is legally responsible for care of
patients and supervision of other members of the team;
often referred to as leader of team
 Dental education program usually 4 academic years
 Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS)
 Doctor of Medical Dentistry (DMD)
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9. Dental specialists
 All licensed dentists have basic education in all areas
 All dentists must pass board written exam and clinical
board exam before they practice
 Advanced education and training is needed in a
specialty area which varies from 2 to 6 years
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10. Nine Dental Specialties
 Dental Public Health
 Endodontic
 Oral and maxillofacial
radiology
 Oral and maxillofacial
surgery
 Oral pathology
 Orthodontics
 Pediatric dentistry
 Periodontics
 Prosthodontics
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11. Dental Public Health
 Involves developing policies at country level, state, and
national levels for programs to control and prevent
disease. Examples are fluoridations issues , community
oral health education
 Includes dental screening at community level to asses
needs
 It deals with community rather than patient
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12. Endodontics
 Involves causes, diagnosis , prevention, and treatment
of diseases and injuries of pulp and associated
structures
 Common term is root canal and specialist is Endodontist
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13. Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
 New dental specialty
relatively that uses new
and sophisticated imaging
techniques to locate
tumors and infectious
diseases of the jaw, head ,
and neck and assists in
diagnosis of patient with
trauma and
temporomandubular
disorders
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14. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
 Involves the diagnosis and surgical treatment of diseases
injuries, and defects of oral and maxillofacial regions.
 The specialist is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon
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15. Oral pathology
 Involves the nature of diseases affecting oral cavity and
adjacent structures.
 The specialist is an oral pathologist
 A major function is to perform biopsies in coordination
with oral surgeon to provide diagnosis
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16. Orthodontics
 Involves diagnosis, treatment , and prevention of
malocclusion of teeth and associated structures
 The specialist is an orthodontist
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17. Pediatrics Dentistry
 Involves oral health care of children from birth to
adolescence.
 Pediatric dentist treats children with emotional and
behavaioural problem
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18. Periodontics
 Involves diagnoses and treatment of diseases of oral
tissues supporting and surrounding the teeth.
 The specialist is a Periodontist
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19. Prosthodontics
 Involves restoration and replacement of natural teeth
with artificial constructs such as crowns, dentures,
bridges
 The specialist is a prosthodontist
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20. Registered Dental Hygienist
 RDH removes deposits on
teeth( calculus) , exposed
radiographs , places topical
fluorides and dental
sealants
 RDH provides patients with
detailed home care
instructions
 Minimal education required
is 2 academic years
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21. Dental Assistant
 An educationally qualifies dental Assistant is able to
assume many activities that do not require professional
skills and judgment of a licensed dentist
 Dental assistant responsibilities are limited to
regulations of the country dental practices act
 The standard education for dental assistant program is
one year after high school education
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22. 1. Chiarside Dental Assistant
 Chiarside dental assistant is directly involved in patient
care
 Duties include charting, placing and removing rubber
dam, passing instruments, mixing and passing dental
material , suctioning , reassuring nervous patient
 Circulating assistant served as extra pair of hands when
needed (six-handed dentistry)
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23. Example of Chairside Assistant
Chairside dental
assistant
Circulatory assistant (six-
handed dentistry)
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24. 2. Sterilization Assistant
 Sterilization assistant
efficiently and safely
processes all instruments
and manages biohazards
waste.
 Weekly monitoring of
sterilization machines
 Selects infection control
procedures
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25. Business Assistant
 Business assistant or administrative
assistant, secretarial assistant, and
receptionist is primarily responsible for
smooth and efficient operation of
business office
 Duties includes: controlling
appointments, telephone
communications, coordinating financial
arrangements with patients, and
handling dental insurance claims
 Chairside assistant can move into
business assistant position (excellent
clinical background)
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26. Dental Laboratory Technician
 Dental laboratory technician may legally perform task
specified by written prescription by dentists
 Dental laboratory technician usually does not work in
dental office
 Dental technician makes crowns, dentures, and bridges
from impression taken in the dental office and send to
the laboratory.
 Dental assistant communicate with dental laboratory
technician to arrange for timing and special instruction
by dentist.
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27. Role and responsibilities of dental
health care team members
 Dentist of dental specialist :
 Is legally responsible for care of patient
 Assess the patients oral health needs as related to
physical and emotional well-being
 Uses up-to-date diagnostic skills and in all aspects of
patient care
 Provides legally required supervision for dental
auxiliaries
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28. Chairside Dental Assistant ( clinical
Assistant , circulating Assistant )
 Seats and prepare patients
 Maintains and prepares
treatment rooms &
instruments
 Assists dentist at chairside
during treatment
 Prepares and delivers
dental materials
 Provides post operative
patients instructions
 Manages infection control
program
 Performs radiographs
procedures
 Performs basic laboratory
procedures like impressions
 Provides assurance and
support for patient
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29. Expanded- Functions Dental
Assistant (EFDA)
 Performs intra-oral
(inside –mouth)
procedures
according to
specific state or
country regulations
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30. Registered Dental Hygienist
 Assess the periodontal status of patients: measures the
depth of periodontal pockets and condition of oral
tissue
 Performs dental prophylaxis (e.g., removal of plaque )
 Performs scaling and root-planning procedures
 Exposes, processes, and evaluates the quality of
radiographs
 Performs administration of local anesthesia and nitrous
oxide depending on country legal professional duties .
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31. Business Assistant ( Administrative
Assistant, Secretarial Assistant ,
Receptionist
 Greets patients and answers telephone
 Makes and confirms appointments
 Manages patients records, payments, insurance billing ,
and financial arrangements
 Ensure patients privacy measures are in place and are
follow
 Overseas patient relations
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32. Dental Laboratory Technician
 Performs laboratory work
under prescription of a
licensed dentist
 Constructs and repairs
prosthetic devices (e.g.,
full and partial dentures)
 Constructs restorations
(e.g. crowns , bridges,
inlays, veneers)
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33. Overview of Dental office
Types and size of dental offices varies greatly depending
on type of practice
 Reception area
 Business office
 Nonclinical areas
 Instruments processing area
 Dental laboratory
 Treatment Rooms
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34. Reception Area
 Area where patient
is received and
greeted
 Patient judge
dental office by the
reception, so it
should be kept
clean and neat all
times
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35. Business Area
 It is the hub for
management the business
aspect of dental practice
 It Includes:
 Scheduling area
 Financial management area
 Record Storage
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36. Nonclinical Areas
 Private office
 Consultation room
 Staff longue; resting eating
, hold meetings
 NO contaminating clothing
or instrument should be
brought to this area
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37. Instrument Processing Area
 Area where
contaminated
instruments are
cleaned,
packaged,
sterilized and
stored for reuse
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38. Dental Laboratory
 Is used for staff to pour
impression, prepare study
models, polish removable
items such as dentures and
space maintainers
 Wearing infections safety
barriers such as safety
googles is very important
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39. Treatment Rooms
 Operatories or heart of the dental practice
 Patients receive treatment in the treatment rooms
 Usually several rooms
 Treatment rooms designated for hygiene care, Root
Canal treatment (endontics) and oral surgery.
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40. Apply your knowledge
 Visit The web page of your country dental association.
Explain different area in the site ( short oral
presentation)
 Visit your neighborhood dental clinic and write a short
report about your visit and present it in class ( single or
group visit )
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41. Review Questions
1. The dental specialty in which the patient is the entire
community is
2. A patient who needs a root canal treatment might be
referred to
3. The MOST important person in dental practice is the
4. Contaminated dental instruments should be returned
to the
5. The newest dental specialty is
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42. 6. The member of the dental health care team that is
licensed to scale and polish teeth is the
7. The dentist explains the treatment to the patients in
the of the practice
8. The leader of the dental health care team is
9. The dentist recognized as having used the first dental
assistant was
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