This document discusses the dental workforce and organization of the dental profession. It outlines the roles of dentists and dental auxiliaries like dental hygienists, dental assistants, dental therapists, dental technicians, and receptionists/secretaries. Dental hygienists focus on preventative dental care, dental assistants help during procedures, and dental therapists specialize in children's dental treatment. Developing good communication, delegating tasks appropriately, providing training, and getting input from staff can help create a cohesive and successful dental team.

1. THE DENTAL WORKFORCE
By Dr Nadia Hasan
Department of Community
Dentistry

2. Aims and objectives:
-Understanding:
• organization of the dental profession
• Role of dental auxiliaries

3. Profession: Dentistry
• Criteria:
-specialized knowledge which is continuously
updated
-Self-regulation
-Code of ethics for professional conduct

4. Organization of the dental profession
• Promote the art and science of dentistry
• Safeguard and defend interest and integrity of
the dental profession
• Influence the policies of the government

5. Organization of the dental profession
-National dental organizations:
• American dental association
• National dental association
• Hispanic dental association
• OTHERS
• AMERICAN DENTAL HYGIENIST’S
ASSOCIATION

6. Organization of the dental
profession
• Pakistan dental association
• Pakistan dental hygienist association

7. Organization of the dental profession
• FDI: world dental federation!
• Principal representative body for dentists
worldwide
• Aim: optimal oral health for all

8. The dental team

9. Dentist
• Legally entitled to do the following things
independently:
– Diagnosis
– Treatment
--Prescribing certain drugs
– Employment and supervision of dental AUXILIARY
PERSONNEL

10. TYPES OF DENTAL PERSONNEL
• DENTISTS
– A person who is permitted to practice dentistry
under the law of the relevant state, province,
territory, or nation.
• DENTAL AUXILIARIES
– Dental auxiliaries is a generic term for all persons
who assist the dentist in treating patients.

11. DENTAL AUXILIARIES
-dental hygienist
-dental assistant
-dental therapist
-dental laboratory technician
-receptionist/secretary

12. The vision of a dental team
• The vision of a dental team is one of various
people in dentistry with different roles,
functions and periods of training, all working
together to provide the best possible
treatment of the patient.

13. The dental team

14. Classification of dental personnel
Depending on whether or not they carry out any
intraoral procedures in the direct treatment of
patients, auxiliaries can be classified as:
• OPERATING :dentist, dental hygienist, dental
therapist
• NON-OPERATING: dental assistant, secretary

15. SUPERVISION
• All auxiliaries, with rare exception, operate
under varying degrees of supervision by a
dentist.

17. DENTAL HYGIENISTS
• Dental hygienists are licensed dental
auxiliaries who specialize in preventive dental
care; typically not limited to focusing on
preventive techniques.
• Local dental regulations: 1 year certificate
course from a registered dental institute

18. Dental hygienist
-Can work in:
• private practice
• Community health center
• Dental hospital
• Regional clinic

20. Potential Duties of a dental hygienist
• Scaling and polishing teeth
• Topical fluoride application
• Application of fissure sealants
• Restricted administration of local anesthesia
• taking radiographs

24. In a hospital setting:
Aid in the establishment of a good oral hygiene
regime in patients:
-After surgery and advanced orthodontic treatment
-medically compromised patients

27. DENTAL ASSISTANT
• Meeting and installing patients in dental chair
• Reassurance of patient
• Arrangement of instruments
• Holding and passing instruments
• Tissue retraction and suctioning to achieve
better vision of the operating field.
• Mixing materials
• FOUR HANDED DENTISTRY

29. DUTIES OF A DENTAL
ASSISTANT(continued)
• Maintenance of patient records
• After appointment; cleaning and disinfection
of surgery and sterilization of all instruments

30. DENTAL THERAPISTS
• Dental therapists are licensed dental auxiliaries in
some countries, who specialize in treating children’s
teeth and oral hygiene.
• Local dental regulations determine the duties
therapists are able to perform.

31. DENTAL THERAPIST
• A licensed dentist must examine the patient and
Indicate clearly in writing the course of
treatment a dental therapist must carry out!

32. DUTIES OF A DENTAL THERAPIST
• intra and extra oral assessment
• scaling and polishing
• applying materials to teeth such as fluoride
and fissure sealants
• taking dental radiographs
• providing dental health education on a one to
one basis or in a group situation

33. DUTIES OF A DENTAL THERAPIST(CONTINUED)
• undertaking routine restorations in both
deciduous and permanent teeth, on adults
and children
• extracting deciduous teeth

34. Extraction of retained deciduous teeth

36. EXTENDED DUTIES OF A DENTAL
THERAPIST
• undertaking the pulp therapy treatment of
deciduous teeth.
• placing preformed crowns on deciduous teeth.
• administering inferior dental nerve block
analgesia under the supervision of a dentist.

38. EXTENDED DUTIES OF A DENTAL
THERAPIST
• taking impressions.
• treating patients under local anesthesia under
direct supervision of a dentist

41. DENTAL TECHNICIANS
• Dental technicians are dental auxiliaries who
fabricates dental appliances such as
removable prosthesis including dentures, any
fixed restorative work such as crown and
bridges for the dental operator to insert

43. RECEPTIONIST/SECRETARY
• Meeting and reassuring patients
• Taking appointments
• Attending all incoming telephone calls
• Taking payments
• Record maintenance
• Dealing with paperwork

45. How to develop a successful
dental team???

46. Some keys to successful
management:
• Good communication:
• Regular staff meetings
• Handbook of procedures within the practice

47. Keys to successful management
• Delegate tasks:
• Less stress; more time for demanding tasks
• Motivation:more job satisfaction for auxiliary
staff
-

48. Keys to successful management
-Staff training:
• Development of patient management skills of
Reception and nursing staff
-Contribution of staff to update manual of
procedures
-In-house training days

49. Benefits of good management
• stress
• efficiency
• job satisfaction– for the entire dental
• team

50. Thank you