What does the dental assistant do?

The main task of the dentist is to prepare a dental office for visits to patients, although it can also occupy small jobs such as organization of files, reading and developing X -rays and preparation of dental forms and tooth impressions. The performance of these tasks allows a dentist and a hygienist to focus more exclusively on patient care. The assistants rarely have formal dental training, but they usually become quite well informed about common procedures and practices at work. If necessary, they can play a more active role in patient care - although most of their work is usually done behind the scenes.

Obligations of cleaning and setting

One of the most common auxiliary duties is to prepare tests based on the release of tools and ensure general cleanliness. The assistant checks to make sure that all tools are present and functional, for example, and ensure that there are supplies such as toothpaste, fluoride rinsing and plastic gloves.

after the test, assistteM is usually a person responsible for cleaning and re -setting the space. This usually includes sterilizing all used equipment and general dusting, sweeping and sometimes mopping. At the end of the day, assistants usually close all appliances and close the office.

Interaction with patients

Dental assistants usually do not provide direct care for patients, but that does not mean that they cannot have any external interactions. It depends a lot on practice, but assistants are often responsible to accompany patients to investigate the rooms and preparation-timely to provide a protective bib or to offer mouthwash for preliminary rinsing.

Patients who need impressions of their teeth are also likely to meet a dentist. The preparation and filling of molds is generally very simple, but must be done in a special way to ensure good results. Ostelistants are usually those who have a hundredRosti, both impressing the impression and filling the mold, which are then transferred to the dentist responsible for further study.

technical work

Most dental assistants are also trained in the management and development of dental X -rays. X-rays are often completed at the beginning of the test-the dentist or hygienist works with the patient, the assistant is usually busy developing and processing of the film. In this way, if there is a problem, new shots can be taken. Completed images are also ready for professional control, while the patient is still in the office, and the diagnosis can be made without long care interruptions.

Main differences between hygiene and assistants

Sometimes it is easy to confuse dental assistants and dental hygiene-they perform some of the same tasks in terms of setting and basic patients, but their training and work duties are quite different. Hygiest are experts who have completed specialized dental training. It is not usually lEcarians, which means they cannot diagnose or treat the main conditions - but usually recognize them and can issue recommendations for a responsible dentist. Hygiests are often responsible for cleaning patients and will also help in more complex procedures such as filling cavities and root channels.

Dental assistant is not usually qualified to provide direct patient care, and so it is often a violation of local or national laws. Most countries regulate teeth care, often by administering qualification tests or requiring specialized titles. While hygienists must usually be certified, assistants can often work with several or no qualifications.

Requirements for training and education

There are usually no formal training requirements for dental assistants as they exist for hygiene or dentists, and in most of the cases of hiring cases are at the discretion of individual practical managers. Usually a diploma for high schools is requiredE and some form of further education is usually also a benefit. Some community universities and business schools offer assistant programs or medical assistant, most of whom will culminate in the community title. This type of training is often very useful both in terms of fulfilling job qualifications and when it comes to finding open positions in the first place - many schools have career offices that organize interviews, identify options for qualified students.