Dental_assistant

Dental assistant

Dental assistants help the dental operator (dentist or other treating dental auxiliary) provide more efficient dental treatment. Dental operators can focus more time on providing treatment when assistants oversee the necessary but menial tasks, and by effectively becoming the operator's extra hands.

1 Duties
- 1.1 Traditional duties
- 1.2 Extended duties
2 Educational and licensing requirements in U.S.
3 Dental Assistant Jobs
4 References
5 See also

Duties

The limitations to the duties dental assistants can perform is often regulated by the local dental governing body. Increasingly more assistant duties are being made legitimate to allow dental operators to focus more on dental treatment.

Traditional duties

Traditionally, tasks which dental operators require of an assistant include:

assisting the dental operator by pre-assessing the need for the procedure, holding and passing instruments
retracting tissues and suctioning to assist better vision of the operating field
retrieving, setting up and laying out dental equipment and dental instruments
mixing materials
sterilizing dental instruments and equipment
developing dental radiographs
charting for the dental operator
exposing radiographs
fabrication bleaching trays
in-office bleaching
applying sealants

Extended duties

Other extended duties, many depending on local dental regulations, can include:

dental lab work, such as pouring & trimming models
filing charts
appointment scheduling
maintaining dental record keeping
taking impressions
giving post-op instructions
making temporary crowns
manage patient welfare
educate patients on oral health
complete procedures started by dentists
pack gingival retraction cord for accurate impressions
ordering dental supplies for office
placing dental sealants
rubber-cup prophy for patients

Educational and licensing requirements in U.S.

While, in some states, dental assistants can work in the field without a college degree, in other states, dental assistants must be licensed or registered.

After completing a program that takes about nine to 11 months, plus an exam, dental assistants receive a certificate or diploma in dental assisting. Two-year programs offered in community and junior colleges lead to an associate degree. All programs require a high school diploma or its equivalent, and some require science or computer-related courses for admission.

The Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association is the agency that accredits dental assisting school programs, of which there are over 200 in the United States. To become a Certified Dental Assistant, or CDA, dental assistants must take the CDA examination after they have completed an accredited dental assisting program, or have at least two years of full-time on-the-job training as a dental assistant.¹