1. The Professional Dental Assistant
Standard 17
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2. Standard 17
Understand principles of and successfully perform skills related to Dental Assisting, incorporating rubrics from textbooks or clinical standards of practice for the following:
A. Identifying teeth using the Federation Dentaire International Numbering System
B. Demonstrate brushing and flossing techniques
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3. Characteristics of a Professional Dental Assistant
Professional appearance
Good grooming
Good health
Appropriate dress
How do you stay in good health?
What does good grooming involve?
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4. Fig. 2-2 Dental assistants in professional attire for chairside procedures.
What is the appropriate attire for a dental assistant?
Note that the first dental assistant (on the left) is in scrubs, which is basic acceptable wear at all times. The second one is in full personal protective wear, which is indicated for chairside procedures. The third assistant wears a surgical gown, which is indicated for surgery or hospital dentistry.
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5. Confidentiality
Everything that is said in a dental office must remain confidential.
Breaches of confidentiality can result in lawsuits against all involved.
Never reveal any information about patients.
Never discuss patients outside the office.
Federal legislation called HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) affects all types of healthcare providers, setting forth the measures that must be taken to ensure that patient privacy is protected while health information is shared among healthcare providers.
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6. Dental Assisting National Board
The DANB is the agency responsible for testing dental assistants and issuing the credential of Certified Dental Assistant (CDA).
To become a CDA, you must take and pass a written examination administered by the DANB.
Successful completion of the DANB examination gives an assistant the right to use the credential of CDA, to wear the official certification pin, and to display the certificate.
Why would you want to become a CDA?
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7. Specialty Certification
The DANB also issues specialized certifications, such as:
Certified Dental Practice Management Assistant (CDPMA)
Certified Orthodontic Assistant (COA)
How do the responsibilities of a CDPMA differ from those of a COA?
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8. The Registered Dental Assistant (RDA)
Registration is a credential issued by some states.
It is recognized only by the state that issued the registration.
A dental assistant may be a Registered Dental Assistant (RDA) as well as a Certified Dental Assistant (CDA).
Each state with registration for dental assistants establishes its own requirements for RDA eligibility, including education or work experience, testing, and continuing education.
What are the regulations imposed on dental assistants in our state? (Instructor: check with the dental board/commission in your state, which you can find on the ADA’s web site,
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9. Responsibilities of the Chairside Dental Assistant
Primary responsibilities in this role include but are not limited to:
Seating and preparing for patients
Charting
Instituting infection-control procedures
Mixing and passing dental materials
Assisting the dentist during procedures
Ensuring patient comfort
Exposing and processing radiographs
What are the responsibilities of the chairside dental assistant?
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10. Roles of the Chairside Assistant
Pouring and trimming models and performing other laboratory procedures
Providing patient education
Providing postoperative instructions to patients
Overseeing inventory control and ordering dental supplies
Ensuring compliance with OSHA regulations
What does OSHA stand for? (Occupational Safety and Health Administration.)
What is OSHA’s mission? (To ensure the safety and health of America's workers by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach, and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual improvement in workplace safety and health.)
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11. Responsibilities of the Expanded-Function Assistant
Delegation of the following functions varies from state to state, depending on the individual state’s dental practice act:
Placing dental sealants
Taking impressions
Fabricating temporary crowns and bridges
Placing retraction cord
Applying fluoride
Applying topical anesthetic
Placing and removing dental dams
Placing and removing matrices and wedges
(Cont’d)
Why do some states allow expanded functions for dental assisting? (The program is designed to provide current dental assistants with advanced training, increasing the dentist’s overall productivity.)
What are the roles of the expanded-function assistant?
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12. Responsibilities of the Expanded-Function Assistant
(Cont’d)
Applying liners, varnishes, and bases
Placing, carving, and finishing amalgam or composite restorations
Removing sutures
Placing and removing periodontal dressings
Performing additional functions as specified in the dental practice act of the state in which the dental assistant is employed
It is important to be aware of the laws of the state in which you practice.
(Tie this in with Chapter 5: Dentistry and the Law and its discussion of state dental boards.)
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13. Numbering System Federal Dentaire Numbering System
The Federation Dentaire Internationale Numbering System (FDI). Internationally the two- digit system is used worldwide. Every branch of dentistry uses this system. Each quadrant is assigned a number.The maxillary right quadrant is assigned the number 1, the maxillary left quadrant is assigned the number 2, the mandibular left quadrant is assigned the number 3, and the mandibular right quadrant is assigned the number 4.The teeth within each quadrant are assigned a number from 1 through 8 with 1 being the central incisor and 8 being the third molar

15. FDI Number System

16. Proper Brushing Technique

17. Proper Flossing Technique