Dental assistants perform a variety of functions which branch out in the categories of patient care, office and laboratory duties. All the instruments and equipment are prepared and laid out by the dental assistants. They have a major role in making the patients feel comfortable when they occupy the chair. DAs stand right next to the dentists when any procedures are going on so as to assist them. They hand materials and instruments to the dentists and use suction equipments to dry and clear the patient's mouth.
Any materials that are required for taking impressions and in restorations are prepared by the DAs. Some of them even develop the X-rays taken by the dentist after receiving clear instructions. Removal of sutures or the administration of local anesthetics are one of the many duties that can be entrusted to DAs. Some States are expanding the index of duties that can be performed by DAs. Procedures like coronal polishing require the dental assistants to have completed a specific training regime and some work experience.
DAs that are on laboratory duty prepare casts of the teeth and mouth from the impressions that are procured. They even make temporary crowns and polish the surgical instruments. The office duty requires them to schedule appointments and keep records of each patient. DAs always work under supervision or close proximity to dentists. Also, there is a difference between dental assistants and dental hygienists, whose primary role is oral health and hence have a completely different set of tasks and procedures.
The workplace of DAs is usually a dental clinic that is well-ventilated, with proper lighting and cleanliness. Many of the dental assistants work part-time, while some are employed full time. Depending on the hours they spend in one clinic, they sometimes chose to work at another clinic at the same time. They enjoy regular working periods of 40 hours per week, without much scope for unscheduled calls.
Socially, dental assistants are usually a friendly lot as they are the ones who interact with the patients before and after the dentist deals with them. A friendly outlook can work wonders for both their practice and the dentist as well. DAs understand the fact that dentists are their seniors in the practice and try to pick up the different procedures being taught to them which will in turn benefit their career further.There are usually limits as to how many assistants can work under supervision of one dentist and that regulation ultimately will keep quality of the job education DAs can get.
