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. X-rays can reveal if a person has cavities Dentistry is the practical application of knowledge of dental science (the science of placement, arrangement, function of teeth) to human beings. ... Auxiliary may mean: a backup system an auxiliary verb In sailing, the term is used for the motor, if a sailboat has one, or can be used to describe a motorized sailboat, as in an auxiliary sailboat. Auxiliary police Armed Forces auxiliary This is a disambiguation page, a list of... A Dentist and Dental Assistant perform surgery on a patient. ...
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 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
This page discusses common devices known as tools, for other meanings see Tool (disambiguation) Modern hammer A tool is, among other things, a device that provides a mechanical or mental advantage in accomplishing a task. ...
Extended duties
Other extended duties, many depending on local dental regulations, can include:
dental lab work, such as pouring & trimming models