www.dotcomhunter.com Dental Assistants in Orthodontics Dental Assistants are becoming more and more popular in the area of o rthodontics. This is due to new technology for orthodontics as well a s the increase in the number of children and adults seeking orthodont ic care. Dental Assistants normally complete a variety of duties incl uding sterilizing dental tools and assisting both Dentists and Hygien ist with procedures. This generally entails sitting in on such proced ures, handing the staff the necessary tools and equipment as the proc edure it taking place. Dental Assistants may also find themselves ass isting with lab work. The role of Dental Assistant in the area of Orthodontics is different . They will generally still be responsible for sterilizing all dental tools. However, they will have more hands on work inside the mouth o f the patient. These tasks include fixing loose brackets, changing ru bber bands, and tightening wires. Many Dental Assistants love working in orthodontics because of the hands on work they get to do with the patient. They also enjoy getting to see the patient every few weeks from the beginning of the process until the end. Generally individual s wear braces for two years or longer. Being a Dental Assistant in an orthodontic setting is not something t hat is commonly taught in a Dental Assistant program. It is a specifi c area of specialization, and most Dental Assistant programs are desi gned to give you an understanding of the basic elements of dentistry only. Most training for Dental Assistants in the area of orthodontics takes place on the job. Generally, by having another Dental Assistant walk y ou through the process, then watching you perform it on actual patient s. This can be intimidating for some Dental Assistants as they are use d to learning by observing in the dental field rather than taking on t he task at hand. Other Dental Assistants thrive in this type of learni ng environment, enabling them to really excel in the orthodontic field .With the use of Dental Assistants, many orthodontic offices are meet ing the demand for treatment in a very unique way. Dental Assistants are set up to specialize in a particular area of the orthodontic pr ocess. Many patients are scheduled for the same appointment time, an d then dispersed to various dental assistants depending on their nee ds. For example, one such dental facility has all patients sign in to see the Orthodontist first. He quickly reviews their progress, documents the chart, and puts the chart into a file on the wall. Dental Assist ants come here to pull the charts of those in their slot on the wall. A gift from www.dotcomhunter.comwww.dotcomhunter.com There are Dental Assistants to take X-Rays and to make adjustments. These adjustments include adjusting wires and changing rubber bands. Other Dental Assistants perform repairs including changing brackets a nd removing excess cement on the teeth. There are also Dental Assista nts to remove the braces and others to take the molds for retainers. Once the patient has seen the necessary Dental Assistant based on the needs that should be addressed during that visit, the patient is tak en back to the area where they first signed in. They again see the de ntist who reviews the work completed by the Dental Assistant. The Den tist will record necessary notes on the chart including when the pati ent should be seen again. The patient then takes their chart to the r eception area, schedules an appointment, and they are on their way. T his method has proven to be fast and effective. It is well organized, like worker ants doing their part to make it all flow well. The advantage to this type of system is that more patients can be see n on a daily basis. Therefore, the cost of treatment is often reduced . However, patients will find themselves seen by numerous Dental Assi stants over the course of their treatment. Many Dental Assistants enj oy working in the area of orthodontics. They like the hands on intera ction with the patients as well as providing quality care to those in need of orthodontic procedures. PPPPP Word Count 655 A gift from www.dotcomhunter.com