Читать книгу Managing the Dental Team: Guidelines for Practice Success - American Dental Association - Страница 11

General requirements:

Dental assistants can begin their careers through either on-the-job training programs, work-study programs or by completing college-level coursework through an accredited dental assisting education program. Requirements for allowable duties vary by state; check your state’s dental practice act to ensure that any dental assistants on your team hold the necessary education and/or training required. Specific information regarding dental assisting job titles, allowable functions, and the requirements for each state are available in an easy to compare format through an online resource from the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc. (DANB). DANB updates this resource throughout the year as legislative or administrative changes are made to related state law and rule. The resource is available at www.danb.org/Meet-State-Requirements.aspx. Unless otherwise indicated, DANB has obtained state dental board review and approval of the accuracy of this information, and notes any questions should be directed to a specific state dental board.

Links to complete dental practice acts and administrative rules for all oral healthcare providers in each state are easily accessible through a joint effort between the American Association of Dental Boards (AADB) and DANB. Note that this resource provides links to actual, current state practice acts and administrative rules, so this information is complete but not easily compared state-to-state. To access the database, visit DANB at danb.org or AADB at dentalboards.org.

General duties may include:

• greeting patients when they sign in and monitoring arrival times

• setting up treatment rooms for procedures

• preparing and maintaining dental instruments, supplies and equipment

• escorting patients to treatment rooms

• showing care and concern and helping patients feel comfortable

• reviewing health histories according to the practice’s protocol

• anticipating and responding to the dentist’s needs during patient treatment

• performing expanded functions and other tasks assigned by the dentist

• preparing dental materials, such as cements, amalgam, composite, impression materials, etc.

• answering patients’ questions

• charting patients and recording the date, service rendered and any charges

• ensuring that accurate treatment notes are recorded in patients’ charts

• monitoring patient flow

• providing patients with instructions and demonstrating proper techniques when necessary

• monitoring and managing inventory

• performing allowable duties under expanded function when appropriate