Читать книгу The Veterinary Dental Patient: A Multidisciplinary Approach - Группа авторов - Страница 64

Credentialed veterinary technicians/nurses are essential member of the dental team, as pet advocates and client educators. They are often eager to be empowered, and dentistry is one of the areas of the veterinary practice where technicians/nurses can be fully utilized. It is important to remember that a credentialed technician/nurse can do everything but diagnose, perform surgery, prescribe drugs, and give a prognosis. Empowering a veterinary technician/nurse to become the dental go‐to at a practice allows for both professional growth and pride in their chosen profession, as well as increasing the practice's dental revenue. The dental technician/nurse will be the source for all things dental and have responsibility for the training of the entire staff so that everyone understands the importance of good oral health.

Every practice should have a veterinary technician/nurse whose main emphasis and training are in dentistry (Bellows 1999). The veterinarian is the only person who can make a diagnosis of disease, but a credentialed veterinary technician/nurse with training in dentistry can assist them by gathering an accurate history and recognizing abnormalities and pathology and bringing them to their attention.

Figure 4.6 Preparation of the operatory.

This technician's responsibilities include:

 patient history gathering

 patient intake

 performing oral examination

 dental prophylaxis and cleaning procedures

 charting

 taking dental radiographs

 assisting in oral surgeries and other dental procedures

 recording information in the patient's medical record

 delivering postoperative instructions

 ensuring the dental operatory is stocked and the equipment is well maintained.

They should also be allowed to thoroughly discuss home care, client education, and follow‐up visits with pet owners.