What is Chairside Assisting?
Dental assistants play a very important role in the dental office. The dental assistant often works alongside the dentist during patient examinations and procedures to assist her or him in the process.
Chairside assisting refers to any operation that a dental assistant performs to assist the dentist during a dental examination or procedure. Chairside assisting can also be called, “Four-Handed Dentistry,” which refers to the dentist’s two hands and the dental assistant’s two hands (totals to four hands), or “Six-Handed Dentistry”, which incorporates the dentist, plus two dental assistants (totals to six hands).
Examples of Chairside Assisting duties performed by a dental assistant include:
- Preparing trays for procedures
- Handing equipment, materials and instruments to the Dentist
- Applying the suction tool in order to keep the patients mouth dry and clear
- Tending to the patient during dental procedures, while keeping the patient calm and comfortable
The dental assistant performs many duties to help the dental office run smoothly, including clinical back office and administrative front office. In addition to chairside assisting, a dental assistant’s additional responsibilities include:
- Sterilizing dental tools and equipment
- Performing X-rays, suture removal, and constructing temporary crowns and bridges
- Providing patients with postoperative instructions and general oral health information
- Preparing fillings and compounds for restorations
- Creating, forming, and polishing crowns, temporaries, and dentures
- Charting dental histories and any new conditions/symptoms
- Scheduling and confirming appointments
- Billing and processing insurance information for patients
- Processing payments
If you enjoy working with people and the healthcare field interests you, a career as a dental assistant could be for you. You may be wondering, how to become a dental assistant? Arizona College offers an exciting Dental Assisting program with hands-on training in our modern laboratories and sessions that start every 5 weeks. Arizona College has two conveniently located campuses in Glendale and Mesa. Contact Arizona College today to learn more about your future as a dental assistant.
Information in this blog post is accurate as of August 25, 2014.
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If you’re considering a career as a registered nurse (RN), Arizona College of Nursing is here to help you pursue your dream. Our BSN program enables you to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in just 3 years or less with qualifying transfer credits. We’ve helped hundreds of students to earn a BSN degree and enter the nursing profession – and we’re ready to support you on your path to becoming an RN.
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Information in this post is accurate as of August 25, 2014.
*The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program at Arizona College of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (https://www.aacnnursing.org/). All Arizona College of Nursing and Arizona College campuses are institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (https://www.abhes.org/), a U.S. Department of Education-recognized accrediting agency.