Anybody who has undergone orthodontic treatment would attest to the fact that the routine is very painstaking. Regular adjustments, cleaning, tiny metal brackets to be re-cemented – if all of these will be done by just one set of hands, the orthodontist’s hands will literally be just as full by the end of merely one appointment. But with the aid of an orthodontic assistant, things will be done in a breeze.
The orthodontic assistant is very essential in an orthodontist’s practice. They may not have the skills and training of this dental specialist, but the aid of another set of hands does a lot of wonders.
They are like the dental hygienist in a regular practice setup. Dental hygienists, for the most part, do cleaning routines, which takes off a great fraction of responsibility on the dentist’s shoulders. They may focus on other treatments more because the hygienist can do some of the work for them.
With another set of hands from the orthodontic assistant, appointments become shorter and more patients can be accommodated. The orthodontist can focus his full attention on the patient while the assistant does his job in the operatory, which can be any of the following;
1. Examination. The orthodontic assistant checks on a patient’s dentition and informs the orthodontist about it. Whether it’s a bracket that has gone loose or cracked fillings, it is their job to inspect prior to the routine adjustment by the orthodontist.
2. Removal of rubber bands or elastics, wires and brackets. Those colorful bands that keep the brackets attached to the wires facilitate mobility and allow the teeth to move according to the desired pattern. These eventually become loose and should be replaced. The orthodontic assistant does this, as well as removal of the wires and any bracket that has come loose.
3. Cleaning. Once the bands have been removed, the patient shall undergo brushing. Food debris will certainly be present in between the bracket slots as not everything will be removed by normal brushing. Those on the inner sides of the wires and under tiny bends may only be removed by power brushes in the clinic.
The orthodontic assistant is also responsible for cleaning loose brackets. The hardened cement on its base (mesh) shall be removed prior to rebonding on the tooth.
4. Bracket rebonding. Replacement of brackets requires a blue UV light, which most patients often tag as the “laser,” to cure or harden the cement. The orthodontic assistant shall hold the device and direct light on the bracket once the orthodontist has placed the bracket in proper alignment.
This at least allows the orthodontist to keep his focus on the alignment of the brackets. Without the orthodontic assistant, the orthodontist will have one hand on the light curing device and another one holding the bracket in place. The representation might seem easy, but it’s not. The bracket to be rebonded should not move in any way, and with only one hand as support, this is likely because there is less control and any movement on the part of the patient is also probable.
Imagine how tired dentists’ hands can get if they do everything on their own. They wouldn’t be able to accommodate a great number of patients in a day. The job entails a lot of meticulous attention and manual dexterity, which could prove very tiresome for the eyes and hands. By the end of the day, their hands will be just as numb and tired as their strained eyes.
The above-mentioned tasks meant for the orthodontic assistant just signifies the magnitude of their presence in the orthodontist’s office. Every patient is guaranteed to receive utmost care and proper treatment in a lesser amount of time.
The orthodontic assistant makes appointments easier, thereby allowing the orthodontist to render his service to more patients in a day sans the exhausted vision and compromised agility. Treatment is offered without any compromise and patients get the best deal of care. And this is just one among the many helps that four-handed dentistry could offer.
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