Summary: A Career As A Dental Assistant

Preventing the spread of infection has been the most important key component to having good health care. As a Dental Assistant, reducing the risk of infection for patients is of the upmost importance across the dental field. There are a variety of responsibilities and procedures needed to be done before and after assisting every patient. First and foremost, personal hygiene in the dental clinic is very important, sterilization of instruments, and cleaning/replacing operatory units are also critical action to take during an infectious procedure.

Each dental assistant needs a variety of immunizations to provide dental care towards patients because of the high risk of exposure to viruses carried by people. According to “Guidelines for Infection

One of the most important roles a Dental Assistant has is to maintain a clean office at all times. Dickinson. S and Bebermeyer. R explain that in their article, after each patient a Dental Assistant must clean and disinfect clinical contact surfaces that are not barrier-protected. Dental Assistants play a significant role in maintaining the day to day operation of the office. Cleaning involves disinfecting floors, walls, sinks and other housekeeping surfaces with detergent and water on a routine basis. They must also clean mops and cloths after use, and any visibly dusty areas. During cleaning the Dental Assistant should wear appropriate personal protective equipment. Dental airlines and waterlines are semi-critical instruments that should be cleaned inside and out after every use to remove any type of debris and

“Guidelines for Infection Control” inform us that Dental Assistants should clean floors regularly as well as spills to minimize contamination in the office. Every cubicle in the office should have water and detergent at all times to clean after every use. The entire operatory must be adequately sprayed with CaviCide and wiped with CaviWipes or similar brands. According to CDC, Dental Assistants must also wipe under barriers, and patient chairs should be wiped from head to toe regardless of how expensive the leather is. By the end of the day Dental Assistants are to run suction cleaner or replace if necessary the operatory and saliva ejector tubing’s. It is important as a Dental Assistant to observe any types of dirtiness throughout the dental clinic to help and maintain a healthy and clean