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Dental
Assistant
Dental assistants perform a variety of clinical, office, and
laboratory duties. In their clinical duties, dental assistants work at
chairside as dentists examine and treat patients. They make patients as
comfortable as possible in the dental chair, prepare them for treatment,
and obtain dental records. Assistants hand the dentist the proper
instruments and materials and keep patients� mouths dry and clear by
using suction or other devices. Assistants also sterilize and disinfect
instruments and equipment; prepare tray setups for dental procedures;
provide postoperative instruction; and instruct patients in oral health
care. Some dental assistants prepare materials for making impressions
and restorations, expose radiographs, and process dental x-ray film as
directed by the dentist. They may remove sutures, apply anesthetic and
caries-preventive agents to the teeth and oral tissue, remove excess
cement used in the filling process, and place rubber dams on the teeth
to isolate them for individual treatment.
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