Ask The Editors
Q: Do you have any recommendations for an impression material that has a quick set, but is still very accurate?
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Welcome to the Assistant Advisor!
In this corner of THE DENTAL ADVISOR website, we will be bringing you monthly updates on all of the information that is not only exciting but relevant to you…The Amazing Assistant. This space will provide an assistant’s perspective to the main topic of the current issue of THE DENTAL ADVISOR. We will focus on answering your questions and providing solutions to the everyday tribulations faced in your dental practice in the Q&A and Products to Assist the Assistant sections. You can find motivation or just a smile in the Never "Just An Assistant" area. Also, feel free to visit often and enhance your Education and Involvement by joining professional organizations and submitting your questions and ideas. Enjoy the site and we look forward to hearing from you!
Assistant Perspective
Happy New Year! Our focus for January and February, in collaboration with the product awards issue of THE DENTAL ADVISOR, is to help you start your year off right by focusing on ways to “Work Smarter, Not Harder!”
Tips for Working Smarter,
Not Harder!
1. Clean As You Go
Taking the time during the process, procedure, or pour-up to keep your work space tidy will improve your daily work flow, make your team members happy, and cut your cleanup time at the end of the day.
2. A Place for Everything and Everything in its Place
How many times a day do you go to look for something and it is not where it is supposed to be? Making this your mantra will help you avoid frustration and lost time.
3. Develop your own 'Quick Tips'
Writing the most important steps to the procedure inside the lid of the package will help you ensure that every procedure will go smoothly and that you have done your best to ensure success.
4. Learn to Compartmentalize
Leave work at work and home at home. Learning this one little trick will help you feel more centered and productive…whichever door you are walking through.
5. Remember to Collaborate
We all have our strengths and our struggles. Remembering to offer help when you see a team member in need and asking for help when you need it will improve productivity and morale.
Questions and Answers
A. There are several tips for placing rubber dams to help prevent tearing. First, try placing a lubricant on the tissue side of the dam so that it slips over the teeth more readily. A very thin coat of petroleum jelly or a glycerin-based lubricant works very well. Try using a non-latex dam like Flexi Dam (Coltene/Whaledent, Inc.) The elasticity of Flexi Dam is greater than that of latex with a high tear resistance.
A. Yes, it really does! OraVerse (Septodont) works by causing localized dilation of the blood vessels in the area that the anesthesia was delivered. This enables the anesthetic to be carried away from the site at a much faster rate. Patients usually begin to feel the effects wearing off in 25 minutes and are almost completely back to normal in approximately one hour.
A. Try using a hypoallergenic facemask like The Ultrasensitive Mask (Crosstex). These masks have no chemicals, dyes, or fragrances and are designed for sensitive skin and they hold up well during long procedures.
Time-Saving Products to Assist the Assistant
Estelite Sigma Quick (Tokuyama Dental America) - is an excellent composite that handles well and cures in only 10 seconds!
Vertise Flow (Kerr Corp.) - is a self-adhering flowable composite that eliminates the need for a separate bonding agent and works great for pedo patients!
R-SI-LINE Metal Bite (R-dental) - is a quick setting bite registration material that trims easily and is not brittle.
Education and Involvement
Broaden your professional involvement! It is important as a dental assistant to continuously strive for advancement and to support your profession through active participation.
Membership:
ADAA – www.dentalassistant.org
MDAA – www.midaa.org
Certification:
DANB – www.danb.org or www.dentalassisting.org
E-learning:
The DALE Foundation - www.dalefoundation.org
Tell us what your interests are, what you want to see more of, or what you would like to learn more about. Simply click on the logo and submit your ideas!
Never “Just an Assistant”
Your motivational spot on the site to discover another reason to smile every month by realizing just how important and vital you are as a dental assistant.
Laugh it Off!
They say that laughter is the best medicine. So, the next time you feel stressed, frustrated, or misunderstood...laugh it off! Laughter also relaxes the body, boosts the immune system, and releases endorphins.
(www.healthguide.org)
About the Author
Jennifer Ireland graduated from Siena Heights University in 2004 with a BS in Biology. She is a 2006 graduate of the Dental Assisting program at Washtenaw Community College and she continually maintains her CDA and RDA credentials. With 13 years of dental assistant experience, Jennifer is an active member of the ADAA, a Clinical Consultant and member of the Editorial Board for THE DENTAL ADVISOR. She currently splits her time between assisting clinically at Enspire Dental and working for THE DENTAL ADVISOR in corporate training development.
