The Dental Office
Chapter 32
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Introduction
Patients often judge the quality of care by
the appearance of the dental office!
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Office Environment
• Temperature
– Reception area 72° F
– Clinical area 68°-70° F
– Air exchange should remain constant
• Lighting
– Reception area: table and floor lamps
– Business area: fluorescent lighting
– Clinical area: fluorescent lighting and clinical lighting
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Office Environment-cont’d
• Wall and Floor Coverings
– Use colors that are calming.
– Floor covering
• Durable carpet in reception, business, and
private office areas.
• Vinyl in clinical and laboratory areas.
• Traffic Control
– Smooth transition to all areas of the office.
– Separate areas to business, clinical, and private.
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Office Environment-cont’d
• Sound Control
– Minimize sound of the dental equipment.
– Music provides distraction for dental sounds.
• Privacy
– Administrative area
– Dentist’s office
– Staff lounge
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Specific Areas of the Dental Office
• Reception Area
• Administrative/Business Office
• Clinical Treatment Area
• Sterilization Center
• Dental Laboratory
• Dentist’s Private Office
• Dental Staff Lounge
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Reception Area
• Patients are received, greeted pleasantly,
and made to feel welcome.
NOT A WAITING ROOM!
• Things to remember:
– Keep area clean.
– Ensure adequate seating.
– Maintain up-to-date reading material.
– Provide place for coats and umbrellas.
– Offer a children's corner.
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Fig. 32-1 Reception area
(From Young A, Procter D: Kinn’s the medical assistant: an applied learning approach, ed 9, St. Louis, 2003, Saunders.)
Copyright © 2005 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Administrative Area
• Hub for the management or the
business side of the practice.
• Items include:
– Desk
– Telephone systems
– Computers
– Photocopier
– Fax machine
– Storage area for patient records
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Fig. 32-4 The administrative area
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Treatment Area
• Also referred to as the dental operatory; all clinical
treatment is provided here.
• Design Goal:
– Provide comfort and mobility for the dental team.
– Provide privacy and comfort for the dental patient.
– Enhancement in the use of dental equipment through time
management and efficient techniques.
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Fig. 32-5 Treatment area
(Courtesy A-dec.)
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Patient Dental Chair
• Specific Features
– Should provide full support to knees, bottom, back
and head
– Comfortable and movable chair arms
– Easy to maintain and clean
– Controls for adjusting the patient
• Upright Position: back of the chair is upright at
a 90-degree angle
• Supine Position: patient is lying down so that the patient's
head and knees will be at approximately the same level.
• Subsupine Position: patient's head is lower than the feet.
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Fig. 32-6 Patient dental chair
(Courtesy A-dec.)
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Operator’s Stool
• Type of stool designed to support the body for a
prolonged period in a fixed muscular activity.
• Specific Features
– Large seat and back
– Easily adjustable for back support
– Easy to lower and raise seat
– Casters to move around patient
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Dental Assistant’s Stool
• Type of stool that must provide stability, mobility, and
comfort, allowing a proper, fatigue-reducing posture.
• Specific Features
– Twists and turns to reach countertops and shelves
– Provides an adjustable foot platform or foot ring
– Firm, secure cushioning in the seat
– Abdominal bar positioned for support
– Casters to move the chair easily
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Fig. 32-11 Dental assistants and operator’s stool
(Courtesy A-dec.)
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Dental Unit
• Provides the necessary electrical and air-operated
mechanics to the hoses, attachments, and working
parts of the unit.
• Dental Unit Delivery Systems
– Front Delivery: Positioned over the patient's lap.
– Side Delivery: Positioned at either side of the patient's chair.
– Rear Delivery: Positioned behind the dental chair.
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Fig. 32-12 Dental unit
(Courtesy A-dec.)
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Additional Clinical Equipment
• Rheostat
– A foot-controlled device placed on the floor near the
operator to control the function of the dental handpieces
• Dental unit waterlines
– Supplies water through hoses or water lines into the
dental handpieces
• Air-water syringe
– Hand-held instrument attached to the dental unit
– Functions
• Delivers a stream of water
• Delivers a stream of air
• Delivers a combined spray of air and water
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Additional Clinical Equipment-cont’d
• Operating Light
– Used to illuminate the oral cavity during a dental procedure
• Oral Evacuation System
– A means for removing water, saliva, blood, and other
fragments during a dental procedure
– Types
• Saliva ejector
• High-volume evacuator (HVE)
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Additional Clinical Equipment-cont’d
• Disposable Traps
– Filtering mechanisms for the saliva ejector and high-volume
evacuator
• Curing Light
– Used to “harden” or light-cure dental materials
• Amalgamator
– Used to triturate dental materials by vigorously shaking the
ingredients
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Additional Clinical Equipment-cont’d
• Central Vacuum Compressor
– Provides the suction needed for the oral evacuation
systems
• Central Air Compressor
– Provides compressed air for the air-water syringe and
air-driven handpieces
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Care of Clinical Areas
• Morning Routine
– Arrive 30 minutes before the first scheduled patient of the
day.
– Turn on the master switches for the central air compressor
and vacuum units.
– Ready the dental treatment rooms for patient care.
– Recheck the appointment schedule.
– Set up the treatment room for the first patient.
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Care of Clinical Areas
• Evening Routine
– Complete the operatory room exposure control clean-up
and preparation protocols.
– Turn off all equipment.
– Ensure that treatment rooms are adequately stocked for
the next day.
– Post appointment schedules for the next workday.
– Ensure that instruments, patient records, and laboratory
work are ready for the next day.
– Ensure that sterilization center has been cleaned.
– Ensure that treatment rooms are ready for use.
– Place any soiled protective clothing in the appropriate
container.
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Central Sterilization
• Specific area for:
– Cleaning, sterilizing, and storage of instruments
– Divided into “contaminated area”/“clean area”
– Provides extra storage for supplies
– Should be kept organized and clean at all times
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Dental Laboratory
• Organized area away from patient care for
dentist and dental assistant to perform
laboratory procedures.
• Specific items found:
– Workbenches
– Storage cabinets
– Model trimmer
– Dental lathe
– Laboratory materials
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Dentist’s Private Office
• For personal use only by the dentist.
• Can also be used as a consultation room
with patients.
• Specific items found:
– Desk
– Telephone
– Computer
– Extra chairs
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Dental Staff Lounge
• Designated private area for clinical and
business staff
• Specific items found:
– Table and chairs
– Small refrigerator
– Microwave
– Locker or locked cabinet for personal belongings
– Coffee/food
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