Kimberly Bland, CDA, BS
President
American Dental Assistants Association
Email:
Web site: www.dentalassistant.org

It is an exciting time in history to be a dental assistant. Dentistry is changing, and the traditional methods of delivering dental care are being replaced with innovative techniques and practices. With all the recent advances in dentistry coupled with the progression of technology over the past 20 years, savvy dental consumers have begun to expect more from their dental professionals. Patients are now doing their homework and shopping for a practice that meets their wants as well as their needs. For a dental practice to thrive in these conditions, it must be able to meet and exceed the expectations of selective patients.

What does all of this mean for dental assisting? In one simple word, it means "change." In a progressive practice, the dental assistant no longer can maintain a passive role in the delivery of dental care. Dentists have found that to meet demand and be productive they must delegate more complex tasks to their clinical auxiliaries. As a result, organized dentistry is beginning to realize a need for highly skilled individuals to perform these roles in the practice.

Integrating Technology

Computer literacy, advanced problem-solving abilities, an affinity for learning, and advanced communication skills are now the basic requirements for entering or remaining in the dental assisting profession. For example, whenever the dentist decides to adopt a new piece of equipment, a new material, or a new technology, it is generally the responsibility of the dental assistant to learn all there is to know about it. She or he will maintain it, manipulate it, and assimilate it into the daily routine. To communicate with patients about all aspects of their treatment, dental assistants also will need to understand the procedures and the technology used.

For example, a technological advance that is gaining acceptance by both dental professionals and their patients is the delivery of local anesthetic through a computer-controlled device. Patients are finding that they can have routine dental procedures performed with local anesthetic without fearing the discomfort caused by a syringe injection. So, what do dental assistants need to know to integrate this type of device?

With this system (STA System, Milestone Scientific, Livingston, NJ, www.stais4u.com), a computer-controlled pump modeled after those used in intravenous administration of general anesthetics delivers a dose of local anesthetic to the operative area. It infiltrates a slow, constant volume of anesthetic at constant pressure, enabling a less painful delivery of the solution.¹ In speaking with many practicing dentists using manual injection methods, I find that most attribute the discomfort associated with traditional local anesthetic injections to the fluid pressure on injection and the rapid flow of anesthetic solution into the tissue. The acute tissue displacement during a traditional injection results in the burning sensation and unpleasantness of the experience.

A computer-controlled delivery device houses a conventional local anesthetic carpule that is linked by tubing to a disposable, wandlike handle with an attached needle. The device is operated by means of a foot control that delivers local anesthetic at precise pressure and volume ratios. Before insertion of the needle into the mucous membrane, the handle may be used to deliver a jet of anesthetic into the local tissue to provide adequate topical anesthesia.¹ The device is highly effective in all areas of the oral cavity, including those areas of dense connective tissue, such as the hard palate. Dentists can provide traditional block anesthesia and infiltration injections with this technology; however, special techniques also may be employed to provide local anesthesia to the precise teeth targeted for treatment via the periodontal ligament (PDL) injection.² The routine side effects of facial and lingual numbness from a traditional anesthetic injection soon may be a thing of the past.

Dental assistants will play an active role in the use of this technology in the delivery of dental care. Their knowledge of the system and the procedure will assist in patient education, thus helping to alleviate patient fear and anxiety. Dental assistants also may be delegated the task of preparing the equipment for use: assembling the system, assuring that the disposable wand and needle are attached, and selecting the proper anesthetic cartridge to load and calibrate. The assistant most likely will be the one to assure proper disposal of the used cartridges and needles, as well as perform all infection control and maintenance procedures required.

How the ADAA Can Help

With all of the change occurring in the delivery of dental care and in the profession of dental assisting, it is only logical that the American Dental Assistants Association (ADAA) also should change to meet the needs of professional dental assistants. I invite you to take a look at the new ADAA as we strive to meet the needs of dental assistants from all facets of the profession. The ADAA prides itself on being able to provide quality home study continuing education courses for dental assistants on a wide range of topics, from the traditional to the modern. Dental assistants are invited to visit the ADAA Web site at www.dentalassistant.org to explore the educational opportunities available as well as discover the benefits of membership. Together we can learn and adapt to the changes we face in this new era of dental technology. Together we can make a difference and plot our own course to the future.

References

1. Milestone Scientific. STA single tooth anesthesia system. Available at: www.stais4u.com/sta-science.html#GENERALDENTISTRY. Accessed Oct 7, 2007.
2. Lackey AD. An advancement in the delivery of local anesthesia. Pract Periodontics Aesthet Dent. 1998;10:1191-1194.