Section III. INSTRUMENT SETUPS AND PROCEDURES
2-14. GENERAL
The dental specialist in the Restorative Dentistry Section performs duties common
to all specialists. His duties are largely related to assisting the dental officer in cavity
preparation, placement of restorations, and fabrication, and placement of crowns.
a. Procedures Vary. Procedures followed in restorative dentistry vary with the
operator, location and extent of the tooth structure to be replaced, and restorative material
to be used. Local anesthesia is used routinely by most dental officers. Rubber dam is
routinely used by many. Some operators make wax patterns for gold alloy restorations
directly in the prepared teeth (direct method) while others make the wax patterns on dies
or models produced from impression of the prepared teeth (indirect method).
b. Instrument Setups Vary. Each restorative procedure requires a different
instrument setup and a different sequence of steps. Dental officers have their individual
variations of procedure and favorite instruments. See Appendix A for typical instrument
setups. Each dental specialist must learn variations desired by the dental officer he is
assisting. The dental specialist will learn, through instruction and experience, to
anticipate dental treatment requirements. He will be able to assist and to have
instruments and materials ready when needed without being reminded. As a quick
reference, the various instruments used for each step of the restorative procedure are
listed in Appendix B.
c. Support Duties Vary. When not directly assisting the dental officer, there are
always support duties that must be done by the dental specialist, such as cleaning and
sterilizing instruments, cleaning and straightening the instrument cabinet, sharpening
cutting instruments, replenishing supplies, cleaning and lubricating handpieces, changing
soiled linens, charting records, and making administrative entries in dental records and
other forms.
d. Assisting During Cavity Preparation. There is no phase of dental treatment
in which a dental officer can better use another set of hands than in the performance of
restorative procedures. Ways in which the dental specialist can help during cavity
preparation include the following.
(1)
Attend to the patient's needs.
(2)
Maintain an orderly arrangement of instruments and materials in the work
area.
(3)
Adjust the light.
(4) Remove from the operative area those instruments and materials that are
no longer needed. As time permits, these items should be removed and cleaned.
MD0503
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