(5)
Wipe instruments free of blood and debris with sterile gauze as they are
used.
(6)
Provide instruments needed for the next step before they are needed.
(7) Anticipate the dental officer's needs. Using the left hand, be ready to
place the next instrument in the dental officer's working hand in the position in which it will
be used.
(8)
Be familiar with methods of passing instruments.
(9) Use the water and air syringes as desired by the dental officer. Some
dental officers employ a water-air coolant spray attachment on the handpiece. Others
have the dental specialist direct a stream of water or air into the cavity to reduce the
frictional heat of rotating cutting instruments and to keep the cavity free of debris. A
stream of air sprayed upon the mouth mirror may be helpful in keeping the mirror free of
water and other material that could interfere with the dental officer's vision. The dental
officer will occasionally stop to inspect his work. At this time, the assistant usually dries
the cavity with the air syringe so the dental officer can see the cavity better.
(10) Keep the operative site free of saliva, water, blood, and debris by proper
use of the dental evacuator.
2-15. PLACING A RUBBER DAM
a. Advantages. A competent general surgeon would not think of operating
before the surgical site was carefully isolated with sterile drape so he may work without
important that the dentist isolate the teeth during restorative procedures in the mouth.
Advantages for the dentist include an isolated, controlled, operative field, improved
visibility and a dry field for the manipulation of restorative materials. Patient management
is another advantage attributed to rubber dam usage. Here you decrease the time the
patient is spitting and rinsing his mouth. This leads to a decreased operating time and an
improved quality of the restorations placed. Another advantage associated with rubber
dam use is the increased success rate of pulp capping. This is understandable because
all or most oral contamination is blocked from the operative site by the rubber dam. In
addition, rubber dam usage helps the patient to avoid swallowing or aspirating dental
materials.
b. Disadvantages. Some of the disadvantages associated with the use of the
rubber dam are given below.
(1) When in place, it is uncomfortable for the patient. Although the rubber
dam may cause some discomfort, so do most of the other instruments used by the
dentist. Therefore, the rubber dam should not be discarded based on discomfort.
MD0503
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