Dentists are sweating under three layers of face protection to get patients back
Dr. Norberto Camacho says he’s drenched in sweat and yearning for oxygen after every shift at his dental practice in Brickell, where the AC is stuck above 72 degrees and staff are adapting to multiple new layers of personal protective equipment. With an 80-year-old grandmother waiting at home and Florida hitting more than 244,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 4,100 deaths as of Friday, Camacho, 35, is determined to minimize the risk of infection for …
Read MoreAre you more than just thirsty? The dangerous impacts of dehydration
The physical environment in the dental office is more taxing than ever. A growing number of health-care professionals are experiencing profound and wide-ranging health complications since returning to the work setting. As of July 23, 2020, 65% of over 3,200 health-care providers back in active practice report dehydration. Out of 65 symptoms, dehydration tops the list as the most reported symptom.1 An increasing number of dental health-care workers are experiencing blackouts while delivering patient care, …
Read MoreMYTH BUSTERS for Dental Assistants: Dental Assistants are not oral health-care professionals and our opinions do not matter…
Wrong! Tija Hunter, CDA, EFDA, believes dental assistants should all receive mandatory training for infection control. She feels this would help them gain some of the respect that traditionally lacks toward the profession. What do you mean we aren’t professionals and our opinions do not matter? This is not just wrong, but whoa, this could not be further from the truth! Have you ever been made to feel like the black sheep of your dental office? In many …
Read MoreUPDATE: Dental Assistants Bureau of Labor and Statistics
Quick Facts: Dental Assistants 2019 Median Pay $40,080 per year$19.27 per hour Typical Entry-Level Education Postsecondary nondegree award Work Experience in a Related Occupation None On-the-job Training None Number of Jobs, 2018 346,000 Job Outlook, 2018-28 11% (Much faster than average) Employment Change, 2018-28 38,700 What Dental Assistants Do Dental assistants provide patient care, take x rays, keep records, and schedule appointments. Work Environment Almost all dental assistants work in dentists’ offices. Most work full …
Read More4 Reasons to be Grateful for Dental Assistants
November brings with it the opportunity to reflect on the many reasons to appreciate dental assistants, as well as all of the ways they contribute to the dental office. In fact, dental assistants’ colleagues agree that assistants positively impact the practice, according to research commissioned by the DALE Foundation, the affiliate of the Dental Assisting National Board. The DALE Foundation’s “Value of Dental Assistants to the Dental Practice” research, which drew insights from nearly 3,000 dentists, dental …
Read MoreUPDATE: Dentistry Workers and Employers
COVID-19 Control and Prevention This section provides guidance for dentistry workers and employers. This guidance supplements the general interim guidance for workers and employers of workers at increased risk of occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2. On March 16, 2020, the American Dental Association called for dentists to keep their offices closed to all but urgent and emergency procedures during the COVID-19 outbreak. Unless emergency dental procedures absolutely cannot be delayed, OSHA further recommends that emergency dental procedures be performed on patients with suspected or …
Read MoreWhitening strips could be doing serious damage to your teeth
Pearly whites can come with a price. Teeth whitening is expected to become a $7.4 billion industry by 2024, with Americans spending $1.4 billion alone on over-the-counter whiteners to bleach away the stains from cigarettes, red wine, coffee and natural aging, according to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. But preliminary research presented at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology’s annual meeting this week suggests that these whitening strips could be damaging teeth beneath the surface. …
Read MoreElizabeth and Yanelis are ready to give you a cleaning, dead or alive!!! #dentalassistantsrock #halloweencostumecontest #trickortreat
Great job girls on your super creative costumes. They sure gave us a SHOCK!
Read More8 Skills That Make A Good Dental Assistant
Interested in working as a dental assistant? Want to know what skills make a good dental assistant? This article focuses on the 8 skills that make a good dental assistant. What does a Dental Assistant Do Day-To-Day? According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, dental assistants perform many tasks, ranging from patient care and taking x rays to recordkeeping and scheduling appointments. Dental assistant duties may include prepping the patient for a particular operation; this …
Read MoreWhat are Cavities and why are they bad?
What are cavities and why are they bad? A cavity is a ‘hole’ in the tooth caused tooth decay. Decay is caused by bacteria which produce acid which dissolves the hard enamel of the teeth. When the enamel dissolves, a pathway may result from the outside of the tooth to the root as shown in the figure. The holes are microscopic to begin and grow if the bacteria is not removed. If the decay reaches …
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