THE DENTAL OFFICE

- A SHELTERED SYSTEM THAT REQUIRED

ARCHITECTURAL CONSIDERATIONS, MECHANICAL
FACILITIES, PHAMACEUTICAL SUPPLIES,
INDUSTRIAL DEVICES AND BUSINESS WHERE A
DENTIST PERFORMS AND CARRY OUT HIS DUTY.

- IDEAL OFFICE IS LOCATED IN A QUIET

NEIGHBORHOOD OR IN A QUIET COMMERCIAL
BUILDING.

- IMPORTANT THINGS TO CONSIDER:

 ACCESSABILITY OF TRANSPORTATION
 VENTILATION
 LIGHT
 ABSENCE OF POLLUTION

PARTS OF A DENTAL OFFICE

1. Fundamental Compartments – parts of the dental office

that are essential for the practice of dentistry.

a. Reception Room or Waiting room

b. Operating Room or Clinic
c. Laboratory room
d. Lavatory Facilities / Comfort Room
e. Infirmary Aids for emergency cases
 2. Optional Compartments
a. Business and secretary’s office
b. Rest or recovery room
c. Dark room – for developing radiographs
d. Store room

The RECEPTION ROOM or WAITING ROOM

Desirable but optional features:

1. receptionist
2. reading materials of general interest
3. basic items in a homey living room
4. correct interior decoration like educational work of art

The OPERATING ROOM / CLINIC

Stationary Equipment
1. Dental Chair
2. Dental Unit

 usually comes as one set of stationary equipment,

manufactured to suit either a right or left-handed
operators

 installed in the clinic more or less at permanent

places.

Dental Chair
Two types of dental chairs:

a. Portable dental chair

 also called field chair
 used for a makeshift place
 for mobile clinic
 parts are easy removable or detachable and
made convenient for packing and transporting

b. Non-portable or stationary dental chair

 characterized by a wide base and is too heavy
 designed to conform with the approximate
contour of the patient’s anatomy
 usually upholstered for utmost comfort of
patients

Three types according to Function:

a. standard or all-purpose chair
b. exodontist’s chair
c. child’s chair

Two types of device for dental chairs:

(both utilize the hydraulic pressure mechanisms)
a. regulated by a motor and rotary pumps which is
electrically driven
b. activated by the pressure of the operator’s foot
The Dental Unit

Parts of the dental unit:

1. Cuspidor or spittoon – a bowl-like receptacle for the

reception of saliva, fluids and debris coming from the
mouth of the patient, usually provided with water pipes
to cleanse the bowl to push them toward the drain.

2. Saliva ejector – a metal / plastic holed mouthpiece

which helps in keeping the mouth and the field of
operation free from the interference of saliva.

3. Tumbler holder – holds the glass / tumbler used by the

patient, generally provided with a faucet that
automatically fills the tumbler with tap water.

4. Air syringes – gives off air blasts directly aimed to the

tooth being treated.

5. Water syringes – gives off a fine, thin stream of water

for flushing or cleaning the tooth being treated.

6. Pilot light – a strong shaded electric bulb that can be

swung in all direction to light up the mouth.

7. Opaque glass plate / x-ray viewer – holds radiograph

in place for reading and interpretation.
 8. Bracket table – holds the hand instruments and other
materials such as cottons, cotton holder and the like
used by the operators.

9. High and low speed adaptors – devices used to hold

the handpieces used by the operators.

Other parts of a dental chair/ units:

 foot control – allows the handpiece to function as

needed

 push bottoms to allow adjustments of the chair to

permit the dentist to place the patient in convenient
positions

Movable Equipment
1. Dental X-ray
2. Sterilizer
3. Operative and Surgical Equipment
4. Hand Instruments

Dental X-ray

X-ray machine – a diagnostic apparatus used to reveal

conditions of tissues not visible during clinical visual
examination.
 X-ray – a form of energy, of very short wave-lengths that
penetrate opaque substance / tissue.

 Radiopaque shadow ( lighter ) – objects that are

resistant to x-rays ; e.g bone, enamel

 Radioluscent shadow ( darker ) – objects that are

less resistant to x-rays; e.g soft tissues of the mouth

Types of Radiographic Films:

1. Intra-oral
 standard film or periapical film
( include 2 or 3 teeth)
 Child-sized film

2. Extra-oral
 panoramic film
 cephalometric film

Hygiene for the Clinic

- keeping the walls and other fixtures in a dental office
as clean as possible as part of the infection control measures

Attire for the dental staff and patient

1. Laboratory gowns
2. Comfortable shoes
3. Gloves ( disposable)
4. Headdresses / Head cap
5. Face mask
Sanitation in a Dental office
- the cleanliness of the instruments in the clinic as a
protection not only to the patients ( prevent transmission
of germs from one patient to another), protection to the
dentists and his clinical staff.

Dental Office – can be sanitized with the use of:

1. Aerosol – chemical compounds that mix well with

room air, intended to sweeten air
2. Disinfectant – substances which stops or prevents
the growth of microorganism.

Sterilizer – special equipment used to kill or free

instruments from bacteria, fungi, virus, spores and/or
microorganisms

Sterilization – the destruction of all life for the purpose of

preventing diseases

Methods of Sterilization

1. Simple Boiling
2. Steam under pressure ( e.g. autoclave)
3. By hot air or dry heat sterilization
4. By flame
5. Intermittent or fractional sterilization utilizing moist
heat – most effective in killing spores
6. Chemical / cold sterilization – sterilization in the
liquid form
 Disinfection – the process of destroying pathogenic
microorganisms by the use of chemical agents known
as disinfectants, the term is synonymous with
germicide.

Antisepsis – the process whereby the growth and

development of microorganisms are merely inhibited.

Pre-Operative Requirements

Dental Records
1. Patient’s personal information
2. Case History
 Medical ( past and present)
 Dental (past and present)
3. Clinical Examination

 General (systemic conditions)

 Regional – oral with supplemental diagnostic
aids
- Conditions of the teeth and other structures
using a dental charts
- Radiographs
4. Diagnosis, Treatment Plan and Treatment
Home Care Regimen ( of the Patient)

Toothbrush – one of the indispensable hand instruments

in the cleaning the teeth and other structures such as the
tongue and gums.

Regular toothbrushing of 3x a day:

 can prevent the occurrence of caries and
periodontal diseases by controlling the presence of
virulent microorganisms.
 Can prevent halitosis
 Gives patient a pleasant feeling of cleanliness in the
mouth

Dentifrices – paste of whitening and cleansing agent with

appropriate amount of fluoride for caries prevention.

 pea-sized amount is sufficient

 fluoride concentration of 1,000ppm to 1,500ppm

Dental Floss – or dental tape, used for interdental

cleaning method

 waxed or unwaxed
 18-inch length of floss is recommended

Mouthwashes / mouth rinses – Prophylaxis

Dental Instruments
- refers to a wide variety of highly specific instruments
held in hand and applied during the actual treatment
procedure.

General Classification of Dental Instruments

A. Operative Instruments
1. Cutting Instruments
 Hand:
- Hatchets
- Chisels
- Hoes
- Excavators

 Rotary:
- Burs
- Stones
- discs

2. Condensing Instruments
- e.g. pluggers

3. Plastic Instruments
- Spatulas
- Carvers
- Burnishers
- Packing instruments

4. Finishing and Polishing Instruments

  Hand:
- Polishing points
- Finishing strips
 Rotary:
- Finishing burs
- Rubber cups
5. Miscellaneous Instruments
- E.g. scissors

B. Prophylaxis and Diagnostic Hand Instruments

E.g. explorers
probes
scalers
curettes
files

C. General Surgical Instruments

E.g. forceps
elevators
bone chisels
mallet
curettes

Four Basic Hand Instruments

Mouth mirror Cotton Pliers

Spoon excavators Explorers

Finger Positions
REST - position assumed by the third and fourth
fingers to stabilize the position of the instrument

- position of the thumb resting somewhere on

the teeth or gums.

GUARD – position assumed by the fingers of the non-

operating hand to protect the parts being worked upon
from injury.

Essential Parts of a Hand Instrument

1. Handle or shaft
2. Shank – connects the shaft and the blade or nib
3. Blade or nib – point or head
 functional end

Basic Instruments Grasps

1. Pen grasp
2. Inverted pen grasp
3. Palm and Thumb grasp
4. Position where no rest is needed