[National Library of Medicine. HF 1839. This transfer made: 01/12/06 Length: 00:18:10]
[This file is unclassified.]
[United States Navy Training Film.]
[Produced by the Bureau of Aeronautics for the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.]
[The Duties of a Dental Technician.]
The dental technician is not only a part of the Navy,
but a responsible, highly trained specialist in a branch of the medical profession.
The dental technician and the dental officer work together with precision and accuracy,
with the professional smoothness which compares with that of the finest gun troop.
The technician's responsibilty to the service starts with the fundamentals of the first physical examinations.
But besides simple fundamentals, his work includes specialized fields of the dental profession.
His opportunities for learning valuable skills are limited only by his desire to progress through study and observation.
For the dental technician is more that just a helper; he is a specialist, with responsibilities bearing upon many phases of the dental division's activities.
The technician's work begins before a patient enters the dental operating room.
It is his duty to see that the room is always kept neat and clean.
Never should there be a sign of the last patient.
The technician has to keep himself clean, likewise, for his appearance will have a good effect on the patient.
And above all, his hands must be immaculate.
The pre-examining instruments are laid out for the dental officer.
Mirror, explorer and cotton pliers,
since this patient's appointment is for a routine examination.
Every patient receives a clean head rest cover, and a fresh towel.
In the clinic, the technician conducts himself with professional dignity.
His manner is quiet and confident.
The dental officer at all times depends on his complete cooperation.
Following this first dental examination, all treatment will be marked on the dental record.
If an x-ray is to be taken, the technician operates the machine.
He must know the proper position for the patient's head, and for the cone,
and how the film is placed in the mouth.
These are all factors to be considered in timing the exposure.
Smears may be made if there is a suspicion of gum infection.
Samples from six different areas are taken.
Smears are spread thinly on the glass slide, so that organisms will be visible under the microscope.
Passing the slide through the burner fixes the material so it will not wash off.
Before the patient leaves, another appointment is made, and is entered in the appointment book.
The technician stains the smear, in preparation for microscopic examination.
The microscope is focused, and everything is made ready for the dental officer to make his diagnosis.
The technician also develops the x-ray he has taken.
After standard development, the film is rinsed in water and placed in the fixing solution,
then washed thoroughly and allowed to dry.
The technician checks the quality of the picture,
and files it according to a definite system.
Our next appointment is for a filling.
As usual, the technician goes over the equipment,
wiping with alcohol the syringes and anything that will come in contact with the instruments or the patient's mouth.
Instruments are arranged on the bracket table so as to make for the greatest convenience and working efficiency.
The saliva ejector draws saliva from the patient's mouth.
The air syringe is for blowing away chips and debris.
It is necessary to keep the working area as dry as possible while the dental officer is preparing the cavity for the restoration.
The water syringe is used for washing out the cavity and aids in keeping the field clear.
This cavity will have an amalgam restoration placed over a lining of cement, which the technician now prepares.
There are several types of cements and amalgams, and he must know how to mix every type.
While the dental officer lines the cavity with cement, the technician mixes the amalgam.
During the operation, the technician keeps the dental officer supplied with the carrier containing amalgam of the proper consistency.
After the filling is completed, the patient's mouth is sprayed, and he is dismissed.
Before the instruments are put away, they are washed,
and then sterilized for 10 minutes.
The hand piece is taken apart, cleaned, and oiled to keep it in good condition.
Everything must be ready for the next patient.
[Oral surgery]
In the surgery, a fresh supply of procaine is made each day.
This is one of the duties of the technician assigned to this department.
Here is an example of the importance of accuracy, for a slight mistake could be dangerous.
Sterilization of surgical materials may be accomplished by heat or by chemicals.
Dry goods and all instruments except cutting edge instruments may be sterilized in the autoclave.
A complete set of sterile instruments is always kept in readiness for surgical needs.
First a sterile field cloth goes on the working table.
Instruments are carefully laid out in order, including those with cutting edges, which have been chemically sterilized.
A sterile cloth is always kept folded over the instruments.
Before admitting the patient to surgery, the technician makes certain that everything is clean and ready for the surgical operation.
This man is coming in for an extraction.
A pleasant, calm manner reassures him, and goes far toward putting him at ease.
The technicians, as well as the dental officer, take aseptic precautions.
Hands are thoroughly scrubbed and rinsed in alcohol.
A sterile field pack is placed on the bracket table.
Procaine is injected to produce local anesthesia.
Instruments are placed on the sterile cloth as they are required.
One assistant handles the aspirator. This takes away blood and saliva, keeping a clean field for the dental officer to work in.
As the dental officer calls for each instrument, the technician handles it with sterile forceps.
The work proceeds smoothly. The dental officer and technicians work as a team, and follow a well known routine.
Climaxing their careful, precise actions, the tooth is skillfully extracted.
The patient is told to appear at sick call the next day.
Appointments will be made for necessary post-operative treatment.
Ater being scrubbed, instruments other than those with cutting edges are put in the sterilizer.
Any dull or broken instrument is set aside and saved, as all instruments must be accounted for.
Cutting edge instruments are put in the cold, or chemical sterilizer.
The general instruments will be sterilized later in the autoclave.
All prophylaxis is usually entrusted to the dental technician.
Periodic scaling will go far in maintaing a healthy oral condition.
When working on a patient, the technician never attempts to give a diagnosis.
Any unusual condition he finds should be referred directly to the dental officer.
It is the technician's responsibility to discuss with the patient the proper care of his teeth, and to demonstrate the correct method of using his toothbrush.
Thus the technician aids the dental officer in teaching the principles of oral hygiene.
But the dental technician's duties are not limited to shore stations.
In the company of men of other rates, he may go to sea to continue his service.
Here the lessons he has learned will be tested as he meets new problems.
He will learn to adapt himself to more confined quarters and the more compact arrangement of equipment.
In his relations with the dental officer and patients, he will be guided by the same principles which for years has made his rate prized and respected.
His position, one of highest responsibility to the profession of which he is a part, as a service, which he is unlimited.
[The end. MN 2607. Bureau of Aeronautics. 1944.]