Star of Texas Dental Assisting School is an Austin dental assisting program that teaches students the knowledge and training they need to know to be successful in the dental profession.
What are Dental Assistants responsible for? Dental Assistants perform a variety of duties, including but not limited to assisting the dentist, setting up equipment, preparing patients for treatment and keeping records. Dental Assistants may prepare materials for impressions and restorations, take x-rays, make bleach trays, apply topical anesthetics to gums, and place dental dams to isolate teeth for treatment.
Let’s look a little deeper at impressions.
Impressions
There are two types of impressions that are routinely taken. The first type is for the fabrication of study models and diagnostic casts. The second is for the construction of laboratory-processed crowns, bridges, and removable partial dentures.
Study Model or Preliminary Impressions
Study model impressions are the most common impressions made in a dental office. A sterilized metal tray or a disposable plastic tray is used for this procedure. The tray is fitted approximately to the dimensions of your upper or lower jaws and will cover your teeth and gum tissue. Once fitted, the tray is partially filled with a soft, viscous impression material. This material has the consistency of thick cookie dough batter. The filled impression tray is placed over your teeth and gently pressed into place. The material will take from 1 to 2 minutes to set. The impressions are absolutely painless and require no medication or special preparation. The material has a moderately pleasant taste.
From this impression, stone models will be made that are a very close duplicate of your teeth. These models allow your dentist to analyze your teeth and properly design your dental treatment. They investigate the possibilities of orthodontics (braces), custom trays for whitening teeth, and replacement of missing or severely damaged teeth. They make custom trays for final impressions, guides for temporary crowns, mouthguards, splints, etc.
Final Impressions
This type of impression is for fabrication of crowns, bridges, or partial dentures. The impressions are made with a different material, one that is much more accurate in demonstrating the smallest details of the prepared area. Because of the increased need for precision, the impression is different. A custom-fabricated tray is often made from the model made in the preliminary impression. This material will be in place for 3 to 6 minutes. Often, a local anesthetic has been used to prepare the tooth so there should be no discomfort. It is not uncommon that a second or third impression might be taken to ensure the accurate fit of the finished restoration. If the impression is not right, the final restoration will be compromised.
Occlusal Registration
With both types of impressions, it is standard practice to take an occlusal (bite) registration during the appointment. This gives your dentist the ability to relate the upper and lower jaw models. The impression may be placed on a tray or directly onto the biting surface of your teeth; you will then be instructed to bite down and hold your bite in place until the material sets. The bite registration impression sets very quickly.
Do you have questions about impressions or other duties of a Dental Assistant? Call Star of Texas today! We are a dental assisting school in Austin, TX that offers students the most advanced training in both general and specialty dental assisting procedures.
We are happy to answer any questions you have. Call us at (512) 487-1547 or email us at operations@staroftexasdentalassistingschool.com
