In a bad economic situation, of which we are all now experiencing, people all over are not only cutting back on food and travel, but they are neglecting health issues, particularly in the area of dental health. We must however consider that by neglecting the dentist visit now, what will this mean in the long run for our dental health? It’s really no big secret that when you neglect your teeth to save money, you will spend markedly more later down the road just repairing the damage that has happened through neglect.

A good example would be the person who attends a dentist for a filling. A simple filling may cost a few hundred dollars to complete. If that same person looks at their shrinking budget and decides to avoid getting the filling, a few months or maybe a year down the road that person will then require an extensive root canal procedure, which involves not only the root canal treatment, but also a crown, and possibly a post. In the end one neglected filling can end up costing thousands, as opposed to a few hundred, had it been dealt with immediately.

So the question becomes this: What can we do now at home, in these penny pinching times, to maintain a healthy mouth? Here’s a few ways that we’ve all heard time and time again:

Brush your teeth:

Brush the teeth at least twice a day, spending 2 minutes on the process. You need to remember each quadrant of the mouth needs 30 seconds of quality brushing. You also must brush the “right way”, which simply means to brush FROM the gum line towards the bottom of the tooth (for top teeth) and from the gum line up towards the top of the tooth (for bottom teeth). We do this to get the plaque as far away from the gum line as possible.

Flossing:

Flossing properly is also crucial to maintaining a healthy mouth. Proper flossing is just a simple matter of wrapping the floss around your fingers, inserting it between the teeth and then wrapping that floss around the tooth, flossing to attack the plaque that brushing is unable to remove.

Rinse Twice A Day:

The last thing to do, perhaps as one new addition to your dental health regimen (if you’re not doing so already) is to rinse twice a day with an anti-cavity rinse. Fluoride rinses give you benefits above the obvious. For example, the fluoride gets in your tooth enamel, replacing the calcium with fluoride, which is a much harder ion than calcium. This means that the bacteria we all have living inside our mouth has a much harder time eating through your enamel, once it’s been strengthened by the fluoride. What rinsing will achieve is to slow down any degradation on existing cavities, and also helping to prevent the start of new cavities. This can be golden in a penny pinching crunch.

In essence, all of the above will help to strengthen you teeth and restore your enamel. This, considering that other priorities may be keeping us from spending on dental work, is one way we can combat dental neglect. People can be the most conscientious and studious at seeing the dentist twice a year, but when a financial crunch hits us, that just may not be possible, so by stepping up the fight on the home front, we are doing our level best to keep a bright and healthy smile without suffering too badly by one missed dental exam.

If you are still having trouble understanding the proper techniques to clean your teeth, feel free to visit the American Dental Association website. They have some really outstanding tutorials on how to brush, floss, and rinse properly.

I can’t stress this enough, the fluoride rinse is a must.

As an aside, there is a specific reason I mention the need for a healthy mouth during an economic crisis. Being involved personally with cosmetic dentistry veneers, I can say with authority that cosmetic dentists will not do any bonding, veneers, bleaching, or any other kind of work related to cosmetic dentistry – until the mouth is healthy and free of cavities, pulpitus, and other problems that can arise due to neglect, for whatever reason. So be sure to consider this before looking ahead at cosmetic work.

Another reason why it’s important for me to mention a shrinking pocketbook is this: Some people whom have lost their jobs will certainly need to attend interviews, or network, or just generally get themselves out there to look for new and exciting work. These people will need to have their teeth and smiles look as bright and confident as possible to provide the best first impression they can. Cosmetic dentistry veneers can virtually assure your best foot forward in that area.

Having said that, if a veneer procedure or any whitening methods are too expensive to consider just yet, there are some fairly excellent over the counter products that will whiten teeth and can certainly help someone on a budget get some respite from a discoloured smile.

My closing advice is this. Try as hard as humanly possible to keep visiting the dentist on a regular basis, as dental health has a very important and symbiotic relationship to your overall health. More and more these days we are finding out how an unhealthy mouth has negative effects on all the other areas of our body and its’ internal organs. If you can’t see a dentist regularly, take extra good care, it is so worth it!

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One of the major responsibilities delegated to dental assistants is infection control. Assistants are often in charge of sterilizing instruments, disinfecting equipment, and cleaning and setting up the exam rooms before each patient arrives. This is no small task, and it is imperative that each step is completed thoroughly in order to insure the safety of both the patients and the staff.

It is so important that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have developed guidelines for conduct within the dental setting. OSHA is primarily concerned with the safety and health of the healthcare worker or employee, while the CDC makes recommendations regarding infection control after conducting extensive research. The CDC’s main concern is the health and protection of the overall population through preventative measures and proper treatment.

The Blood Borne Pathogens Standard is the most important law concerning the control of infections in the dental industry. The protocol set by this law mandates that all patients are treated as if they have a deadly disease, because despite their reported health history, it can be very difficult to determine if they have had any recent exposure to any infectious diseases. Treating everyone the same, and taking the utmost precaution for each treatment, greatly reduces the chance of spreading any disease or infection. These precautions are known as Universal Precautions and Standard Precautions.

Furthermore, OSHA requires that every dentist offer and pay for the Hepatitis B vaccine to all employees in the office who wish to be immunized. Personal protective equipment is also required by OSHA, and must also be supplied by the dentist or employer.

Personal protective equipment consists of scrubs, including an overcoat, jacket, and disposable gown, leather shoes, a lab coat, mask, safety glasses and face shield, and gloves. These layers of protection are meant to shield the employee from any of the patient’s bodily fluids with which they may come in contact. It is recommended that the employee change into street clothing before leaving the office, and properly clean the clothing and wash their hands to avoid transporting any contaminated material out of the office. This will prevent any disease transmission from the healthcare worker to the community.

Aerosol spray, or airborne transmission, most commonly occurs when the use of a high-speed hand piece in the patient’s mouth causes saliva and bacteria to spray and splatter on the surrounding areas in the exam room. Surface barriers such as light handle covers, syringe sleeves, and chair covers made of plastic are disposable for this reason, and should be changed between patients.

Other methods of transmission can occur from patient to patient if the personal protective equipment is not changed between patients, or by not disinfecting the treatment room or properly sterilizing the dental instruments being used. Gloves, masks, and safety glasses are also meant to prevent disease transmission from the healthcare worker to the patient because they are in such close proximity to each other during treatments and exams.

Disinfection and sterilization are two more critical steps in keeping the office and exam rooms clean, and keeping patients safe. Dental assistants must learn the proper methods of disinfecting hard surfaces and sterilizing reusable dental tools to prevent the transmission of disease.

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To work as a dentist in Australia, first it’s necessary to be registered with the Dental Board of Australia. To do this there are different options available:

1. Dentists trained in Australia must complete an academic training leading to a dental degree. This can take up to 5 years depending on the university.

2. If you are a dentist already who has been trained overseas there are basically three ways to obtain registration with the Board:

a. Enrolling at an Australian dental school and gain credit for prior learning

b. In special circumstances the degree can be automatically recognised.

c. Successfully completing the ADC exam.

Automatic recognition of an overseas degree

If you obtained your degree in the United Kingdom, Canada or Ireland, you may be able to obtain registration in Australia. In that case you should head to the Australian Dental Council official website to get more information. There are certain pathways you can take to speed up the process.

Dental degrees obtained in other countries

In this case you’ll have to undertake and pass the ADC exam. There are different stages for the exam:

1. First, you have to apply to establish whether or not you’re eligible to takethe exam.

2. If the ADC considers you’re suitable, then you can proceed to the first stage: an English exam.

3. The next step is the preliminary examination, which is a written exam.

4. Finally, provided you’ve passed all the exams mentioned above, the final step to get recognition in Australia is a practical examination.

Each stage of the exam is complex and dentists who have been trained overseas should put a lot of effort in getting the best preparation they can get. There are lots of sample questions and guides out there, but honestly there’s no single website or source of information well structured. Whenever you try to get information from these sites, you end up more confused than when you started, so instead of focusing on studying for the exam you waste time trying to figure out what the exam is all about.

What is the ADC?

The Australian Dental Council is a professional body created in 1993 by the State and Territory Dental Boards and the Australian Dental Association. Its main functions are:

1. To advise and make recommendations in relation to the accreditation of courses leading to a dental qualification conducted by Australian dental schools.

2. Assess the suitability for practice in Australia of persons with overseas dental qualifications.

ADC Exam structure

Preliminary Exam

This is the next stage in your assessment process. This exam is designed to test your knowledge of the science of dentistry. This one however is designed by the ADC and conducted by another professional body called the Australian Pharmacy Council. The relevant aspects of this test are:

1. This exam is only held twice a year. The first session is usually in the first week of March and if you want to apply for the first session you have to submit your application before 1 December. The second session is usually in the first week of September and applications close on 1 June. Like the OET, this examination takes place in multiple locations around the world. Please contact the ADC directly for this information.

2. This exam is made of two papers, a multiple choice and a short-answer question sections.

3. It will usually take two days for you to sit the exam, yes two days and it’s usually Thursday and Friday. On Thursday you’ll be doing the first part of the Multiple-Choice Question exam followed by the Short-Answer Question paper, this day is normally the most intense. On Friday you’ll only have to sit the second part of the MCQ exam.

Clinical Examination

This examination only takes place in Australia twice a year, usually a July series and a November series. It really depends a lot on the number of applications and available clinical places.

To be able to sit this exam you have to pass the preliminary exam and have an OET valid certificate (remember, this one only lasts for two years). Once you’re accepted to take the final exam you’ll be allocated a date and a venue for the test.

This examination extends for 6 days. There’s a program before the exam that allows you to familiarise with local dental procedures and equipment. The examination includes the following clinical subjects:

1. Conservative dentistry, operative and paediatric dentistry.

2. Treatment planning including periodontics and prosthodontics.

3. Oral surgery, diagnosis and radiology.

There are many resources to help people succeed in this exam. I hope this article sheds some light on your doubts and motivates you to pass your degree assessment.

Cheers and good luck

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A dental school provides students with all of the medical and technical expertise that is necessary to work alongside dentists or to become a full practitioner of dentistry. Individuals who want to attend dental school will need to start applying for college loans and preparing for the coursework far in advance of admission. Many areas should be considered carefully in the months or years before applying to dental school.

College Major

Dental schools require applicants to hold a bachelor degree or an equivalent amount of credits in certain subjects. Individual schools have different admission requirements. Some institutions are not concerned about the actual topic of the degree, while others insist on a focus in the sciences. The large majority of people who pursue a career in dentistry have focused on natural sciences while in college. Focusing on the sciences will help to make the extensive amount of laboratory work that is necessary easier, since basic lab procedures will already be known. Grades are very important, as there is competition for student spaces in most schools.

Dental Admission Test

The Dental Admission Test (DAT) is required by all institutions. Some applicants actually start studying two years before the test is first taken. The exam measures how much basic information an applicant has learned in college. It also measures some personal abilities to see whether an individual is well-suited for work as a dentist. The test covers biology and chemistry. It also touches on advanced mathematics and reading comprehension. Many people who take the exam find the section on perception particularly confusing. The perception part of the test involves three-dimensional abstract thinking, judging angle ratios visually and understanding how distorted geometric structures are interacting. It is not possible to enter dental school without achieving a good score on the DAT. High scores on the DAT will make acquiring college loans easier.

Recommendations And Experience

A student will need to present several letters of recommendation in order to be accepted. The letters of recommendation should be secured during the senior year of undergraduate study. These letters should help the student to stand out from the hundreds of other people who are applying for a position. A major benefit that will help to improve the chance of acceptance is some type of experience that goes with the letters of recommendation. This could be administrative work in the office of a dentist or time spent as a trained assistant within the industry. The student may also need to acquire a dental school loan if these employers or places of internship do not offer financial assistance for employees and interns.

Laboratory Work

The type of coursework required to become a dentist is heavily weighted towards laboratory work instead of lectures. This is different from other types of medical school. Students should be very familiar with lab procedures and processes. The cost of the supplies needed can be covered with a dental school loan. Students should be prepared to spend long hours in lab sessions. Some examinations are also given in the lab in order to test practical knowledge.

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Dental Cabinetry

Dental cabinetry is the most useful piece of furniture in any dental clinic. It comes in all sorts of sizes and shapes and is equipped with drawers. Many of the dental cupboards come with attached suction equipment. There are both stationary and portable dental cabinets available in the market.

Advantages of Dental Cabinets

Dental cabinets helps clinics run the exam and sanitisation process smoothly. These pieces of furniture make dental tools much more accessible and readily available. It also offers assistants the flexibility to choose from various shapes and sizes. You can choose a colour that goes well with your exam room’s decor. Though appearance doesn’t have to do much with functionality, getting nice coloured cabinetry is a great way to make your patients feel more comfortable.

Mainly there are two types of dental cabinetries to choose from-portable and stationary dental cabinetry. Both come with many user-friendly features and advantages.

Portable Dental Cabinetry

The portable dental cupboards offer the assistant the flexibility to sanitise and prepare the tools that are needed for treatment outside the exam room. This way a patient who is scared of treatment procedures doesn’t have to witness an assistant prepare the tools. It will give the patient a sense of comfort. The best part is that they are quite cost-effective. Purchasing a dental cabinet with the suction option would help dental clinics save money on multiple tools.

Stationary Dental Cabinets

From plain cabinets to fancier ones, you have plenty options to choose from. Plain cabinets might not have overhead compartments. Fancier stationary versions are made from wood. You can get them painted with a colour that matches your exam room’s interiors. These types of dental cupboards come with a variety of drawer sizes. From colours to materials, these units offer you a variety of options to choose from. Some of the larger cabinets are made to go along a wall, while others are more of an L shape and can fit into the corners of your dental office.

There are many other types of dental cabinets available in the market. Most of them come with innovative features. You can choose from an oil free air compressor, water tank, and housing for high and low hand pieces, water suction, saliva injector and electric foot pedal.

Custom designed cabinet is also available to fit the needs of your particular office. You can find a dental cabinetry that combines function and art from a dental supplier.

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