Registered Dental Surgery Assistant
Registered Dental Surgery Assistants(RDSA) are category of health professionals trained to professionally assist Dentists in the performance of their work in the operatory, they ensure all procedures move smoothly, perform basic examinations, undertake oral health promotion and prevention.
Registered Dental Surgery Assistant (RDSA) program is a program which was started in 2007 at College of Health, Kintampo with the sole aim of training competent and highly professional oral health workers who would see to the smooth running of the dental surgery, take charge of the patients from arrival to their departure. The program is similar to dental nurse in UK and was to be named 'dental nurse' in Ghana but for possible litigation that was imminent from Nursing and Midwifery Council about the use of the word "Nurse".
Training of RDSAs has brought some revolution in dentistry in Ghana. They ensure smooth running of the dental surgery and ensure procedures are carried out with ease.
They give all the nursing care to patients after procedures are done.
Training of RDSAs has reduced the use of untrained persons in the dental surgery who know nothing about dentistry. They only rigidly carry out instructions given to them without any demonstration of flexibility or mastery over the subject matter.
RDSAs have filled the vacuum that exist between operators and the clients.
Undertake lawful duties assigned to them by the dentist.
Registered Dental Assistant Job Duties
Dental assistants typically work chairside with patients, in dental laboratories, in dental offices and in the community. Chairside duties may include preparing cements and impressions, taking patient histories and preparing dental charts.
Dental Assistants assist the dental operator (dentist or other treating dental auxiliary ) in providing more efficient dental treatment , by preparing the patient for treatment, sterilizing instruments, passing instruments during the procedure, holding suction devices, exposing dental radiographs, taking impressions, and fabricating provisional crowns. Dental operators can focus more time on the procedure; the dental assistant then effectively becomes the operator’s extra hands.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF RDSAs
RDSAs have myriad of responsibilities that they perform but an expanded duties as aforementioned when added would help the dentist and the country to get the optimum best from RDSAs, the traditional responsibilities includes but not limited to;
1. Receiving, registering and seating patients
2. Taking of vital signs (TPR, BP)
3. Charting
4. Taking, developing, labeling and mounting X rays
5. Placing and removing dental rubber dam
6. Assisting the dentist during procedures (chair side assistants)
7. Ensuring cleanliness of dental surgery and equipments
8. Instruments processing
9. Casting impressions and trimming models
10. Labeling and packing specimens for onward transfer to laboratory.
11. Applying topical fluoride
12. Placing pits and fissure sealants
13. Emergency care (CPR)
14. Conducting oral health education in clinic and community
15. Conducting basic screening and referring when necessary
16. Performing secretarial duties and managing patient record
17. Undertaking initial control of post extraction bleeding and giving post operative instructions.
18. Overseeing inventory control and ordering dental supply etc