HLTDEN001: Case Study on Preparing and Assisting in Dental Care

This case study, HLTDEN001, focuses on the practical aspects of dental assisting. It presents four case studies covering various scenarios encountered in a dental practice. Case Study 1 requires the preparation of a treatment room for a composite resin restoration, including instrument and material organization, and local anesthesia preparation. Case Study 2 addresses the importance of obtaining and maintaining patient medical and personal details, emphasizing confidentiality and effective communication. Case Study 3 delves into the use of topical and local anesthetics, infection control protocols, patient monitoring, and instrument disposal. Case Study 4 examines instrument maintenance, sterilization procedures, and storage practices. The assignment requires students to reflect on their learning, provide detailed responses to each case, and demonstrate their knowledge of dental assisting procedures, patient care, and infection control. The student must ensure grammatically correct and error-free content, using simple English, and separate paragraphs for each new topic, including relevant legislation, and providing references. Finally, the student should include any resources that could be used to improve the case study situations presented.

HLTDEN001 Prepare for and assist with oral health care procedures
Case Study v1.2 (2017/08/17)
HLTDEN001 Prepare for and assist with oral health care
procedures
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Assessment
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Please read through the following case study. Reflect on your learning and your own research
within this unit.
Prepare a response that responds to each of the issues presented below. Your responses must
reflect your knowledge, skills, and application for this unit.
Case Study 1
You are preparing the treatment room for a 46 MOD Composite resin restoration. Your operator
has requested that you prepare everything that is needed for this treatment and get it ready to
go. He does not want you to access the drawers once the patient has entered the treatment
room.
Task
Prepare all the Instruments that are required for the treatment tray, including items that would
be needed for evacuation. The patient will require local anaesthesia, and all items for this must
be prepared and ready to go. Your operator routinely uses a rubber dam for isolation of the tooth
when he does a composite resin. These need to be ready for the operator to prepare. Identify in
order all the materials that your operator will use for this treatment. (Min 120 words)
The treatment tray for the composite restoration will comprise of the following in the order of left
to right, top row:
HVE tip, well for composite material, shade guide, burs and mandrel
Left to right, bottom:
Mouth mirror, explorer, cotton forceps, spoon excavator, composite placement instrument,
applicator brushes of 3 varying colours , wooden wedges, crown and bridge scissors, dental floss,
anaesthetic aspirating syringe, and a rubber dam, paper holder, tofflemire,
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HLTDEN001 Prepare for and assist with oral health care procedures
Case Study v1.2 (2017/08/17)
Case Study 2
Mr Walker is a new patient who has arrived for his initial appointment at your dental practice.
Before treatment can commence, you need to obtain from him his full personal, medical, and
dental details.
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HLTDEN001 Prepare for and assist with oral health care procedures
Case Study v1.2 (2017/08/17)
Task
Explain:
• The importance of taking complete personal, medical, and dental details
A patient’s medical and personal history will enable the operator to obtain information that is
needful for offering safe and personalized care.
It is a legal requirement that a patient’s medical and personal history be captured and
confidentially maintained for the good of the client.
A medical history assists in ascertaining the relevant conditions to the patient’s dental health or
which will also affect how treatment is to be conducted.
Information regarding some medical conditions such as allergies or heat disease could be
significant in case of an emergency in the dental practice. Additionally, information on various
medical conditions will also guide the clinician on the precautionary measures to take and which
treatment approach to best apply to avoid further complications
• How you encourage Mr Walker to provide complete information without embarrassment
By assuring Mr Walker that the information he provides will be treated with utmost
confidentiality and for purposes of his medication alone. Walker can also be encouraged to give
his complete information by explaining to him the importance of the information in offering him
the most appropriate treatment procedure. Walker can also be encouraged to provide complete
information without embarrassment by carrying out the interview in a private room in the
presence of the clinical assistant and walker alone
• How you maintain the confidentiality of his information
By ensuring that I do not disclose the client’s information to others without his permission
By encouraging other healthcare providers and the healthcare system to be cautious to ensure
that only authorized access to the information occurs.
Ensuring that his file is locked and secured , and if the information is in electronic form, it has be
protected by password
• How you accurately record Mr Walker’s information and how you verify the information in
accordance with the operator’s wishes
By obtaining the following client record information according to the guidelines of the Dental
Board of Australia (2010)
Completed medical histories
Consent documents obtained for treatment
Copies of correspondence relating to the client
Dental charts and dental treatment records
Reports to and from referring dentists and specialists
The best way to verify the information according to the operators wishes is by verbalising the
notes to the operator whilst writing
Case Study 3
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HLTDEN001 Prepare for and assist with oral health care procedures
Case Study v1.2 (2017/08/17)
In case study 1, you were asked to prepare the surgery for a composite resin restoration that
included preparation of a local anaesthetic.
Task
In your own words, explain:
• Use of topical anaesthetic
Topical anaesthetics are a type of anaesthetics that are used in dentistry to lower the sensation
prior to an injection of local anaesthetic. It is usually applied to the skin to induce a localised
numbness. In some other cases, operators use the topic anaesthetic to carry out minor
procedures or other tasks that are painful.
• How you would transfer the unused local anaesthetic syringe to the operator to ensure
infection control and safety guidelines are met
By using shields. conversely, I can place the syringe in a high-walled dish, which will enable the
clinician to obtain the syringe from the thumb and figure grip
• How you ensure that the operator has a clear field of vision
By positioning the patient and lighting at the commencement of treatment procedure
Retracting and protecting soft tissues during treatment
Removing debris off the mouth and moisture during treatment
Wiping the dental mirror during treatment
• How you monitor the patient’s well-being during the procedure and what actions you may
take to support the patient and operator
By providing evacuations
Providing mouth wipes, or rinses as is necessary
By monitoring the patient for any signs of extreme reactions as a result of medications or
discomfort. Actions that I as an assistant clinician can take to assist both the operator and patient
include:
Positioning the patient and lighting at the commencement of treatment procedure.
Retracting and protecting soft tissues during treatment.
Removing debris off the mouth and moisture during treatment.
Wiping the dental mirror during treatment.
• Your method of disassembling the cartridge and disposal of the needle and cartridge after
use to ensure that practice protocols and sustainable practices are met
Take the needle and hold it suing artery forceps or needle pliers.
Dislodge the needle by unscrewing it or by pulling it off. Then discard into the sharps container
immediately
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HLTDEN001 Prepare for and assist with oral health care procedures
Case Study v1.2 (2017/08/17)
Case Study 4
Part of your role as a dental assistant is to assist in maintaining and storing instruments, which
requires you to routinely ensure that instruments are in good working order and that they are
stored according to workplace instructions. You also need to notify the operator of any
deficiencies in the instruments and report faults promptly.
Task
• Apart from sharpening, what other things should you check for when inspecting equipment
and instruments?
Rusting and pitting
Effective working order of hinged instruments
Correct operation of equipment and moving parts
Correct operation of cleaning and sterilisation units
• Following reprocessing, instrument trays or cassettes should be stored to avoid
contamination. Explain how you do this and also when a package is considered to be non-
sterile.
Packaged kits are supposed to be rotated in order to allow the ones initially sterilised to be used
first, thus making sure the sterilisation dates are adhered to and that the reprocessing of kits is
done based on the workplace procedures if perhaps they have stayed long without use.
Specified storage places equipped with dental cabinets and cupboards should be air-conditioned
to avoid turbulence produced by fans.
There should be less handling of stored items before use.
According to the Australian Dental Association (2012), a package is regarded as non-sterile when
it is:
Open or damaged
Is dropped or placed in an untidy place
Is stored in a wet place or it is wet when taken out of a steam steriliser
Quality outcomes
Ensure the following for your submission:
i) It is grammatically correct.
ii) It is error-free.
iii) It is written in simple English.
iv) It comprises of an average of 15 words for each sentence.
v) There are separate paragraphs for each new content/topic or discussions. Include
references to relevant legislation, which must be defined.
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HLTDEN001 Prepare for and assist with oral health care procedures
Case Study v1.2 (2017/08/17)
Attach any models, tools, or resources that could be used in an organisation to improve the case
study situations presented.
Tip: Read all text aloud in order to identify any gaps and correct them. Ask another person to
proof read your work in order to check for accuracy before you submit.
Writing strategies and actions for future improvements
A case study is designed for you to demonstrate your skills in reading, accurately interpreting and
providing workable responses and strategies.
Check that your responses provide:
1. Identification and clarification of the key issues. Discuss and provide some suggestions as to
what has caused these.
2. Key facts and information that is relevant and demonstrates your ability to provide solutions.
3. Templates and resources that could assist managers in the future when managing their
teams.
4. Recommendations, both short term and long term, to improve the current situation.
Also ensure the appropriate use of headings and formats so as to reflect a professional
presentation.
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