Terms
- Adduction
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The movement of a limb or other part towards the midline of the body or towards another part.
- Bracket table
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A moveable unit with a control panel for the operation of the dental chair and storage of operatory instruments.
- Clean areas
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Clinical areas which are not contaminated by potentially infectious materials.
- contaminated working (or "dirty") zone
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Clinical areas which potentially have infectious agents and are treated as if they do have contaminants.
- Cutting hand instrument
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An instrument with a blade for the working end which is made from carbon steel or tungsten carbide.
- Dental Assistant chair
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A chair on wheels with a bar located above the seat at waist height used to rest arms on.
- Dental bur
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Dental burs are small operatory bits used in handpieces to cut or polish.
- Extension
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The bending movement that increases the angle.
- Field of view
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The area which a clinician can see in the oral cavity.
- Flexion
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The bending movement of a joint that decreases the angle between the bone and the limb.
- Fulcrum
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A support at a point in which a lever turns.
- High speed handpiece
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A pen like instrument that grips a small chuck for drilling teeth. Runnin gon compressed air it typically spins dental burs over 180,000 revs per minute (rpm).
- Indirect vision
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A technique used to visualise operating area that is not directly visible by the operator.
- Mandibular arch
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The dental arch formed by the teeth of the mandible.
- Maxillary arch
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The dental arch formed by the teeth of the maxilla.
- Modified pen grasp
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The pinch grip used to hold instruments in dental practice.
- Musculoskeletal disorders
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Injuries or disorders of the muscles, nerves, tendons, joints, cartilage, and spinal discs.
- Non-cutting instrument
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Instruments with a working end that can either be a blunt or pointed end.
- One way flow
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Clean materials and instruments enter into the contaminated working zone for use. These instruments strictly do not re-enter the clean zone and will only exit the working zone to then move to the sterilisation room for the decontamination process.
- Operator chair
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A chair or stool on wheels, with or without back lumbar support.
- Overhead light
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The operatory light to direct light onto the operating field.
- Patient chair
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The reclining chair where the patient sits for treatment.
- Perpendicular
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At an angle of 90° to a given line, plane, or surface or to the ground.
- Prophylaxis handpiece
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Similar to a slow speed handpiece, however the handpiece head is modified to receive screw type prophylaxis cups and brushes.
- Semi-supine
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Positions where the upper body is tilted (at 45° or variations) and not completely horizontal.
- Set down area
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The areas where contaminated instruments will be placed in the sterilisation room to then begin the process of decontamination and cleaning.
- Slow speed handpiece
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A pen like instrument that grips a small chuck for drilling teeth. Running on an electric motor it typically spins dental burs between 600 and 30,000 revs per minute (rpm).
- Static posture
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When more than half of the body’s muscles contract to hold the body in a motionless position against gravity.
- Straight handpiece
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Similar to a slow speed handpiece, however their straight body allows for larger burs designed for cutting materials and appliances.
- Suction unit
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The unit that has the equipment for saliva evacuation.
- Supine
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Lying face upwards.
- Three-point pinch grip
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The thumb, index and middle fingers are placed in a tripod position to grasp the pen/pencil.
- Working area
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The area where the operator is undertaking a procedure in the oral cavity.
