The Role of Orthodontic Assistants

Choosing a career in the dental assisting field offers the assistant areas of specialization. Orthodontics is one of those focused aspects of dentistry and dental assisting. Deciding on a career as an orthodontic assistant can be both challenging and rewarding. Some orthodontic assistants plan a career working with an orthodontic specialist. Other dental assistants find themselves working for a general dentist that has incorporated orthodontics into his/her practice. Gerety Orthodontic Seminars offers orthodontic training for dental assistants on an introductory and advanced level. Both the Basic and Advanced courses are available to all dental assistants that would like to focus on orthodontic procedures. There are no prerequisites to get started. 

What is The Role of an Orthodontic Assistant?

We recognize that the success of a dental practice, along with the successful incorporation of orthodontics into a dental practice can depend on the education and training of the staff.  With that in mind, we designed this course to help fulfill those needs. Our focus is to expand the duties that may be delegated to, and performed by the assistant in offices that are currently utilizing Straight Wire techniques and mechanics. Kay is a highly enthusiastic, motivating and knowledgeable instructor and encourages a renewed excitement and enthusiasm for dentistry which develops the confidence and ability of your staff to contribute to the growth and success of orthodontics in your practice.

What are the Responsibilities of an Orthodontic Assistant

Kay Gerety's Basic Orthodontic Training is a beginning course specifically designed to teach the fundamentals of orthodontics to chair-side auxiliaries, there is no experience necessary to succeed in this course and there are no orthodontic prerequisites. This is a two-day course featuring lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on exercises. Kay will provide your staff with a clear understanding of orthodontics beginning with patient records, and building on each lesson to conclude with bracket and archwire placement. This ortho course is a wonderful opportunity to train your staff to accept new responsibilities and to encourage their professional growth, and will be a benefit to you and your practice for years to come! The course will teach:

• Patient records, standard of care, radiographs, impressions and models, photography, clinical exam and evaluation
• Insurance procedures, patient management forms, informed consent, financial options
• Orthodontic Photography – Hands On Participation
• Principles and mechanics of the straight-wire bracket
• Understanding proper bracket placement and the principles of movement
• Direct bond bracketing of anatomical teeth – Hands On Participation
• Placement of separators, sizing and cementing molar bands, bracket placement aids, cements and materials, patient management, and post operative procedures
• Archwire Sequence to include .0175, .016 Thermal Activated Nitanium, .016 SS and .018 SS archwires. Using these archwires we will complete three projects to learn ligation methods, placement of rotation wedges, placement of chain elastic, archwire coordination, placement of stops and open coil spring – Hands On Participation
• Scheduling and practice management, ordering orthodontic supplies, operatory armamentarium, and set-up