RDA EXAM (Critical Questions)
1. Describe the various roles dental assistants assume in the dental
office.
Ans: Business or administrative assistant, dental office manager and
chairside or clinical assistant.
2. Who is responsible for knowing what duties dental assistants are
allowed to perform under California Law?
Ans: It is the responsibility of the employee to know what duties they are
legally allowed to perform under California law.
3. What is the rheostat and where is it located in the dental office?
Ans: The rheostat is a foot pedal that controls the dental handpieces
attached to the dental unit. It is located on the floor near the back of the
dental chair towards the operator's side.
4. Name and describe the patient positions in dental chairs:
Ans: Upright: position the chair should be in when patient is entering or
exiting the chair; 90-degree angle. Supine: patient is lying flat on their back
and the chair is parallel to the floor; most common position for the
completion of dental work. Sub-supine: places the patient's head lower than
their feet.
5. The assistants stool should be how many inches higher than the
operator?-
Ans: The assistant’s stool should be positioned four (4) to six (6) inches
higher than the operator.
6. Why should the assistants stool be higher than the operators?
Ans: It helps the assistant gain access and visualization into the patient's
mouth.
7. What information does the clock concept provide?
Ans: The clock concept designates working areas for each member of the
dental team providing direct patient care.
8. What is four handed dentistry?
,Ans: Four handed dentistry is a team approach to delivering dental care.
One dentist and one assistant perform dental care on a patient in
ergonomically pleasing, seated positions around the dental chair. One dentist
and one assistant = four hands.
9. Why is light positioning important?
Ans: placement, adjustment and care of the overhead patient light are the
responsibility of the chaired. Light positioning is important, so both the
dentist and the assistant can see into the oral cavity assistant.
10. What does "position of use" mean and when is it important?
Ans: The term "position of use" refers to the instrument being transferred
with the working end pointing toward the arch (maxillary or mandibular)
being worked on.
11. Which hand is used for instrument exchange?
Ans: The left hand is used for instrument exchange.
12. Do you know the difference between an allergy and sensitivity?
Ans: An allergy is a hypersensitivity to a material, substance, food or
animal. It creates an immune response from the body's systems causing
symptoms for the patient that can range from mild to severe. Some allergies
may be severe resulting in anaphylactic shock and is life threatening.
Sensitivity is a small or mild reaction to a material, substance, food or
animal. There are generally no symptoms for the patient to deal with and no
life- threatening responses occur.
13. When a patient indicates an "allergy to Novocain", what does
this really mean?
Ans: This means the patient has had a past reaction to an ingredient in the
anesthetic called Epinephrine. Epinephrine is added to prolong the working
effect of the anesthetic. Epinephrine works very similar to Adrenaline found
in the human body. Therefore, the patient may feel an increased heart rate,
rapid breathing, and sweating. Novocain is a type of anesthetic that has not
been used in dentistry for many years. The anesthetic used today is
Lidocaine or Xylocaine, each containing Epinephrine. There are anesthetics
without Epinephrine for patients who are sensitive or allergic to it.
14. Do you know the common medical conditions that may require a
patient to take pretreatment oral prophylaxis (premedication)?
, Ans: Have a heart condition or have Patients may be required by their
medical doctor to take premedication prior to dental work who had joint
replacement surgeries. The dentist should consult with the patient's doctor
to ensure proper protocol is being followed for the patient's conditions.
15. If a patient indicates they are so for the current appointment,
required to take premedication prior to dental treatment and they
did not do so for the current appointment, what is the next step the
assistant should take?
Ans: Let the dentist know that the patient forgot to take to their
premedication. Some dentists will keep antibiotics in the office for just such
an occurrence and will administer the antibiotics on site. Some dentists may
reappoint the patient if they do not have antibiotics on site.
16. Where fear and anxiety about being at the dental office is
present, what steps should an assistant take during the health
history and dental review to help alleviate those fears?
Ans: Let the patient know that it is okay to ask as many stay with the
patient until the dentist comes into the operatory. Tell the patient they are in
control questions as they need to. Be approachable and of the procedure and
can stop at any time for a break. Using a calm reassuring tone of voice when
speaking is effective and use the patients name frequently. Explain the
procedure and what they can expect during treatment. During more stressful
parts of the procedure, such as the injection of anesthetic, physically touch
the patient's arm or hand. This will help calm them and provides distraction
from their anxiety about the injection.
17. What is a vasoconstrictor?
Ans: A vasoconstrictor is a medicament that shrinks the capillaries thereby
decreasing the blood flow temporarily to an area.
18. What common drug used in dentistry is used to act as a
vasoconstrictor?
Ans: Epinephrine. Hemostatic agents frequently contain epinephrine.
19. What common body fluid is arrested by complete hemostasis?
Ans: Blood
20. What drug or drugs can a patient take to prevent a
vasoconstrictor from working effectively?
1. Describe the various roles dental assistants assume in the dental
office.
Ans: Business or administrative assistant, dental office manager and
chairside or clinical assistant.
2. Who is responsible for knowing what duties dental assistants are
allowed to perform under California Law?
Ans: It is the responsibility of the employee to know what duties they are
legally allowed to perform under California law.
3. What is the rheostat and where is it located in the dental office?
Ans: The rheostat is a foot pedal that controls the dental handpieces
attached to the dental unit. It is located on the floor near the back of the
dental chair towards the operator's side.
4. Name and describe the patient positions in dental chairs:
Ans: Upright: position the chair should be in when patient is entering or
exiting the chair; 90-degree angle. Supine: patient is lying flat on their back
and the chair is parallel to the floor; most common position for the
completion of dental work. Sub-supine: places the patient's head lower than
their feet.
5. The assistants stool should be how many inches higher than the
operator?-
Ans: The assistant’s stool should be positioned four (4) to six (6) inches
higher than the operator.
6. Why should the assistants stool be higher than the operators?
Ans: It helps the assistant gain access and visualization into the patient's
mouth.
7. What information does the clock concept provide?
Ans: The clock concept designates working areas for each member of the
dental team providing direct patient care.
8. What is four handed dentistry?
,Ans: Four handed dentistry is a team approach to delivering dental care.
One dentist and one assistant perform dental care on a patient in
ergonomically pleasing, seated positions around the dental chair. One dentist
and one assistant = four hands.
9. Why is light positioning important?
Ans: placement, adjustment and care of the overhead patient light are the
responsibility of the chaired. Light positioning is important, so both the
dentist and the assistant can see into the oral cavity assistant.
10. What does "position of use" mean and when is it important?
Ans: The term "position of use" refers to the instrument being transferred
with the working end pointing toward the arch (maxillary or mandibular)
being worked on.
11. Which hand is used for instrument exchange?
Ans: The left hand is used for instrument exchange.
12. Do you know the difference between an allergy and sensitivity?
Ans: An allergy is a hypersensitivity to a material, substance, food or
animal. It creates an immune response from the body's systems causing
symptoms for the patient that can range from mild to severe. Some allergies
may be severe resulting in anaphylactic shock and is life threatening.
Sensitivity is a small or mild reaction to a material, substance, food or
animal. There are generally no symptoms for the patient to deal with and no
life- threatening responses occur.
13. When a patient indicates an "allergy to Novocain", what does
this really mean?
Ans: This means the patient has had a past reaction to an ingredient in the
anesthetic called Epinephrine. Epinephrine is added to prolong the working
effect of the anesthetic. Epinephrine works very similar to Adrenaline found
in the human body. Therefore, the patient may feel an increased heart rate,
rapid breathing, and sweating. Novocain is a type of anesthetic that has not
been used in dentistry for many years. The anesthetic used today is
Lidocaine or Xylocaine, each containing Epinephrine. There are anesthetics
without Epinephrine for patients who are sensitive or allergic to it.
14. Do you know the common medical conditions that may require a
patient to take pretreatment oral prophylaxis (premedication)?
, Ans: Have a heart condition or have Patients may be required by their
medical doctor to take premedication prior to dental work who had joint
replacement surgeries. The dentist should consult with the patient's doctor
to ensure proper protocol is being followed for the patient's conditions.
15. If a patient indicates they are so for the current appointment,
required to take premedication prior to dental treatment and they
did not do so for the current appointment, what is the next step the
assistant should take?
Ans: Let the dentist know that the patient forgot to take to their
premedication. Some dentists will keep antibiotics in the office for just such
an occurrence and will administer the antibiotics on site. Some dentists may
reappoint the patient if they do not have antibiotics on site.
16. Where fear and anxiety about being at the dental office is
present, what steps should an assistant take during the health
history and dental review to help alleviate those fears?
Ans: Let the patient know that it is okay to ask as many stay with the
patient until the dentist comes into the operatory. Tell the patient they are in
control questions as they need to. Be approachable and of the procedure and
can stop at any time for a break. Using a calm reassuring tone of voice when
speaking is effective and use the patients name frequently. Explain the
procedure and what they can expect during treatment. During more stressful
parts of the procedure, such as the injection of anesthetic, physically touch
the patient's arm or hand. This will help calm them and provides distraction
from their anxiety about the injection.
17. What is a vasoconstrictor?
Ans: A vasoconstrictor is a medicament that shrinks the capillaries thereby
decreasing the blood flow temporarily to an area.
18. What common drug used in dentistry is used to act as a
vasoconstrictor?
Ans: Epinephrine. Hemostatic agents frequently contain epinephrine.
19. What common body fluid is arrested by complete hemostasis?
Ans: Blood
20. What drug or drugs can a patient take to prevent a
vasoconstrictor from working effectively?
