Dental Assisting Program at VCU Dental Clinics

This page outlines prerequisites and basic protocol for assisting at VCU Dental school. No material on this page supercedes the guidelines set by VCU Dental school. Dental Club @ VCU is not responsible for individual conduct while at the dental school.

Print this page and peruse it carefully. Please e-mail the club at vcudental@vcu.edu if you have questions.

ASSISTING PREREQUISITES

VISIT HAZEL LUTON Before you set foot in any of the clinics at the dental school, you MUST CONTACT HAZEL LUTON. Her email address is: mailto:HLuton@den1.den.vcu.edu. She can be found on the 2nd floor of the Lyons building (VCU Dental school) in the back of the restorative clinic area. Hazel will set up a a file with your Hepatitis-B shot record, and any Assisting Sheets you accumulate. If you do not have a file with Hazel, your assisting experience will not be documented, and you will not get the credit for it during your interview!

Hepatitis-B shot record
You must have had AT LEAST one shot in the series of three to be eligible to assist. If you are a full-time student, you can get your Hepatitis-B shot from Student Health Services on the Academic campus. The fee is about $35 per shot. If you are a part-time student, you will be charged $75, plus the cost of each shot. A better option for part-time students is to go to City of Richmond Health Department on 10th St., one block west of the Dental School.

Provide a PHOTOCOPY of your Hepatitis-B vaccination card to Hazel Luton.

Dress Code
High-end casual clothes are required. Eye protection.

No jeans, no open-toed shoes or sandals, no T-shirts with logos, no mini-skirts. Women must wear pantyhose if you choose to wear a skirt. Do not wear any fragrance, as this may irritate patients. Bring your own goggles with side shields; chemistry lab goggles are acceptable.

You will be provided with a clinic jacket. Zip the jacket to the top and make sure the velcro at the wrist is tight. After your session has ended, you MUST drop these jackets off in the 1st floor laundry. Do not take clinic jackets home.

**ASSISTING PREREQUISITES**
VISIT HAZEL LUTON	Before you set foot in any of the clinics at the dental school, you MUST CONTACT HAZEL LUTON. Her email address is: mailto:HLuton@den1.den.vcu.edu. She can be found on the 2nd floor of the Lyons building (VCU Dental school) in the back of the restorative clinic area. Hazel will set up a a file with your Hepatitis-B shot record, and any Assisting Sheets you accumulate. If you do not have a file with Hazel, your assisting experience will not be documented, and you will not get the credit for it during your interview!
Hepatitis-B shot record	You must have had AT LEAST one shot in the series of three to be eligible to assist. If you are a full-time student, you can get your Hepatitis-B shot from Student Health Services on the Academic campus. The fee is about $35 per shot. If you are a part-time student, you will be charged $75, plus the cost of each shot. A better option for part-time students is to go to City of Richmond Health Department on 10th St., one block west of the Dental School. Provide a PHOTOCOPY of your Hepatitis-B vaccination card to Hazel Luton.
Dress Code	High-end casual clothes are required. Eye protection. No jeans, no open-toed shoes or sandals, no T-shirts with logos, no mini-skirts. Women must wear pantyhose if you choose to wear a skirt. Do not wear any fragrance, as this may irritate patients. Bring your own goggles with side shields; chemistry lab goggles are acceptable. You will be provided with a clinic jacket. Zip the jacket to the top and make sure the velcro at the wrist is tight. After your session has ended, you MUST drop these jackets off in the 1st floor laundry. Do not take clinic jackets home.

BASIC ASSISTING PROTOCOL

Once your file is set up, Hazel will give you a clinic jacket and lead you to the student clinics. If you have an area of interest you would like to assist in, let Hazel know. She will place you with a Junior or Senior dental student with an interesting procedure. Following is a basic protocol that all assistants must follow.

WASH YOUR HANDS!!!!!!! Wash your hands before you have any contact with the patient and, of course, wash your hands after every bathroom visit.

WEAR A MASK Many antigens become airborne during dental procedures. Wear a mask to protect yourself and the patient.

WEAR GLOVES and LAB JACKET
The club will be buying Dental CLub Lab Jackets for VCU Dental Club members who have paid $15 and to receive a lab jacket the member must pay a deposit of $15 to use the jacket for one to two semesters. The deposit will be returned when the student returns the lab jacket. We will receive these jackets in October. Till then Mrs. Hazel Luton will lend us MCV lab jackets. The people behind the counter will help you in gathering supplies. When you return to the cubicle, put on a fresh pair of gloves.
Wear gloves any time you are near a patient. Gloves are located in dispensers on the walls of some cubicles. If you drop a glove, throw it away and get a new one. Do not waste gloves, they are expensive. If you have a latex allergy, ask for vinyl gloves. Remove any bulky jewelry before putting on gloves to reduce the chance of breakage.

When you are retrieving instruments or supplies from the supply window, dispose of your gloves to prevent cross-contamination. The people behind the counter will help you in gathering supplies. When you return to the cubicle, put on a fresh pair of gloves.

WEAR GOGGLES One of the most sensitive area to antigen infection is the eye. Wear goggles with side shields to prevent accidental exposure.

ASK QUESTIONS The old adage: "The only stupid question is the one that remains unasked," is true, even at this professional level. Just like the dental students, you are there to learn, so make the most of the time you spend assisting. Remember to phrase your questions in a way that does not alarm the patient in the chair. If you have a question about sensitive issues, wait until the patient has left before asking. The best time to ask questions is when the student is filling out the chart at the end of the visit. He or she can explain why certain procedures were done, plus the student can get to know more about you. This contact is invaluable, as some of the seniors are on the admissions committee.

GET AN ASSISTING SHEET FROM THE STUDENT When the session is over, ask the student to print out an assisting sheet. This is just a sheet with the patient's name, date and session on it. She or he will use his 5-digit student number to print this sheet. Pre-dental students do not have a 5-digit number. Just cross off the student's name, replace it with your own and sign it where appropriate. This is proof that you have assisted at VCU Dental School. The admissions committee will look at this record and give credit where credit is due.

GET A SIGNATURE FROM THE PROFESSOR ON DUTY The professor who checks the student's work must sign your assisting sheet as well.

**BASIC ASSISTING PROTOCOL**

Once your file is set up, Hazel will give you a clinic jacket and lead you to the student clinics. If you have an area of interest you would like to assist in, let Hazel know. She will place you with a Junior or Senior dental student with an interesting procedure. Following is a basic protocol that all assistants must follow.
WASH YOUR HANDS!!!!!!!	Wash your hands before you have any contact with the patient and, of course, wash your hands after every bathroom visit.
WEAR A MASK	Many antigens become airborne during dental procedures. Wear a mask to protect yourself and the patient.
WEAR GLOVES and LAB JACKET	The club will be buying Dental CLub Lab Jackets for VCU Dental Club members who have paid $15 and to receive a lab jacket the member must pay a deposit of $15 to use the jacket for one to two semesters. The deposit will be returned when the student returns the lab jacket. We will receive these jackets in October. Till then Mrs. Hazel Luton will lend us MCV lab jackets. The people behind the counter will help you in gathering supplies. When you return to the cubicle, put on a fresh pair of gloves. Wear gloves any time you are near a patient. Gloves are located in dispensers on the walls of some cubicles. If you drop a glove, throw it away and get a new one. Do not waste gloves, they are expensive. If you have a latex allergy, ask for vinyl gloves. Remove any bulky jewelry before putting on gloves to reduce the chance of breakage. When you are retrieving instruments or supplies from the supply window, dispose of your gloves to prevent cross-contamination. The people behind the counter will help you in gathering supplies. When you return to the cubicle, put on a fresh pair of gloves.
WEAR GOGGLES	One of the most sensitive area to antigen infection is the eye. Wear goggles with side shields to prevent accidental exposure.
ASK QUESTIONS	The old adage: "The only stupid question is the one that remains unasked," is true, even at this professional level. Just like the dental students, you are there to learn, so make the most of the time you spend assisting. Remember to phrase your questions in a way that does not alarm the patient in the chair. If you have a question about sensitive issues, wait until the patient has left before asking. The best time to ask questions is when the student is filling out the chart at the end of the visit. He or she can explain why certain procedures were done, plus the student can get to know more about you. This contact is invaluable, as some of the seniors are on the admissions committee.
GET AN ASSISTING SHEET FROM THE STUDENT	When the session is over, ask the student to print out an assisting sheet. This is just a sheet with the patient's name, date and session on it. She or he will use his 5-digit student number to print this sheet. Pre-dental students do not have a 5-digit number. Just cross off the student's name, replace it with your own and sign it where appropriate. This is proof that you have assisted at VCU Dental School. The admissions committee will look at this record and give credit where credit is due.
GET A SIGNATURE FROM THE PROFESSOR ON DUTY	The professor who checks the student's work must sign your assisting sheet as well.

Considerate things to do for patients:

* Move the light away from patients' eyes when the student/professor is occupied elsewhere.

* Offer dark glasses to the patient to reduce glare from the light.

* Make sure the rubber dam does not interfere with the patient's nostrils

* Suction extra fluid so that the patient does not gag or swallow.

* Suction gently, do not poke patients' cheeks or tongue.

* Know your instruments so that the student can get the job done efficiently and the patient spends less time in the chair.

* Get water for the patient.

* Ask the patient if he or she would like lip balm if the student is using a rubber dam

* Use gauze, not paper towels to wipe saliva from the edges of a patient's mouth

* Be aware of patient's body language. If she or he appears to be in pain, notify the student.