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77
the continual presence in the surgery of a dental attendant or
nurse.
An imaginary line is drawn diagonally across the surgery.
On one side of it is the sterilised or uncontaminated equipment,
and on the other side the soiled equipment. The first, or left
side as one stands behind the chair, is the province of the dental
attendant, and the other that of the operator. Therefore the
instrument cabinet is to the left of the chair, and the steriliser
and sink to the right and behind it. A moveable glass table is
behind the chair.
All instruments and utensils which can be boiled in water
are thus treated after each patient—this includes the all-metal
waste receiver and the water syringe, the rinsing beakers.
Handpieces are immersed in oil on a water bath. All instruments
and equipment handled by the operator which cannot
be boiled—or like glass slabs and agate instruments immersed
in Dettol—are wiped well with a square of flannelette soaked
with methylated spirit by the dental attendant after each
patient, i.e., the bracket table, parts of the handpieces, attachment
on the engine where handled by the operator, amalgam
carrier etc. In general, all clean instruments are placed on the
bracket table, as required, by the dental attendant, but the
operator helps himself to fresh burs as required from the
moveable table behind him, but only with tweezers dipped in
methylated spirit. No object may be removed from this table
by the operator except by this means, and by the same law
cotton wool pellets are taken from the holder only with tweezers
dipped in methylated spirit.
Cements are mixed on the cabinet and amalgams on the
glass table, to avoid contamination of the former by particles
of mercury or alloy dust.
The operator sits to work all the time, and the dental
attendant is encouraged to sit whenever possible, e.g., when
mixing cements etc., and writing records in day-book. Her
stool is on castors to facilitate its being moved where required.
The operator's route, from which he never strays, is from
chair A to sterilisers and washbasin B to desk and bell C, and
back to A.