Information about Chair and operator position....

1. CHAIR AND OPERATOR
POSITION

2. 1 INTRODUCTION
2 PATIENT AND OPERATOR POSITION
3 CHAIR AND PATIENT POSITION
> ALMOST SUPINE
> RECLINED 45 DEGREE
4 OPERATOR POSITION
> RIGHT FRONT
> RIGHT
> RIGHT REAR
> DIRECT REAR
5 GENERAL CONSIDERATION
6 INSTRUMENT EXCHANGE
7 MAGNIFICATION
CONTENTS

3. CHAIR AND PATIENT POSITIONS ARE IMPORTANT
CONSIDERATIONS. MODERN DENTAL CHAIRS ARE
DESIGNED TO PROVIDE TOTAL BODY SUPPORT IN ANY
CHAIR POSITION
INTRODUCTION

4. - CHAIR POSITION IS A VERY IMPORTANT ASPECT
IN THE SUCCESS OF A DENTAL TREATMENT.
- THE CORRECT POSITIONING HELPS THE OPERATOR TO
HAVE A GOOD VISIBILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY OF THE
ORAL CAVITY.
- PROPER POSITIONING OF THE PATIENT AND THE
OPERATOR, ILLUMINATION AND RETRACTION FOR
OPTIMAL VISIBILITY ARE THE FUNDAMENTAL
PREREQUISITES TO PROPER DENTAL TREATMENT.
- IF OPERATOR MAINTAINS PROPER POSITION AND
POSTURE DURING TREATMENT, THE OPERATOR IS LESS
LIKELY TO GET STRAIN, BE MORE EFFICIENT AND LESS
CHANCES OF GETTING MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS.
INTRODUCTION

5. - IT SHOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE COMFERT TO
THE PATIENT
- IT SHOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE TOTAL BODY SUPPORT
- HEADREST OF CHAIR SHOULD BE ATTACHED FOR
SUPPORTING PATIENT’S CHIN AND REDUSING STRAIN
ON CHIN MUSCLES
- IT SHOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE MAXIMUM WORKING
AREA TO THE OPERATOR
FOLLOWING POINTS SHOUD BE KEPT IN MIND IN
RELATION TO DENTAL CHAIR:

6. - IT SHOULD BE PLACED AT THE CONVENIENT
LOCATION WITH ADJUSABLE CONTROL SWITCHES
- FOOT SWITCHES ARE PREFERED TO IMPROVE
INFECTION CONTROL

7. - EFFICIENT PATIENT AND OPERATOR POSITIONS ARE
BENEFICIAL FOR THE WELFARE OF BOTH INDIVIDUALS.
- A PATIENT WHO IS IN A COMFORTABLE POSITION IS
MORE RELAXED, HAS LESS MUSCULAR TENSION AND IS
MORE CAPABLE OF COOPERATING WITH THE DENTIST.
- BY USING PROPER OPERATING POSITIONS AND
GOOD POSTURE THE OPERATOR EXPERIENCES LESS
PHYSICAL STRAIN.
PATIENT AND OPERATOR
POSITIONS

8. - THE DENTAL CHAIR SHOULD SUPPORT THE PATIENT’S
HEAD, BACK AND ARMS.
- MODERN DENTAL CHAIRS ARE THE ARE CONTOURED
TO PROVIDE TOTAL BODY SUPPORT AND COMFORT
FOR THE PATIENT IN ANY CHAIR POSITION.
- THE PATIENT’S HEAD IS SUPPORTED BY THE HEADREST
CUSHION WHICH IS ATTACHED TO THE CHAIR BACH
AND IS ADJUSTABLE OR ARTICULATED.
CHAIR AND PATIENT POSITIONS

9. - THE HEADREST SUPPORTS THE PATIENT’S HEAD AND
SLIGHTLY ELEVATES THE CHIN THUS REDUCING STRAIN
ON THE NECK MUSCLES.
- SOME CHAIRS ARE ALSO EQUIPPED WITH PROGRAMMABLE
OPERATING POSITIONS.
- THE PATIENT SHOULD HAVE DIRECT ACCESS TO THE CHAIR.
- WHILE MAKING THE PATIENT SIT ON THE DENTAL CHAIR, THE
CHAIR HEIGHT IS KEPT LOW AND THE BACK REST IS UPRIGHT SO
THAT THE PATIENT CAN SIT WITH EASE.

10. - DURING EXAMINATION OR TREATMENT
PROCEDURES, THE CHAIR IS TILTED BACK.
- THE SWITCHES FOR CHAIR ADJUSTMENT SHOULD BE
EASILY ACCESSIBLE TO THE DENTIST.
- FOOT SWITCHES ARE PREFERRED SO THST THE DENTIST
CAN AVOID HAND CONTAMINATION DURING
TREATMENT.

11. > SUPINE POSITION.
> RECLINED 45 DEGREES.
COMMON PATIENT POSITIONS

12. 1 ALMOST SUPINE : IN THIS
POSITION, THE CHAIR IS
TILTED SO THAT THE
PATIENT IS ALMOST IN A
LYING DOWN POSTURE.

13. - THE PATIENT’S HEAD, KNEE AND
FEET ARE APPROXIMATELTY AT
THE SAME LEVEL; HOWEVER,
THE HEAD SHOULD NOT BE
POSITIONED LOWER THAN THE
FEET EXCEPT WHEN THE PATIENT
IS IN SYNCOPE.

14. 2 RECLINED 45 DEGREES : IN
THIS POSITION, THE CHAIR IS
RECLINED AT 45 DRGREES
SO THAT WHEN THE PATIENT
IS SEATED,THE MANDIBULAR
OCCLUSAL SURFACES ARE
ALMOST 45 DEGREES OF
THE FLOOR.

15. ONES THE TREATMENT IS OVER THE CHAIR IS
BROUGHT BACK TO THE UPRIGHT POSITION SO THAT THE
PATIENT CAN LEAVE THE CHAIR EASILY.
THE CHOICE OF CHAIR POSITION CAN BE DECIDED
BY THE DENTIST BASED ON THE TYPE OF PROCEDURE AND
THE ARCH BEING WORKED ON.

18. THIS IS THE CONVENIENT FOR EXAMINATION AND
WORKING ON THE MANDIBULAR ANTERIOR TEETH,
MANDIBULAR RIGHT POSTERIOR TEETH AND MAXILLARY
ANTERIOR TEETH.
FOR ADDED EASE, THE PATIENT’S HEAD MAY BE SLIGHTLY
TURNED TOWARDS THE DENTIST.
RIGHT FRONT POSITION

20. THE OPERATOR IS DIRECTLY TO THE RIGHT OF THE
PATIENT.
THIS POSITION IS CONVENIENT FOR OPERATING ON THE
FACIAL SURFACES OF THE MAXILLARY AND MANDIBULAR
RIGHT POSTERIOR TEETH AND OCCLUSAL SUEFACES OF
THE MANDIBULAR RIGHT POSTERIOR TEETH.
9-O’CLOCK POSITION.
RIGHT POSITION

22. THIS IS THE PREFERRED POSITION FOR MOST
PROCEDURES.
FROM THIS POSITION THE DENTIST CAN HAVE GOOD
ACCESS TO MOST AREAS OF THE MOUTH USING DIRECT
OR INDIRECT VISION.
THE DENTIST SITS TO THE RIGHT AND SLIGHTLY BEHIND
THE PATIENT AND THE LEFT ARM IS POSITIONED AROUND
THE PATIENT’S HEAD.
THIS POSITION IS ALSO REFERED AS UNIVERSAL
OPERATING SYSTEM…
RIGHT REAR POSITION

23. IN THIS POSITION WORKING ON THE LINGUAL SURFACES
OF MAXILLARY ANTERIOR TEETH IS MOST CONVENIENT.
DIRECT VISION MAY BE ALSO USED ON THE MANDIBULAR
TEETH, PARTICULARLY ON THE LEFT SIDE.

25. THIS POSITION HAS LIMITED APPLICATION.
THIS POSITION IS MAINLY USED ONLY FOR WORKING ON
THE LINGUAL SURFACES OF MANDIBULAR ANTERIOR
TEETH.
IT CAN ALSO BE USED WHILE WORKING ON THE LINGUAL
SURFACES OF MAXILLARY ANTERIOR TEETH.
DIRECT REAR POSITION

26. 1. THE PATIENT’S HEAD CAN BE ROTATED ACCORDING
TO THE OPERATOR’S NEEDS TO ALLOW GOOD
ACCESS AND VISIBILITY TO THE WORK AREA.
2. WHILE WORKING ON THE MAXILLARY ARCH, THE
OCCUSAL SURFACES SHOULD BE ORIENTED
APPROXIMATELY PERPENDICULAR TO THE FLOOR.
3. THE DENTIST SHOULD MAINTAIN ENOUGH DISTANCES
FROM THE PATIENT SUCH AS WHILE READING A
BOOK.BUT FOR SOME DETAILED PREPARATIONS OR
INACCESSIBLE AREAS CLOSER PROXIMITY TO THE
PATIENT MAY BE REQUIRED FOF ADEQUATE VISIBILITY.
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

27. 4. WHILE WORKING FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME,
THE DENTIST CAN KEEP CHANGING POSITIONS
TO RRDUCE MUSCLE STRAIN AND FATIGUE.

29. - THE STOOL SHOULD BE ON CASTERS FOR MOBILITY.
- IT SHOULD BE WELL PADDED WITH SMOOTH CUSHION
EDGES AND SHOULD BE ADJUSTABLE UP AND DOWN.
- THE OPERATOR SHOULD NOT BE BALANCED ON THE
STOOL USING IT AS A THIRD LEG ON A TRIPOD.
- THE OPERATOR SHOULD SIT BACK ON THE CUSHING,
USING THE ENTIRE SEAT, NOT JUST THE FRONT.

31. - WITH THE PATIENT IN THE DENTAL CHAIR WHILE
PRACTICING “ FOUR HANDED ” DENTISTRY, THE
TRANSFER OF INSTRUMENTS BETWEEN TNE DENTIST
AND
THE ASSISTANT SHOULD OCCUR ONLY IN THE “
EXCHANGE ZONE ”.
- THIS EXCHANGE ZONE IS BELOW THE PATIENT’S CHIN
AND SEVERAL INCHES ABOVE THE PATIENT’S CHEST.
- INSTRUMENT EXCHANGE SHOULD NEVER BE DONE
OVER THE PATIENT’S FACE.

32. MAGNIFICATION OF THE AREA
ENHANCES VISIBILITY AND ENABLES
THE DENTIST TO PAY GOOD
ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS OF EACH
PROCEDURE.
MAGNIFICATION IS USEFUL AT ANY
AGE TO ENABLE THE DENTIST TO
PRECISELY PERFORM DELICATE
RESTORATIVE PROCEDURES LIKE
COMPOSITE RESOTARION, CAST
RESTORATION, ETC.