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so i had a cavity and went to the dentist. he drilled it down and left the room, stating that the assistant will fill it up. the assistant seemed to be too gentle in putting the filling in. it didnt feel as if she applied much pressure to get it in. now my tooth hurts a week later. im going to bo back for a check up, but is this common for an assistant to do the work of a dentist??
It depends on what kind of assistant they are. If "Dental Assistant" is their actual title, then no, they're not supposed to do that. But there is a type of Dental Assistant with expanded duties, trained to perform restorations, after the dentist has done the drilling. I think that's called an "Expanded Services Dental Assistant" or something like that. Dental offices who have people with that title usually just refer to them as assistants, because it's simply more convenient to use a single word than four words.
I'm pretty sure a hygienist can do the restoration (filling) after the dentist has done the drilling. It's possible that for some reason your dental office referred to the hygienist as an assistant, but the two are different titles, with different functions, different training.
ok, but the dentist should have at least checked the work after the assistant was done. he didn't show back up and now i have to set up a follow up to find out why the pain is still there.
It was probably an Expanded Functions Dental Assistant and it depends upon which state you are located in whether it's "allowed." Not all states allow this. If you are in a state that allows it then yes, it's standard for many Dentists to drill and prep the tooth and then have their trained EFDA step in to do the restoration. The Dentist can then move on to another patient.
What kind of filling is it? You might be used to having an amalgam (silver) filling placed where there is more pressure due to the packing motion of placement. A composite (white) filling using a flowable material would not have that "packing" sensation and would probably feel more "gentle" to you. A composite filling also might be more sensitive for a longer period of time than an amalgam filling. Does it feel sharp or achey to you? Is there pain only upon biting or is it constant. These are the things you should be thinking of prior to going in for a follow up.
It was probably an Expanded Functions Dental Assistant and it depends upon which state you are located in whether it's "allowed." Not all states allow this. If you are in a state that allows it then yes, it's standard for many Dentists to drill and prep the tooth and then have their trained EFDA step in to do the restoration. The Dentist can then move on to another patient.
What kind of filling is it? You might be used to having an amalgam (silver) filling placed where there is more pressure due to the packing motion of placement. A composite (white) filling using a flowable material would not have that "packing" sensation and would probably feel more "gentle" to you. A composite filling also might be more sensitive for a longer period of time than an amalgam filling. Does it feel sharp or achey to you? Is there pain only upon biting or is it constant. These are the things you should be thinking of prior to going in for a follow up.
thanks. its composite and maybe im not used to it. teeth are sensitive now to water. and achey when eating hard foods like cookies. maybe i have to give it a week
I recently had a crown placement, not my 1st. I was surprised when the assistant drilled on my stump after removal of the temporary. She had great difficulty removing the temporary & used the drill. Then used the drill directly on the stump. I jerked so hard the drill bumped into neighboring teeth. She hurt me. I'm freaking out. It's a new dentist for me & I didn't realize assistants were doing all the work these days. I never want to go back, but my bite isn't right. I'm screwed
I recently had a crown placement, not my 1st. I was surprised when the assistant drilled on my stump after removal of the temporary. She had great difficulty removing the temporary & used the drill. Then used the drill directly on the stump. I jerked so hard the drill bumped into neighboring teeth. She hurt me. I'm freaking out. It's a new dentist for me & I didn't realize assistants were doing all the work these days. I never want to go back, but my bite isn't right. I'm screwed
Do you have an HMO?
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