How to Set Up a Dental Tray
A dental tray is set up according to the dental procedure to be performed. On each tray is the instruments, tools, and supplies the dentist will use to perform each treatment. The tray can carry anywhere from an explorer and some gauze for a simple exam, or be quite extensive for a more complex procedure. In any case, making sure the dental tray has everything available that the dentist needs, is very important.
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Things You'll Need
- Tray
- Tray Paper
- Dental Instruments
- Dental Supplies
- Disinfectant
- Towel
- Gloves
- Mask
Instructions
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Put a pair of gloves, a doctor mask, a cup with mouthwash, tissue, and a bib and chain on every dental tray. This is a standard setup regardless of the procedure. Every tray should also have a stack of gauze and some dental floss. If the procedure will require an extensive dental treatment, the dental tray should also have a syringe and anesthetic with numbing paste. There should also be a drill and appropriate drill bits.
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Set up a tray for a cleaning by starting with a piece of tray paper. The cleaning tray should carry an explorer, scalers, a perio probe, gauze, floss, prophy paste and a prophy instrument. The dental tray for cleaning can also carry the film for teeth xrays as sometimes xrays are taken at the same time the teeth are cleaned.
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Make sure to put impression material with the proper quadrant tray on the dental tray when setting up for a crown and bridge. Along with the standard explorer you will need a cord and a cord packing instrument. The impression is taken after the tooth is prepared for the crown. It is much better to have it all setup in advance so you don't have to go searching for anything. Once the impression is taken, an acrylic temporary will be made, so don't forget the acrylic.
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Put a pair of dental pliers on the dental tray when setting up for an extraction. This procedure will require extra anesthetic so have it ready. Lots of gauze is used when a tooth is extracted so make sure the box is near. The only other instrument required on an extraction dental tray is a standard explorer.
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Don't forget the shade guide when setting up a composite tray. The white filling material must be matched to the surrounding teeth, so a shade guide is used in order to choose the correct color of composite. Since a composite is a filling material, don't forget the syringe and the numbing paste. Although, if the cavity is shallow, the dentist might not need to numb the patient. But have it ready anyway.
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Tips & Warnings
Always double check your dental tray to make sure it contains everything the dentist needs. Right in the middle of a procedure is not when you want to discover you forgot an important tool.
After every procedure the tray must be emptied, sprayed down with a strong disinfectant, wiped, and aired dry to ensure maximum disinfection from all germs. Make sure to double glove when cleaning trays which either have blood on them or on the instruments the tray carries. Always protect yourself from other people's blood so as not to contract any blood borne diseases.
