Objectives:

• To provide a course of education and training that will enable dental therapists and hygienists to assist an orthodontist in the provision of treatment and preventive services.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, participating dental therapists and hygienists should be able to:

• Discuss the role of the Dental Hygienist or Therapist in an orthodontic practice and the Codes of Practice governing their work
• Identify centric occlusions, centric relations and malocclusions, and describe the causes of malocclusion discuss the rationale for orthodontic treatment
• Explain the indications and contraindications for orthodontic treatment
• Describe the stages involved in fixed and removable orthodontic therapy
• Identify and name instruments and equipment used in orthodontic procedures including:

1. different banding techniques including, for example, Edgewise and Begg systems
2. the bands, brackets and attachments required for each banding technique
3. removable appliances used during orthodontic treatment

Demonstrate a basic ability to:

• appropriately use orthodontic instruments and equipment
• take impressions for orthodontic purposes
• remove brackets, bands arch wires, modules, ligature wire, power chain and thread, coil springs, elastic, separating elastics
• place and fix arch wires
• select and prepare bands for cementation
• re-cement loose bands
• remove orthodontic cement and materials after band and bracket removal using an ultrasonic scaler, power driven hand piece and/or orthodontic pliers
• identify the information required by patients undergoing orthodontic treatment