Operating Auxiliaries: A Review

Abstract

A review of the literature on operating dental auxiliaries and their utilization in the dental workforce is presented, and their role is examined in the light of broader issues relating to changing disease patterns and service delivery. A strategy for adopting a team approach in the delivery of dental services is mentioned, which would necessitate the dentist taking on the role of team leader and maintaining responsibility for overall treatment planning and quality assurance. Dental auxiliaries could provide basic preventive and restorative dental services, allowing dentists to concentrate on providing more complex high technology treatment. Implications for the future training of dental auxiliaries are presented.