Like ballet, four-handed dentistry is beautiful to watch when performed well. Watch the video below to see how having a skilled assistant makes it possible for the team to minimize movements and maintain correct posture:
In the video above, the dentist and assistant are utilizing over-the-head delivery (OTH) which maximizes function within your natural range of motion through a consolidation of both instruments and supplies. The Ergonomic Products Universal workstation they are using provides left/right convertibility and easily accommodates both 2 and 4–handed dentistry. Of the four recognized methods of delivery (rear, side, over-the-patient, over-the-head) only OTH combines the principles of ergonomic positioning, increased procedural efficiency, and maximized patient comfort.
Benefits Of Over-The-Head Dental Delivery
- Smaller sized rooms that are substantially less expensive to equip
- Comprehensive supply consolidation
- Space available for specialty equipment via mobile carts
- Handpieces are at your fingertips from the 12 o’clock position
- Assistant is free to circulate
- Great for dentistry from the 7 o’clock to 12 o’clock positions
- Doctor and dental assistant range of motion is less than 90°
- Fast and easy to disinfect
- Patients are not threatened by the sight of handpieces
One Adjustment To Make With Over-The-Head Dental Delivery
- Handpieces at doctor’s non-dominant hand. To minimize any twisting movement, a right-handed doctor will grab a utility with the left hand and then move it to the right hand during a procedure. It’s not difficult, but it’s worth being aware of as you plan your clinical workflow. You can see how natural this motion is in the video below as Francis Casanova of Design Ergonomics gives a tour of a Universal treatment room to Dr. Scott Mogelof and his team:
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