Evaluating Equipment Designs
Split Unit/Cart (Figure 4C)
The split unit/cart concept places part of the
dental unit on the operator's side and the HVE and air/water syringe on the
assistant's mobile cabinet. As in the side delivery unit, it requires the
dentist to retrieve the handpieces and makes them inaccessible to the assistant,
thus, reducing productivity. The assistant can only use the HVE and the
air/water syringe that are attached to the mobile cabinet and is unable to
transfer handpieces or change burs for the operator. Often mobile cabinets
used in this concept are not designed to contain back-up instruments and
adequate storage for dental materials. The split unit design can limit the
assistant's working space and requires that back-up instruments be placed in
tubs on the fixed cabinetry. This position requires additional motion to
retrieve needed instruments and materials that are stored in this manner and
opens the door to cross contamination of instruments stored in the tubs.
Transthorax Unit (Figure 4D)
The transthorax unit design meets the requirements
of favorable time and motion and promotes favorable ergonomics. With the
dental unit positioned over the patient's thoracic area, the dental assistant
can easily retrieve the handpieces and transfer them to the operator. This
eliminates the shift of the operator's vision away from the operating
site. Repeated shifting of vision from a brightly illuminated operative
field at close range to a darker area outside of the oral cavity located at a
greater distance forces the eyes of the operator to accommodate for these
lighting and distance changes which can lead to eye fatigue and subsequent
headache. A mobile cabinet with a moveable top that slides over the seated
assistant's knees serves as the primary source of supplies and instruments
located well within the comfortable reach of the assistant. There are no
hoses to interfere with the assistant's position. This type of unit has
been designed for the practice of the most effective four-handed dentistry.
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| Page 4 of 9 | |
| Citation Number: Vol. 2, No 4, Page 047 |
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