Operator Clock Positioning and Patient Positioning

How is the “positioning clock” viewed?

Viewed as if you were standing on a balcony looking down on the patient and the clinician.

What position clock is the patient’s head at?

12:00

Where are we at 8 o’clock?

To the front of the patient

Where are we at 9 o’clock?

To the side of the patient

Where are we at 10 o’clock?

At the corner of the headrest

Where are we at 12 o’clock?

Behind the patient’s head

For a left-handed clinician, where are we at 12 o’clock?

Behind the patient

For a left-handed clinician, where are we at 1-2 o’clock?

Corner of the headrest

For a left-handed clinician, where are we at 3 o’clock?

To the side of the patient

For a left-handed clinician, where are we at 3-4 o’clock?

To the front of the patient

During instrumentation how do clinician’s sit?

In one of the four clock positions

How are these four positions named?

In reference to the positions of the minute and hour hand on a conventional clock face

What are the different halves of an anterior tooth?

surfaces toward and surfaces away

What do the terms surfaces toward and away refer to?

To the anterior teeth when viewed from 8 o’clock position

What position are surfaces away and toward referred from?

8 o’clock

What type of surface (towards or away) is the mesial surface of the left canine?

Surface toward

What type of surface (towards or away) is the mesial surface of the left lateral incisor?

Surface toward

What type of surface (towards or away) is the mesial surface of the left central incisor?

Surface towards

What type of surface (towards or away) is the distal surface of the right central incisor?

Surface towards

What type of surface (towards or away) is the distal surface of the right lateral incisor?

Surfaces towards

What type of surface (towards or away) is the distal surface of the right canine?

Surface towards

What type of surface (towards or away) is the mesial surface of the right canine?

Surface away

What type of surface (towards or away) is the mesial surface of the right lateral incisor?

Surface away

What type of surface (towards or away) is the meisal surface of the right central incisor?

Surface away

What type of surface (towards or away) is the distal surface of the left central incisor?

Surface away

What type of surface (towards or away) is the distal surface of the left lateral incisor?

Surface away

What type of surface (towards or away) is the distal surface of the left canine?

Surface away

For a right-handed clinician, where should you sit when cleaning surfaces towards?

At 8 or 9 o’clock

For a right-handed clinician, where should you sit when cleaning surfaces away?

At 12 o’clock

What is the supine position when reclining a patient?

Back of the chair is nearly parallel to the floor

What is the semi-supine position when reclining a patient?

Chair back is raised approximately 20 percent

Where should you be in relation to the patient when in supine position?

The patient’s nose should be just below operators elbow

What position is this reclined chair?

supine

During patient positioning, what should we ask the them to do?

Turn towards you, turn away, tilt head up and tilt chin down

How do you position the overhead light when cleaning mandibular teeth?

Directly above the patient’s mouth, and as far above them as possible while still easy to reach

How do you position the overhead light when cleaning maxillary teeth?

Above the patient’s chest, and titled so the beams shines in at an angle

Where should the equipment be in relation to us when working on a patient?

Close, easily accessible, and avoidable excessive reaching and twisting