Who puts your filling in at the dentist?

[MSWR0319]

Another dental question. I've gone to the same office my whole life. I've been through three different dentists as others have retired. I don't love my current one for many reason and am looking to find a new one. He's been there for 3 or 4 years at least. Last time I went in for a filling, the girl that was helping him during the drilling process filled it while he went on to another patient. This has never happened before and she didn't do a very good job. Is this the new "thing"? If he had said "This is so and so, she got trained so will be doing your filling after I've removed the decay," I may have felt better. I've just never heard of anyone but a dentist putting the filling in. We're rural so maybe it just got to us late and this is normal.

[smilequeen]

Yes, our expanded function dental assistants put in some of the fillings. I do some. It really just depends on the case or what my schedule looks like. I do a lot of little kids, so it’s just easier for me to finish the whole thing for continuity reasons. It has definitely been this way for a very long time (At least the 22 years since I’ve been out of school)…but rural areas would likely be different as the locations to properly train EFDA’s are certainly more concentrated in metro areas. We pay them more than our other dental assistants, so they better do a good job, or they won’t last with us.

[DualvansMommy]

It’s always been my dentist; the dental assistant would prep beforehand, but once it’s all prepped and ready, that’s when my dentist step in. Been with him for last 15 years so I don’t know if it’s a new thing now.


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[AnnieW625]

The one and only filling I have and had done in 1999 was by the dentist. Dh had a filling about 10 years ago, and is having another done next week. I know the dentist did the first one.

My dds have had fillings or sealants and they were done by the dentist.


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[jgenie]

My dentist does it all. He does my cleanings and any other work I need. He has a hygienist but I always schedule with the dentist.


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[Liziz]

Thankfully it's been awhile but I've only ever had a dentist do my fillings. However, Smilequeen's info makes a lot of sense and I probably just wasn't seen at a practice that had an expanded function dental assistant!

[o_mom]

I haven't had one in awhile, but for the kids, the dentist does all the prep (numbing, drilling, etc.), but the assistant actually puts the filling in. The dentist then checks the work.

[gymnbomb]

I haven't had one in awhile, but for the kids, the dentist does all the prep (numbing, drilling, etc.), but the assistant actually puts the filling in. The dentist then checks the work.

My dental work has always been done by a dentist, but the hygienist I like to see works in 2 different states and in the other state she does the numbing. She said she probably could here too but hasn’t looked into it because she doesn’t really want to end up being the person who always gets called to do that.

When my son got sealants last year it was a hygienist or dental assistant (not totally sure?) who did it. The dentist checked them afterward.


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