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Elements and Performance Criteria
Performance Evidence
Knowledge Evidence
The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage tasks and manage contingencies in the context of the work role. This include knowledge of:
• national and State/Territory legal and ethical requirements and considerations for dental assisting work and how these are applied in organisations and in individual practice including:- codes of practice and safety guides:o radiation protection in dentistry o safe use of radiation- duty of care - informed consent and statutory requirements of consent- practice standards – Dental Board of Australia guidelines on infection control - privacy, confidentiality and disclosure- radiation user licence- rights and responsibilities of workers, employers and patients- work role boundaries – responsibilities and limitations- work health and safety• equipment and materials used for dental radiography and the correct procedures for use including:- equipment for automatic processing- equipment for manual processing- equipment for digital radiography- reasons for rotating film stock and using film before its expiry date- reasons for storing films away from ionising radiation- safe methods of storage and disposal of processing solutions- the nature and purpose of processing solutions• production and biological effects of ionising radiation:- biological risks associated with X-rays - hazards associated with X-rays including the mechanisms by which X-rays cause damage to human tissues- nature and uses of X-rays- production of X-rays• process for mounting films including:- fundamental knowledge of dental anatomy- methods of mounting radiographs• process for processing films including:- procedures required for automatic film processing- procedures required for manual film processing- processing solutions and appropriate methods for their handling, preparation, replenishment, storage and safe disposal- reasons for light-tightness and use of safelights- requirements for clean working space and adequate ventilation- the automatic processing cycle- the stages of the manual processing cycle- procedures required for digitally transferring images• quality assurance of processing including:- criteria for determining whether a radiograph is of an acceptable quality- causes of common processing errors and the remedy for correction• code of practice for radiation protection in dentistry including:- methods for monitoring the adequacy of radiation protection- procedures for minimising radiation risks to patients, self, the oral healthcare team and the public- the organisation’s quality assurance policy for processing radiographs to consistent diagnostic quality- the purpose of quality assuring dental radiographs and its relationship to radiation protection• role of radiographs in dentistry including:- benefits and risks of dental radiography- digital radiography, what it is, how it is used and its advantages and disadvantages over conventional film-based radiography- extraoral films and applications- intraoral film sizes and applications- use of radiographs in diagnosing and monitoring dental disease.