Application
This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to take a clinical dental photograph under conditions that can be reproduced.
This unit applies to dental assisting work.
The skills in this unit must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State/Territory legislation, Australian/New Zealand Standards and industry codes of practice.
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
Elements define the essential outcomes | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. |
1. Prepare patient and interpret the request for photography | 1.1 Make accessible in the clean zone of the surgery the patient’s necessary charts and records 1.2 Interpret request and provide full details of the procedure to the patient or carer 1.3 Obtain and document consent following ethical and legal requirements 1.4 Prepare accessories for intraoral photography 1.5 Prepare personal protective equipment for the patient and members of the dental team |
2. Prepare to take the photograph | 2.1 Compose the image so that the most important aspects are in the centre of the photograph 2.2 Orientate the image so that subsequent photos are reproducible 2.3 Locate the image source to be photographed appropriately in the depth of field so that the photograph is in complete focus 2.4 Check the viewfinder to ensure there are no obstructions to the image |
3. Take required intraoral views using a standardised approach | 3.1 Position the patient so that conditions for photography are reproducible 3.2 Stand in a stable position for standard intraoral views that are reproducible for all photographs 3.3 Select the magnification ratio according to the desired frame and focus 3.4 Frame the image and ensure positioning of retractors and mirrors is correct 3.5 Use appropriate lighting so that the image is not overexposed |
4. Take a portrait and profile photograph | 4.1 Explain the purpose of the photograph to the patient 4.2 Choose the background colour and texture so that a full assessment of the profile can be made 4.3 Follow guidelines to position the camera and the patient to ensure reproducible results 4.4 Use a vertical format to completely fill the frame 4.5 Take standard dental portrait views that ensure images can be reproduced 4.6 Upload photograph from camera card and store in patient files |
Evidence of Performance
The candidate must show evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage tasks and manage contingencies in the context of the job role. There must be evidence that the candidate has:
• taken 50 clinical dental photographs, including intraoral and extraoral images
• stored the resulting image data appropriately.
Evidence of Knowledge
The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively complete the tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the work role. This includes knowledge of:
• national and State/Territory legal and ethical requirements and considerations for dental assisting work including:
 codes of practice
 discrimination
 duty of care
- informed consent and statutory requirements of consent
- practice standards – dental guidelines on infection control
 privacy, confidentiality and disclosure
 records management
 work role boundaries – responsibilities and limitations
 work health and safety
• fundamental oral anatomy:
- dentition, arrangement of the teeth, naming and coding of teeth
- structures of the oral cavity, hard and soft palate, lateral and posterior borders of the oral cavity, tongue and floor of the mouth
- teeth, form and function
• fundamentals of photography, including:
- basic knowledge of camera systems appropriate for dental photography
- ability to reproduce photographic conditions
- appropriate reproduction ratio
- reduction of image contents either through an appropriate scale or through selective focusing
• rationale and objectives for taking clinical photographs under conditions that can be reproduced including the need for:
- basic views to record a patient’s clinical condition during the initial patient visit
- communication of information to the patient, and between dentists, doctors and laboratories
- documentation of processes and stages of treatment
- documentation of the state and changes to the teeth and mucous membranes of the mouth
- illustration for teaching and research
- quality control of treatment outcomes
• procedures and actions for dental emergencies
Assessment Conditions
Skills must have been demonstrated in the dental clinic workplace with the addition of simulations and scenarios where the full range of contexts and situations cannot be provided in the workplace. The following conditions must be met for this unit:
• use of suitable facilities, equipment and resources including:
- digital camera and accessories
- image storage card
- access to patient records and data systems to record procedure and store images
- Dental Board of Australia guidelines on infection control on which the candidate bases the planning process
• modelling of industry operating conditions including access to real people for simulations and scenarios in dental assisting work.
Assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015/AQTF mandatory competency requirements for assessors.
In addition, assessors must hold a minimum of 5 years clinical experience in dental assisting work.
Foundation Skills
The Foundation Skills describe those required skills (language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills) that are essential to performance.
Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.