Welcome to week 1 of ADMN1340! During the first half of this course (weeks 1-7) we will explore concepts specific to dental offices. The activities built into each week are meant to recap concepts learned through these chapters and during class. Although they will not be graded by your instructor, they are a great way to check in to see how you are grasping the content and to prepare for upcoming assessments.

Employment Opportunities Within the Dental
Environment.

In class we reviewed the different employment opportunities and tasks associated with each job. Complete the activity below to test your knowledge of the different employment opportunities within the dental environment.

The Dental Team

Dental Specialists

In class, we reviewed the 9 different specialties that a dentist may pursue to treat specific conditions or support a particular population of clients. Complete the activity below to check your knowledge of the 9 different dental specialists:

References

Average dental receptionist hourly pay in Canada. (n.d.). PayScale. Retrieved March 20, 2023, from https://www.payscale.com/research/CA/Job=Dental_Receptionist/Hourly_Rate

Baillargeon, S. (2008). Dental office administration. Thomson Nelson.

Public Health Ontario. (2019). IPAC checklist for dental practice – Reprocessing of dental/medical equipment/devices [PDF]. Retrieved March 20, 2023, from https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/Documents/C/2019/checklist-ipac-dental-reprocessing.pdf

Tooth Talk. (2022, November 15). Dental sterilization: The autoclave and ultrasonic. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7GGgDe2RBs&t=2s

Welcome to week 2! During class you will be become familiar with the anatomy of the mouth and teeth and learn about Canada’s preferred dental tooth numbering system. This information will serve as an important foundation for future topics in this course such as dental conditions and procedures, charting, and insurance. There are several great knowledge checks available to you this week, so be sure to complete all the activities!

Dental Quadrants

The 2 arches are divided into 4 equal sections called quadrants.

Credit: © Conestoga College, adapted from an image in the public domain on WikiCommons, CC BY-NC-SA.

Use your knowledge of the upper and lower arch names to fill in the correct dental quadrant name below:

An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here:
https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/dentalwellness3/?p=33#h5p-2

Dental Sextants

The teeth are also divided into 6 equal parts called sextants. This includes upper front, left/right, and lower front, left/right.

Credit: © Conestoga College, adapted from an image in the public domain on flickr, CC BY-NC-SA.

Use your knowledge of the upper and lower arch names to fill in the correct dental sextant names below:

An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here:
https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/dentalwellness3/?p=33#h5p-3

Types of Teeth

The 4 Types of Teeth:

Credit: © Conestoga College, CC BY-NC-SA.

 

Incisors (Pink): Made up of central incisors and lateral incisors. Single rooted with a thin edge.

Cuspids/Canines (Orange): The longest and most stable teeth with the longest roots.

Bicuspids/Premolars (Blue): Have a broad chewing surface designed to grind food.

Molars (Purple): Shorter and blunt with the largest surface for chewing.

International Tooth Identification System

The International (FDI) Tooth Identification System is the most commonly used dental labelling system in Canada. The Universal Numbering System is commonly used in the United States. The Palmer Notation System is commonly used in the United Kingdom.

We will focus our learning material on the international (FDI) system.

Tooth labelling will come up again when we explore dental insurance!

Permanent Teeth and the International Tooth Identification System

Identify the permanent teeth using the International Tooth Identification System.

Credit: © Conestoga College, adapted from Human dental arches by Kaligula – Wikimedia Commons,  CC BY-NC-SA.

An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here:
https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/dentalwellness3/?p=33#h5p-4

Primary Teeth and the International Tooth Identification System

Identify the primary teeth using the International Tooth Identification System.

Credit: © Conestoga College, CC BY-NC-SA.

An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here:
https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/dentalwellness3/?p=33#h5p-5

References

Torres, H. O., Ehrlich, A., Bird, D. & Dietz, E. (2009). Modern dental assisting (9th ed.). W.B. Saunders Company.

Baillargeon, S. (2008). Dental office administration.  Thomson Nelson.

Your Module 1 assignment will have you explore a dental condition or procedure commonly found within the dental office. Below you will find images and descriptions of the more common dental conditions and procedures.

Dental Procedures

Each dental procedure corresponds with a dental billing code. These are categorized into 9 different branches of dentistry. The groupings and codes will be reviewed in week 7 when we discuss dental insurance.

Below is a table that highlights 14 common dental procedures, each accompanied by an associated image.

Procedure Name	Procedure Description	Image
Inlays, and Onlays	Custom dental restorations that cover a portion of the anatomic crown of a tooth.
Dental Crowns	Custom dental restoration that covers the entire anatomic crown of a tooth.
Dental Bridges	A fixed prosthetic device consisting of artificial teeth (pontics) that are supported by attaching them to abutment teeth (anchor teeth).
Dental Restorations (Composite and Amalgam Fillings)	Dental restorations used to replace decayed tooth matter. Amalgam fillings are made of metal material and composite fillings are made of resin.
Dental Veneers	A layer of tooth coloured material (composite or porcelain) that is bonded or cemented to the prepared tooth surface.
Dental Implants	Artificial teeth attached to anchors that have been surgically embedded into the jawbone.
Dentures	A removable prosthesis to replace missing teeth within the same arch. Can be implant-supported.
Dental X-rays	Radiographic images of the teeth and jaws that aid in diagnosis and treatment.
Dental Scaling and Prophylaxis	A preventative dental procedure to remove hard and soft deposits from below and above the gumline.
Dental Sealants	A dental procedure where a thin coating of composite filling material is used to seal the pits and fissures on posterior teeth to prevent dental caries.
Dental Extraction	The removal of a tooth from its socket due to infection, fracture, gum disease or an impacted tooth.
Root Canal Therapy	The removal of infected pulp from inside a tooth.
Gum Grafting (Soft Tissue Grafting)	A dental procedure used to correct gum recession and root exposure.
Orthodontic Braces	A dental procedure used to align your bite and straighten crooked teeth.

References

Baillargeon, S. (2008). Dental office administration. Thomson Nelson.

Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (2016). Healthy Smiles Ontario schedule of dental services and fees for dentist providers [opens PDF]. https://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/dental/docs/HSO_Schedule_of_Dental_Services_and_Fees-Dentist_Providers_en.pdf

Attributions

• Inlays and onlays photo by Bin im Garten on Wikimedia Commons is licensed CC BY-SA 3.0.
• Dental crown photo by Prisach wikiinfo on Wikimedia Commons is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
• Dental bridges photo by Bin im Garten on Wikimedia Commons is licensed CC BY-SA 3.0.
• Dental restorations – almagam photo by Ulrich Birkhoff on Wikimedia Commons is in the public domain.
• Dental restorations – composite photo by Albert on Wikimedia Commons is licensed CC BY-SA 3.0.
• Dental veneers photo by Clausgast on Wikimedia Commons is licensed CC BY-SA 3.0.
• Dental implants photo by Alexmit art on Wikimedia Commons is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
• Dentures photo by Killgja on Wikimedia Commons is licensed CC BY-SA 3.0.
• Dental X-ray photo by Coronation Dental Specialty Group on Wikimedia Commons is licensed CC BY-SA 3.0.
• Dental scaling and prophylaxis photo by Sgt. Brian J. Griffin, U.S. Marine Corps, on Wikimedia Commons is in the public domain.
• Dental sealants photo by Roquex on Wikimedia Commons is licensed CC0 1.0.
• Dental extraction photo by Senior Airman Brett Clashman, U.S. Air Force, on Wikimedia Commons is in the public domain.
• Root canal therapy illustration by Jeremy Kemp, adapted by Jellocube27, on Wikimedia Commons is licensed CC BY-SA 3.0.
• Gum grafting (soft tissue grafting) photo by the National Institutes of Health on Wikimedia Commons is in the public domain.
• Orthodontic braces photo by Arsan Adel Al-Bayati on Wikimedia Commons is in the public domain.

Welcome to week 4! This week, you will spend some time reviewing earlier concepts about the teeth, including surfaces and labelling, and learn about the dental chart.

Odontogram Views

There are 3 primary views on odontograms

• Facial/buccal: how the tooth appears at the front
• Occlusal/incisal: how the tooth appears from the biting surface
• Lingual: how the tooth appears from the tongue

Credit: © Conestoga College CC BY-NC-SA

Sample Odontogram

Credit: © Conestoga College CC BY-NC-SA

Charting Symbols

Table 2. Common Charting Symbols and their Corresponding Abbreviations and Meanings

Symbol	Description	Abbreviation	Meaning
© Conestoga College CC BY-NC-SA	Blue shading	Am	Amalgam filling present
© Conestoga College CC BY-NC-SA	Tan/green shading	Cr	Composite resin filling present
© Conestoga College CC BY-NC-SA	Red shading	n/a	Caries – tooth needs future filling
© Conestoga College CC BY-NC-SA	Red dots	incip	Incipient caries (early decay)
© Conestoga College CC BY-NC-SA	n/a	S	Dental sealant was applied
© Conestoga College CC BY-NC-SA	An X through the whole tooth	n/a	Tooth is missing/has been extracted
© Conestoga College CC BY-NC-SA	2 red lines through the root	RCT	Needs root canal therapy (If charted in black or blue then it has already been completed)
© Conestoga College CC BY-NC-SA	Small red circle at the base of the root	n/a	Abscess
© Conestoga College CC BY-NC-SA	Multiple teeth connected with a line	n/a	A bridge
© Conestoga College CC BY-NC-SA	An arrow pointing towards the crown of the tooth	n/a	An over-erupted tooth
© Conestoga College CC BY-NC-SA	An arrow pointing away from the midline of the tooth	n/a	Shows the direction of a tooth which is drifting
© Conestoga College CC BY-NC-SA	Blue outline of the facial surface of the tooth	n/a	Veneer present

 

References

Torres, H. O., Ehrlich, A., Bird, D. & Dietz, E. (2009). Modern dental assisting (9th ed.). W.B. Saunders Company.

Baillargeon, S. (2008). Dental office administration. Thomson Nelson.

Over the next 2 weeks we will explore the responsibilities of the dental business assistant and dental office manager. As we learned in week 1, these are two of the career opportunities for an HOA to consider within the dental industry, whose main responsibility is to ensure the office runs efficiently. We will begin by reviewing dental scheduling considerations.

References

This week you will be learning about dental insurance, which is one category commonly offered in most private insurance plans. Additional details about private insurance will be reviewed during week 12, so stay tuned for more information about this important topic!

Healthy Smiles

As you learned in ADMN1030, the Ontario government offers supplementary programs to vulnerable populations in order to maintain and improve their health status. One program most often utilized in dental offices is Healthy Smiles, which provides free dental care to children 17 years old and under who belong to low-income families. Types of dental care include preventative, routine, and emergency services.

Visit the province’s Healthy Smiles program website to learn more about this special dental benefit, including qualifications for enrolment and locations of offices participating in this program. *Note: Since offices are not required to enrol, some will not offer this benefit.

How Do Dental Offices Receive Payment?

Dental Provisions

The Ontario Dental Association (ODA) creates a fee guide to highlight procedure codes and suggested reasonable fees. Dental offices are not restricted by these fees and many will charge at their discretion.

However, insurance companies use this guide to set coverage limitations/provisions.

Let’s explore some common insurance provisions below:

Multiple Insurance Plans

Quite often, your clients may have coverage under more than one private insurance plan. This commonly occurs with children when both parents have an insurance plan that covers the child. There are rules in place to guide you on the order in which multiple plans should be billed.

Completing Insurance Forms

Depending on your office, you may be required to submit dental claims online through a secure network such as CDAnet. You may also be required to complete manual claim forms in the event your office does not direct bill, there is a power outage, or your client’s policy does not allow for direct billing. Regardless of the method, you will need to input the following information: client information, policy information, clinic/provider information, procedure code, tooth#, surfaces, and fees.

The standard dental claim form is available on the Canadian Dental Association website.

The ODA fee guide is available on the Ministry of Health website.

References

Baillargeon, S. (2008). Dental office administration. Thomson Nelson.

Canadian Dental Association. (n.d.). CDA standard dental claim forms. https://www.cda-adc.ca/en/services/cdanet/standard_dental_form.asp

Canadian Life & Health Insurance Association. (n.d.). A guide to the coordination of benefits [opens a PDF]. https://www.clhia.ca/web/CLHIA_LP4W_LND_Webstation.nsf/resources/Consumer+Brochures/$file/Brochure_Guide_To_CoOrdinationBenefits_ENG.pdf

Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (2016). Healthy Smiles Ontario schedule of dental services and fees for dentist providers [opens a PDF]. https://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/dental/docs/HSO_Schedule_of_Dental_Services_and_Fees-Dentist_Providers_en.pdf

Welcome to Week 9! The first half of our course has been focused on the dental industry.

This week marks the start of the second half of the course, which focuses on wellness offices. Over the next several weeks, we will explore wellness concepts while also learning about industry-related software used to complete administrative tasks.

References

Current Nursing. (n.d.). Mission, vision, value, objectives and philosophy of an organization. Nursing Management. Retrieved April 12, 2023, from https://www.currentnursing.com/nursing_management/mission_vision_values_of_organizations.html

Global Wellness Institute. (2020). What is wellness?  https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/what-is-wellness/

Last week we kicked off our introduction to wellness offices. This week, we will review the scheduling requirements of a wellness office administrator and watch how an administrator uses Jane to create a new patient and book them into a schedule.

References

Artera. (2022, November 4). 9 ways to improve patient scheduling – guidelines and efficiency.  https://artera.io/blog/improve-patient-scheduling/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, October 18). Standard operating procedure (SOP) for triage of suspected COVID-19 patients in non-US healthcare settings: early identification and prevention of transmission during triage. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/non-us-settings/sop-triage-prevent-transmission.html

Davis, C.P. (2021, March 29). Medical definition of triage. MedicineNet. https://www.medicinenet.com/triage/definition.htm

Welcome to week 11! This week we will explore the responsibilities of a wellness office manager, which is a more senior role you may find yourself working in within the wellness office industry. This role comes with a lot of fun new tasks and responsibilities—let’s explore together.

Wellness Office Inventory

Wellness Office Marketing

Wellness Office Marketing Approach

Consider traditional business marketing tactics… advertisements focus on the consumer, right? In wellness offices, it is important that your marketing strategies are directed to not only the consumer/client, but physicians, the general public, and community organizations too. Physicians may make a referral or recommendation to a client, the general public contains friends/family word-of-mouth referrals and community organizations often post educational content for everyone to see. By broadening your marketing approach, the mission of your clinic can become well-known (and well-utilized!).

5 P’s of Healthcare Marketing

An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here:
https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/dentalwellness3/?p=62#h5p-20

Social Media Marketing

Social media has become a key marketing platform for the healthcare industry, including wellness offices. As an office manager, you may be tasked with creating various social media channels and posting scheduled content.

Office managers should be mindful of the following before posting:

• Who is the target audience and is this content and level of language/terms appropriate?
• How will you proofread or edit before posting?
• How will you keep your personal and professional accounts separate?
• What level of frequency is appropriate for each platform?

Stop and consider:

• What are the advantages of social media in healthcare?
• What are the disadvantages?

Remember: Social media is a powerful tool but must be used and managed carefully!

 

Credit: Social Media Marketing by WebTechExperts. Licensed for reuse under the Pixabay License.

References

Insurance was briefly discussed when we examined dental insurance during week 7. This week, you will review some insurance terms and explore new concepts about private insurance, including employment opportunities in this industry!

Private Insurance vs. OHIP

Not every Canadian has access to private health insurance, unlike those who have access to provincial health insurance, such as OHIP. Rather than being administered through the government, private insurance is run by many different for-profit businesses. Each plan (policy) will have different coverage amounts and provisions.

Canadians may receive private insurance through their employer, school, spouse, or parents, or may pay a monthly fee to self-insure.

Did you know that you have insurance as a full-time Conestoga student? Visit the Conestoga website to review your coverage details. [new tab]

HOA Insurance Career Opportunities

With the knowledge and skills you have gained from this program, you may consider career paths related to health within the insurance industry.

Some examples include underwriting, claim adjudication, customer service representatives, administration, and sales and marketing representatives. Browse the career pages of insurance companies and review the job descriptions. Many will note that medical terminology and healthcare education are considered assets. Let’s review two opportunities:

Coordination of Benefits Review!

We covered the rules of coordination of benefits for adults and children in week 7. Below you will find a brief summary of the rules and some activities to check your knowledge.

Let’s Practice!

In class, we will be practicing manual submissions of private insurance claim forms and coordination of benefits examples.

During the final content week of the semester, we will examine the processes involved in working in an optometry office.

Preliminary Vision Testing

Common Visual Assessment Tools

Tool Name	Description	Image
Autorefractor	A machine that gives a quick estimate of the patient’s prescription, giving a starting point.
Lensometer	A machine that measures the strength of a pair of glasses.
Fundus camera	Captures an image of the retina.
Colour vision test	Measures the ability to differentiate between colours.
Air puff tonometry	Uses a small puff of air to measure intraocular pressure

Understanding a Prescription Notation

Sample Prescription Notation

Credit: © Conestoga College, CC BY-NC-SA. [See image description]

Table 3. Interpreting the Optometry Prescription: Notation and Corresponding Meanings.

Notation	Description
O.D.	Right eye
O.S.	Left eye
P.D.	Pupillary distance – how far apart the two pupils are from each other.
SPH	Sphere of the eye – indicates the level of lens power required to correct nearsightedness or farsightedness. A minus sign (–) means you are nearsighted, and a plus sign (+) means you are farsighted.
CYL	Cylinder of the eye – indicates the level of power required to correct an astigmatism. A minus sign (–) means your astigmatism causes nearsightedness, and a plus sign (+) means your astigmatism causes farsightedness.
AXIS	The axis confirms which way and degree the astigmatism is oriented.
PRISM	A special type of lens used to correct eye alignment issues such as double vision.
BASE	Indicates the direction of the prism (either up, down, or out).
ADD	Added magnifying power – used for multifocal lenses such as bifocals or trifocals.

References

CCOA. (2023). Canadian Certified Optometric Assistant: About the program. Retrieved November 7, 2023, from https://opto.ca/ccoa

Depisteo. (2022). Tools used by an optometrist. Retrieved November 7, 2023, from https://depisteo.com/blog/tools-used-by-optometrist/

Heiting, G. (2022). All about vision: How to read your eyeglasses prescription. Retrieved November 7, 2023, from https://www.allaboutvision.com/eyeglasses/eyeglass-prescription.htm

Seltman, W. (2022). Eye doctors: Optometrists and ophthalmologists. Retrieved November 7, 2023, from https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/eye-doctors-optometrists-ophthalmologists

Image Descriptions

Sample Prescription Notation

Prescription sample includes a table with the following information:

Below the table are the following notations:

P.D: 58

Exp: [no notes]

Additional Information: [no notes]

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