A Dental Assistant with successful completion of the Certificate IV in Dental Assisting (Radiography Elective) is now able to take intra-oral and extra-oral radiographs under instruction of a dentist.

The Dental Assistant must also register with the appropriate government bodies in their state or territory for the use of ionising radiation apparatus.

Dental Assistants generally do not receive payment for x-rays performed. This payment will go either to the practice owner, or the provider in which the Dental Assistant is working under.

Add Position 

A new position needs to be created before setting up a new Dental Assistant.

1. Go to Location Management > Providers tab

2. Operations menu > Professions List

3. Click Add

4. Enter DA-Cert IV

5. Tick Show in Accounts

6. Click OK                                                                                                         

Add the new Dental Assistant

Dental Assistants do not have a Provider Number, which means patients are unable to claim with their health fund.

The Dental Assistant is added as a Provider, and the dentist's Provider Number they are working under is entered. This allows health fund claiming for the patient.

If a Dental Assistant is working alongside multiple dentists, multiple records would need to be created.

1. Go to Location Management > Providers tab

2. Operations menu > New Record

3. Read instructions and click OK to proceed

4. Enter the details of this new Dental Assistant ensuring the Provider number (of the dentist) and Position are entered.
   

Adding the item into Treatment

When the Dental Assistant takes the x-ray, the Provider code corresponding to the dentist whom has instructed this should be used.

1. Go to Patient Details > Treatment tab

2. Change the provider code in the Prv column to the Dental Assistant. 
   

   1. If the Dental Assistant is working alongside multiple dentists, select the Dental Assistant record that corresponds to the dentist who has instructed the DA. This will ensure the correct provider ID is used when claiming private health insurance via the Payment Solution link (eg Hicaps).

Reporting

An overview of the money associated with the x-rays taken by the Dental Assistant can be reviewed in the Accounting: Invoices and Receipts Over a Period Report.

1. Go to Location Management > Reports tab

2. Accounting: Invoices and Receipts over a Period
   
   

   1. If the dentist instructing the DA is entitled to commission on the x-ray (and the commission % entered previously in the Providers tab for the DA), this can also be viewed by selecting Commissions in the Report’s Parameters