CHA IR P OS I T I ON IN G I N

P E R IO D O N T IC S
IN SA TTAR C MS:- 21 0 21
MADE BY:- DANISH B
INTRODUCTION
• CHAIR POSITIONING IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT AND FUNDAMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS IN THE FIELD
OF DENTISTRY ALONG WITH PATIENT POSITIONING.

• IT IS ALSO AN IMPORTANT ASPECT IN THE SUCCESS OF ANY DENTAL TREATMENT.

• CORRECT POSITIONING HELPS THE OPERATOR HAVE GOOD VISIBILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY OF THE ORAL
CAVITY.

• IF OPERATOR MAINTAINS PROPER POSITION AND POSTURE DURING PROCEDURE, HE/SHE IS LESS LIKELY TO
GET STRAIN, FATIGUE, BE MORE EFFICIENT AND HAVE LESS CHANCES OF GETTING MUSCULOSKELETAL
DISORDERS.
INTRODUCTION
• FOLLOWING POINTS SHOULD BE KEPT IN MIND IN RELATION TO DENTAL CHAIR:
• IT SHOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE COMFORT TO THE PATIENT
• IT SHOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE TOTAL BODY SUPPORT
• HEADREST OF CHAIR SHOULD BE ATTACHED FOR SUPPORTING PATIENT'S CHIN AND REDUCING STRAIN
ON CHIN MUSCLES

• IT SHOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE MAXIMUM WORKING AREA TO THE OPERATOR

• IT SHOULD BE PLACED AT THE CONVENIENT LOCATION WITH ADJUSTABLE CONTROL SWITCHES
• FOOT SWITCHES ARE PREFERRED TO IMPROVE INFECTION CONTROL
PATIENT POSITIONS IN DENTAL CHAIR
• PATIENT POSITIONS :-
• PATIENT SHOULD BE SEATED SO THAT ALL HIS BODY PARTS ARE WELL SUPPORTED.
• THE PATIENT'S HEAD SHOULD ALWAYS BE SUPPORTED BY ADJUSTABLE/ ARTICULATED HEADREST. •
• PREFERABLY THE PATIENT'S HEAD SHOULD BE IN LINE WITH HIS BACK . •
• THE CHAIR HEIGHT SHOULD BE KEPT LOW, BACKREST SHOULD BE UPRIGHT AND ARMREST SHOULD BE ADJUSTABLE
WHILE MAKING THE PATIENT TO SEAT IN THE DENTAL CHAIR.

• NOW, THE CHAIR CAN BE ADJUSTED TO PLACE THE PATIENT IN RECLINING POSITION.

• PATIENT POSITION CAN VARY WITH OPERATOR, TYPE OF PROCEDURE AND AREA OF THE ORAL CAVITY
EXAMPLE
CHAIR POSITIONS
• FOR RESTORATIVE DENTAL PROCEDURES, THE MOST PREFERRED OPERATING POSITIONS ARE:
1. UPRIGHT POSITION
2. ALMOST SUPINE
3. RECLINED 45 DEGREE
• THE MOST COMMON PATIENT POSITIONS FOR OPERATIVE DENTISTRY ARE ALMOST SUPINE OR RECLINED 45
DEGREES.

• THE CHOICE OF PATIENT POSITION VARIES WITH THE OPERATOR, THE TYPE OF PROCEDURE, AND THE AREA OF THE
MOUTH INVOLVED IN THE OPERATION.
UPRIGHT POSITION
THIS IS THE INITIAL POSITION OF CHAIR
FROM WHICH FURTHER ADJUSTMENTS
ARE MADE .
ALMOST SUPINE POSITION
• IN THIS , CHAIR POSITION IS SUCH THAT
HEAD, KNEES AND FEET ARE APPROX. AT
SAME LEVEL .
• PATIENT’S HEAD SHOULD NOT BE LOWER
THAN FEET EXCEPT IN CASE OF SYNCOPAL
ATTACK.
RECLINED 45 DEGREE POSITION

IN THIS POSITION , CHAIR IS RECLINED AT 45 DEGREE MANDIBULAR OCCLUSAL SURFACE ARE ALMOST 45
DEGREE TO THE FLOOR .
OPERATOR POSITION
• ONCE THE PATIENT HAS BEEN COMFORTABLY POSITIONED,
THE DENTIST AND THE ASSISTANT SHOULD SIT
THEMSELVES IN THE PROPER POSITIONS FOR TREATMENT.

• USUALLY SITTING POSITION IS PREFERRED IN MODERM

DENTISTRY TO RELIEVE STRESS ON OPERATOR'S LEG AND
SUPPORT THE OPERATOR'S BACK.

• THE LEVEL OF TEETH BEING TREATED SHOULD BE PLACED AT

SAME LEVEL AS THE LEVEL OF OPERATOR'S ELBOW.
• FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING, SITTING POSITIONS OF OPERATOR
ARE RELATED TO A CLOCK.

• IN THIS CLOCK CONCEPT, AN IMAGINARY CIRCLE IS DRAWN OVER

THE DENTAL CHAIR, KEEPING THE PATIENT'S HEAD AT THE CENTER OF
THE CIRCLE. THEN THE NUMBERING TO CIRCLE IS GIVEN SIMILAR TO
A CLOCK WITH THE TOP OF THE CIRCLE AT 12 O'CLOCK.

• ACCORDINGLY THE OPERATOR'S POSITIONS (RIGHT HANDED

OPERATOR) 7 O'CLOCK, 9 O'CLOCK, 11 O'CLOCK, AND 12 O'CLOCK

• FOR THE LEFT HANDED OPERATOR'S POSITIONS , 5/4 O'CLOCK, 3

O'CLOCK AND 1 O'CLOCK .
7’O CLOCK AND 5’O CLOCK/4’O CLOCK POSITIONS

• THIS IS THE CONVENIENT FOR EXAMINATION AND WORKING ON THE MANDIBULAR ANTERIOR TEETH,
MANDIBULAR RIGHT POSTERIOR TEETH AND MAXILLARY ANTERIOR TEETH. FOR ADDED EASE, THE
PATIENT’S HEAD MAY BE SLIGHTLY TURNED TOWARDS THE DENTIST.
9’O CLOCK AND 3’O CLOCK POSITIONS

• THE OPERATOR IS DIRECTLY TO THE RIGHT/LEFT OF THE PATIENT.

• THIS POSITION IS CONVENIENT FOR OPERATING ON THE FACIAL SURFACES OF THE MAXILLARY AND
MANDIBULAR RIGHT POSTERIOR TEETH AND OCCLUSAL SUEFACES OF THE MANDIBULAR RIGHT
POSTERIOR TEETH.
11’O CLOCK AND 1’O CLOCK POSITIONS
• THIS IS THE PREFERRED POSITION FOR MOST PROCEDURES. FROM THIS POSITION THE DENTIST CAN
HAVE GOOD ACCESS TO MOST AREAS OF THE MOUTH USING DIRECT OR INDIRECT VISION.

• THE DENTIST SITS TO THE RIGHT/LEFT AND SLIGHTLY BEHIND THE PATIENT AND THE LEFT/RIGHT ARM IS
POSITIONED AROUND THE PATIENT’S HEAD. THIS POSITION IS ALSO REFERED AS UNIVERSAL OPERATING
SYSTEM

• IN THIS POSITION WORKING ON THE LINGUAL SURFACES OF MAXILLARY ANTERIOR TEETH IS MOST
CONVENIENT.

• DIRECT VISION MAY BE ALSO USED ON THE MANDIBULAR TEETH, PARTICULARLY ON THE LEFT SIDE.
12’O CLOCK POSITION

• THIS POSITION HAS LIMITED APPLICATION. THIS POSITION IS MAINLY USED ONLY FOR WORKING ON THE
LINGUAL SURFACES OF MANDIBULAR ANTERIOR TEETH. IT CAN ALSO BE USED WHILE WORKING ON THE
LINGUAL SURFACES OF MAXILLARY ANTERIOR TEETH.
CONSIDERATIONS

1.  WHILE DOING WORK IN MAXILLARY ARCH, MAXILLARY OCCLUSAL SURFACES SHOULD BE PERPENDICULAR TO THE FLOOR.
2. IN MANDIBULAR ARCH, MANDIBULAR OCCLUSAL SURFACE SHOULD BE ORIENTED 45° TO THE FLOOR.
3. PATIENT'S HEAD CAN BE ROTATED BACKWARD OR FORWARD OR FROM SIDE TO SIDE FOR OPERATORS EASE AND VISIBILITY
WHILE DOING WORK.
4. MAINTAIN PROPER WORKING DISTANCE DURING DENTAL PROCEDURE. THIS WILL LEAD TO INCREASE COOPERATION AND
CONFIDENCE AMONG THE PATIENT.
5. OPERATOR SHOULD NOT REST FOREARMS ON THE PATIENT'S SHOULDERS AND HANDS ON THE FACE OF THE PATIENT.
CONSIDERATIONS WHILE DOING PATIENT.
6. DENTIST SHOULD NOT USE PATIENT'S CHEST AS A INSTRUMENT TROLLEY.
7. THE OPERATOR SHOULD LEAVE LEFT HAND FREE DURING MOST OF DENTAL PROCEDURES FOR RETRACTION USING MOUTH
MIRRORS OR FINGERS OF LEFT HAND.
8. OPERATOR SHOULD KEEP CHANGING POSITION IF PROCEDURE IS OF LONG DURATION TO DECREASE THE MUSCLE STRAIN
AND FATIGUE.
THANK YOU ~!!