Good transfer is invisible. The dentist's eyes stay on the tooth, the hand stays in place, and the next instrument arrives in the grasp it will be used in. It's a skill you build with repetition, but the mechanics are simple.
Single-handed transfer, right-handed dentist
- Pick up the next instrument from the tray with your left hand, holding it near the non-working end, working end pointed toward the arch being treated.
- Move into the transfer zone and hold it parallel to the instrument the dentist is using.
- When the dentist signals (a slight lift or rotation of the hand), take the used instrument with your little finger and ring finger, curling it toward your palm.
- Rotate your hand and place the new instrument into the dentist's fingers in position of use, firmly enough that they feel it.
- Return the used instrument to its spot on the tray so the sequence stays in order.
Habits that make it work
Know the procedure well enough to anticipate the next instrument, not just react. Keep the tray in sequence. Keep transfers in the transfer zone, never over the face. Grasps matter: a pen grasp instrument gets delivered for a pen grasp, a palm grasp (forceps, rubber dam clamp forceps) gets delivered for the palm. And watch the dentist's hand, not the instrument.