▁by ▁males , ▁but ▁after ▁this ▁first ▁addition ▁of ▁a ▁female , ▁it ▁was ▁then ▁acceptable ▁for ▁women ▁to ▁seek ▁dent al ▁treatment ▁without ▁their ▁hus b ands . ▁This ▁led ▁to ▁dent al ▁assist ants ▁of ▁that ▁era ▁also ▁being ▁known ▁as ▁" L ad ies ▁in ▁Att endance ". ▁Thanks ▁to ▁the ▁addition ▁of ▁women ▁to ▁dent istry , ▁the ▁profession ▁fl our ished ▁with ▁more ▁and ▁more ▁women ▁seeking ▁treatment ▁and ▁more ▁patients ▁overall ▁receiving ▁care . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁association ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁not ▁until ▁almost ▁four ▁dec ades ▁later ▁that ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 3 ▁the ▁first ▁dent al ▁assistant ▁association ▁was ▁founded ▁by ▁Jul iet te ▁South ard , ▁named ▁the ▁American ▁D ental ▁Ass istant ▁Association ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁still ▁in ▁pract ise ▁now . ▁It ▁began ▁with ▁just ▁five ▁members , ▁now ▁reaching ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁R oles ▁▁ ▁The ▁dent al ▁assistant ' s ▁role ▁is ▁often ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁to ▁support ▁the ▁dent al ▁operator ▁by ▁typically ▁passing ▁instruments ▁during ▁clin ical ▁procedures . ▁However , ▁in ▁fact , ▁their ▁role ▁extends ▁much ▁further ▁to ▁include : ▁providing ▁patients ▁help ▁with ▁their ▁or al ▁h yg iene ▁skills , ▁prepar ing ▁the ▁patient ▁for ▁treatment , ▁ster il ising ▁instruments , ▁assist ing ▁during ▁general ▁an a est h etic ▁dent al ▁procedures , ▁position ing ▁su ction ▁devices , ▁expos ing ▁dent al ▁radi ograph s , ▁taking ▁dent al ▁impress ions ,