Why do I love being a Dental Assistant?

My day flies by. There is always and I mean ALWAYS something to do.

I enjoy making people feel comfortable in an uncomfortable place.

I like feeling like I am actually good at something.

I like getting to know new people.

I like making an impact.

I like teeth.

It is fun.

---

A common misconception of Dental Assistants is, “Oh well you just hand the Dentist instruments all day long.”

That couldn’t be further from the truth of what really goes on each and every day. In fact, we ensure that things get done and we are actually the most trusted team member to all of the patients. When the doctor leaves the room, the patients will tell us how they really feel about the treatment or seek advice through us. We are there to support and help our patients make intelligent decisions.

Job Duties which are not limited depending on the office:

*We do all of this stuff during the day with extremely busy schedules and somehow manage to maintain our sanity. We’re either magicians or we just love our jobs. LOL.

• Opening/Closing the Office – Normal office duties

• Comply with HIPPA/OSHA/CDC/WASTE/INFECTION CONTROL/RADIOLOGY/CHARTING

• Know the Laws – Varies by state, what duties can you perform and under what supervision?Understand that you never really know who is in your chair.

• Chart Reviews – Is the patient scheduled to come back and what for? Any concerns?

• Review Medical Histories – Does the patient pre medicate for treatment, what do they take for that? Any heart issues? Asthma? Diabetes?

• Notes – Record keeping of every visit, communication, very detailed documentation

• Respond to all emails – Reps, coworkers, etc

• Instrument Transfers/Chairside Assisting (Obviously) – Handing the Doctor the correct instruments/materials at the appropriate time during the procedure, provide excellent patient care

• Patient Education – What’s in the patients’ mouth? Products, promotions, etc.

• Take X Rays – Understand necessary requirements of each type of Radiographic Image

• Infection Control/Sterilization – All instruments and other Dental Equipment

• Cleaning/Disinfecting the Operatories

• Cleaning the Office – Depends if you have a cleaning company or not

• Ordering Dental Supplies – Watching the materials used and maintaining fully stocked supplies

• Unloading Dental Supplies – Unload and stock in appropriate areas

• Lab work – Pouring/printing models, trimming, fabrication of appliances, cleaning the Lab

• Answer/Make Phone Calls – Must be comfortable on the phone

• Schedule Appointments – Know how much time the Doctor needs and where to schedule the appointment

• Laundry – Uniforms, lab coats, blankets, towels, etc.

These are the basics! Every office operates differently. An assistant may be in charge of various tasks such as OSHA manager, Radiation Safety Officer, Manager of certain Cases, Social Media, Events Planner, cleaning, the list goes on and on.

State

Understand that different states have different requirements. If I ever moved away from MN, I would look up the necessary requirements for me to be an assistant elsewhere. For more information visit DANB’s State Specific Page:

https://www.danb.org/Meet-State-Requirements.aspx

Choosing the right office

This is something you have to take time and think about. No office is perfect. The perfect office does not exist. There will always be things you don’t agree with or people you don’t get along with. It is just the way it is. Unfortunately, there will always be something!

The best advice I can give you is know yourself. Know what you’re willing to put up with. Know your priorities. My main priority was and will always be with working for a Doctor I can get along with. If I don’t feel comfortable with the Doctor it would be a long day since my job requires me to work close to the Doctor throughout the day…

I recommend doing your research. Look up reviews, the office’s website, call them and see how they answer the phone, do your research! Have a working interview or do an observation of the office so you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into. This is so important! This did wonders for me.

Know what you’re willing to put up with, and understand that there are hundreds of thousands of Dental Offices out there. If you feel stuck or like you’re at a dead end and unhappy – leave. You don’t have to live like that. We spend the majority of time at work, so you might as well enjoy where you work. Am I right? Don’t answer that.

If you are a curious one like me, I recommend temping! I temped for 3 months without a full time job in my second year because I was unsure of what I wanted to do. In Dentistry there are many different specialties to choose from.

Different Specialties (9 Total):

1. Dental Public Health (Non-Clinical prevention of oral diseases and promotes oral health)

2. Orthodontics (Braces)

3. Endodontics (Root Canals)

4. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

5. Oral Medicine and Pathology (Diagnose and treat diseases affecting the oral mucosa)

6. Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology (Interpretation of diagnostic imaging used for examining the Craniofacial)

7. Periodontics (Gums)

8. Pediatrics (Kids)

9. Prosthodontics (Design and manufacture and fitting of artificial replacements for teeth and other parts of the mouth)

What specialty do I work in?

General (Everyone and Everything)

I like general because there is a mix of everything and that is why I chose to become a Dental Assistant over a Hygienist originally because I don’t like too much repetition. I also thought I wanted to be in Endodontics or Pediatrics, so I tried both and that just was not going to work for me. Specialties take special kind of individuals who are good with doing the same thing every day or are passionate about working with certain people. You just have to find what best fits you!

Favorite Procedure:

Single tooth crown prep, especially tooth #19. Teeth are numbered and #19 is the first molar on the lower left. This tooth is right there for me since I assist a right handed Doctor I am on the left side of the patient, so I just have to retract the lips and hold my suction. It’s my favorite tooth to work on! I also really enjoy packing the retraction cord. The single tooth crown prep is one of my favorite procedures because we get to make our own temporary for the patient – it makes you feel like a Dentist almost, and that is so much fun for me.

Year One:

I was so excited once I passed the exams and got out in the field and was actually assisting. I remember the first day how I was like wow, “I’m doing this!” I was so nervous, but it didn’t show. I know it didn’t show because I asked my Doctor “Can you tell I’m nervous?” He said, “No.” I was happy with this. After the first few months I was no longer nervous, and that was a great feeling. I could tell I was gaining confidence.

How did I gain my confidence?

I told myself I knew what I was doing when I had absolutely no fricken clue. I looked up Dental Assistant Blogs, Youtube, and a lot of things on Google. I mean a lot of Googling. I just wanted to know so much. I still do. I changed a lot of things to improve. It felt so uncomfortable holding instruments .a certain way or trying something new, but I am so grateful that I did. I just keep telling myself I’m amazing and ask questions so I can be confident talking to patients about their teeth and answering any questions.

If you don’t read anything above in this post, read this:

Understand Dental Assisting is challenging, especially if you want to be a great one! You need to be alert. You need to know how to respond if there is a serious medical emergency. You need to be organized. Being an organized individual will help you be successful both in and outside of the operatory. You need to be able to communicate with all types of people. You need to educate yourself with new information, technologies, and stay current with all of your certificates.

Do I think anyone can be a dental assistant? Of course. Do I think anyone can be a great assistant? Maybe, it all depends on your work ethic and how much you are willing to do to achieve greatness. This is definitely a job you have to work hard at to improve your skills. Greatness does not happen over night. It will take dedication, motivation, and self discipline. How do we truly become the best at what we do? One of my gymnastics coaches said it best, “Practice perfection.”

It’s all up to you how good you want to be at something. Do you want to just be mediocre or do you want to be excellent. I want to be excellent.

Please message me if you want to chat or need any support about Dental Assisting.

Via:

Instagram @kianamariejohnsonn

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kianamariejohnson

Email kianamariejohnsonn@gmail.com