Career Essay: A Career As A Dental Assistant

I was able to experience some pretty amazing things that caught my attention before knowing I wanted to become a dental assistant. I never truly understood what all is involved in the dental world until I found myself in it and learned the importance of it! It takes great patience and understanding! But at what point did I really realize I wanted to do it? What got me hooked?

Growing up I can’t say I ever knew right off the bat I wanted to work in the dental industry. I wanted to be a soccer player or an artist of some sort. I have a very big extended family with awesome careers. Which kind of got me thinking, what do I really want to do? Two of my uncles and one of my cousins are dentists. So of course they were talking to me a lot suggesting the dental field.

One of my mom's very good friends is also a Dental Hygienist and she has been working in the field for years. She got to talking to my mom about this Volunteer Dental Project she has been going on every year for about 5 years. The project was called Great Shape/1000 smiles and took place every year in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. My mom is not in the dental field but quickly decided she would go and help out with tasks you did not need any in depth dental knowledge for. I was a senior in high school and the time in need of a senior project. What better project to do then volunteer to help people. So next thing I know I was invited to go and found myself in Jamaica teaching little kids how to brush

their teeth. We went around to all of the schools. We visited almost all ages and all classrooms. I got to have one on one conversations with students about home life and what they currently do to try and keep their teeth in good health. One little girl named Ria came up to me and said “Thank you so much for helping me understand how to take care of my teeth, we have no idea how to”. Comments like that were so rewarding. I loved every minute of it and I got to see how much teeth really matter. A tooth infection can kill you. It was amazing watching so many lives being changed, spirits brightened and smiles beaming. This was the beginning of my understanding on how important oral health is. It is not that I never thought it is important but I never knew just how important it is. I was not the patient sitting in the chair or the dental provider but observing how the two work together. It looked to me as if it was going to be hard work but very rewarding.
Ever since that trip I knew I wanted to become a Dental Assistant.

I came home and finished high school at Juanita in Kirkland, WA. I then went on to Lake Washington Technical College and entered the Dental Assisting program with a friend. The program was absolutely amazing. You are able to get hands on learning with patients to prepare you for the real world. You were offered so much support from your teachers and everyone involved. All of us stuck together and got each other through it. I enjoyed the

learning.
I have now worked in the industry for over 3 years and everyday I continue to learn more and more. I have seen such a variety of patients from mean, nice, high anxiety, etc. Everyday is a constant reminder of why I decided to go be in the dental field.
You know when patients are in the chair I know they are thinking "Oh I am just going to the dentist for my annual check up, here goes nothing. She or he will probably just go on a rant about how much I should be flossing and brushing.” Your visit means so much more to us then that though. We are setting an example for you, your family and your kids. Dental providers aid in leading you to live an awesome and healthy life. I have finally found my passion and would not trade that for the world.