In recent issues of Dental Assisting Digest, we’ve asked you what you consider to be the best and worst parts of your job. In all, 367 of you responded and here’s what you told us.
How many years have you been working in the dental profession?
Less than 5 … 9.3% (34 people)
5-10 … 16.3% (60 people)
11-15 … 16.6% (61 people)
16-20 … 8.2% (30 people)
21-25 … 14.4% (53 people)
26-30 … 12.0% (44 people)
More than 30 … 23.2% (85 people)
Note: 2 skipped
What is your age group?
18-25 … 4.9% (18 people)
26-35 … 22.6% (83 people)
36-45 … 22.3% (82 people)
46-55 … 34.2% (126 people)
56-64 … 15.2% (56 people)
65 and older … 0.8% (3 people)
Note: 1 skipped
What do you consider to be the best part about your job? Please select only one answer.
Ability to balance work and home responsibilities … 10.9% (39 people)
Coworkers … 4.5% (16 people)
Improving the health of patients … 20.4% (73 people)
Interpersonal contact with patients … 24.3% (87 people)
Networking with fellow dental assistants … 0.8% (3 people)
Personal pride in your career … 19.3% (69 people)
Room for career growth through CE … 2.5% (9 people)
Salary and benefits … 2.8% (10 people)
Variety of tasks during the day … 14.5% (52 people)
Other … 13 responses
Note: 11 skipped
Additional responses:
- Teaching others to be dental assistants
- Educating and preparing dental assistants for a career
- Can't select just one. Enjoy it all most of the time
- Overall trust and service with patients and team
- Variety of tasks plus interaction with patients
- Education faculty
- Helping others while using the newest technological advances available in dentistry
- Ability to change people’s appearances, both physical and perceptual
- Working with dental students
- Knowing a patient is comfortable with my presence at chairside
- Helping people in the community who are afraid of the incarcerated
- Materials, cements, bonding systems, keeping up to date
- Wow, can we pick more than one? I love the patient contact. I love the look on their faces when you give them a great smile. I love meeting new DAs and learning from them, and I love helping people improve their oral health by educating them. I take pride in what I do, and my salary and benefits prove it.
What do you consider to be the worst part about your job? Please select only one answer.
Cleaning and other “janitorial” duties … 7.4% (25 people)
Coworkers … 6.5% (22 people)
Infection control duties … 0.6% (2 people)
Lack of room to grow in your profession … 18.3% (62 people)
Perceived hierarchy (dentist, then RDH, then assistant) … 16.6% (56 people)
Perceived lack of respect … 15.7% (53 people)
Politics within the practice … 15.7% (53 people)
Salary and benefits … 19.2% (65 people)
Other … 32 responses
Note: 31 skipped
Nothing … 6 responses
The dentist … 3 responses
Additional responses:
- Opportunities to still be on the job trained — formal education is needed across the nation
- Lack of trust and respect from the doctor who micromanages everything and undermines managerial efforts
- Too much downtime
- Need more time off
- Working late and working through lunch
- Too many assigned duties and not enough time to do them
- My geographic area definitely lacks opportunities for dental assistants
- Hierarchy of office administrator
- One coworker who is the worst bully
- Patients being rude (profanity)
- Doctor talks down to employees
- No health benefits
- Equipment maintenance
- Overscheduling
- Working 9- or 10-hour days and not getting a lunch or break
- When doctor is in a bad mood
- Being a temp and wanting to be hired but not having enough experience
- MSDS sheet organization
- Working on my feet most of the time
- Lack of benefits, especially health insurance
Five years from now, do you see yourself working as a dental assistant?
Yes … 51.2% (189 people)
No … 18.2% (67 people)
Unsure … 30.6% (113 people)
Note: 0 skipped
How many years have you been working in the dental profession?
Less than 5 … 9.3% (34 people)
5-10 … 16.3% (60 people)
11-15 … 16.6% (61 people)
16-20 … 8.2% (30 people)
21-25 … 14.4% (53 people)
26-30 … 12.0% (44 people)
More than 30 … 23.2% (85 people)
Editor’s Note: I took it upon myself to do a closer breakdown of the two questions above, to see which generations of dental assistants plan to stick with their current job choice. Here’s what you told us…
Five years from now, do you see yourself working as a dental assistant? (Less than 5 years in the profession.)
Yes … 20 people
No … 6 people
Unsure … 8 people
Five years from now, do you see yourself working as a dental assistant? (5 to 10 years in the profession.)
Yes … 26 people
No … 8 people
Unsure … 26 people
Five years from now, do you see yourself working as a dental assistant? (11 to 15 years in the profession.)
Yes … 32 people
No … 9 people
Unsure … 20 people
Five years from now, do you see yourself working as a dental assistant? (16 to 20 years in the profession.)
Yes … 16 people
No … 5 people
Unsure … 9 people
Five years from now, do you see yourself working as a dental assistant? (21 to 25 years in the profession.)
Yes … 33 people
No … 9 people
Unsure … 11 people
Five years from now, do you see yourself working as a dental assistant? (26 to 30 years in the profession.)
Yes … 21 people
No … 10 people
Unsure … 13 people
Five years from now, do you see yourself working as a dental assistant? (More than 30 years in the profession.)
Yes … 40 people
No … 19 people
Unsure … 26 people
Would you recommend dental assisting as a profession to your friends?
Yes … 63.1% (233 people)
No … 17.9% (66 people)
Unsure … 19.0% (70 people)
Note: 0 skipped
Editor’s Note: Of the 66 who said no, 23 came from the group who has worked in the industry for 30 years or more — 34.8% of the total “no” response.
