If you were a dental assistant for a year before dental school, what would you try to learn most?

[jamillion24]

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Question for current/graduated dental students: Say you're working as a dental assistant for a year prior to matriculating into dental school. With your current knowledge of dentistry and dental school, what would you really try to learn as a dental assistant that you feel would help you later on in school?

just a few examples: get really good with taking impressions, pouring models, learn the instrument names/uses, learn the burs, etc.

Any advice is appreciated, thank you!

 

[ForgottenDreams]

Dentists are salesman. Listen to how your dentists treatment plan and listen to how the treatment coordinator presents the treatment plan. Practice small talk and start to observe patients body and verbal language.

Learn the steps of the procedures and why certain chemicals or instruments are used. You'll be better at setting up the room and predicting what your dentist needs.

Learn the tooth numbers and surfaces. You'll be another eye for the dentist to make sure they're working on the right tooth. You can point to the patient the side the doctor will be working on.

 

[doc toothache]

Whatever you learn, your clinic staff will have to try to make you forget whatever you “learned” outside the limits of the institution.

 

[knewstance]

I think learning all the dental stuff before school isn't really helpful because you will learn it all in school and study it there.

I'd be more focused on stuff like: How do I want to run an office? How can I be a successful dentist outside of the procedures? What is the proper way to treat (not medically) people? What do I expect out of my staff and what should I look for when finding staff?

All of the other stuff is taught in school and you will be able to master it there before you get your license. Obviously, as an assistant you will learn how to take an impression, the names of instruments, tooth numbers ect ect ect. That's just part of the job and it's the language you have to speak to even be able to do your job. All of the business and people skills are things that are not taught in most schools and will do a lot more for you than trying to memorize what each bur is named (heck you might not even use that bur in your practice ever!).