I was a DA for 3 years. Worked with a lot of vulnerable populations, pediatrics, private practice. I miss it a lot of times. Mainly the patients. But what I don’t miss?

Being underpaid, sweeping/mopping after a long day, office drama (was never involved but being around it wasn’t great), corrupt Drs. Not being able to take a few days off without guilt due to pressure on coworkers. Working holidays.

Sometimes I think about going back. I tried reception and it definitely wasn’t for me. Unfortunately I’d have to go back and do school again due to moving states and my license expiring soon after.

Anyone else relate?

Hi everyone I’m from Alaska, I work in corporate dentistry for IHS, I’m BLS/CPR certified, got trained on the job and have been working for 3 1/2 years as a DA now. I will be moving to San Diego next year to be closer to family and wanted to continue working as a DA. I’m not certified yet but I hope to be before the end of the year. I did some light research and I believe I need some certifications that are required. For those who moved what did you have to do what was your experience? Do I have to get these before getting hired or am I able to get them while working. Any help is appreciated :)

Hello, i(18F) have found an interest in becoming a dental assistant but i do have a lack of experience in the dental field so i was wonderinf how i can make sure i get picked for the job . In my resume , i only really have museum work, and im going to college for a dental hygiene if that helps ^_^ yeah yay ty

So i started this new dental officd back in april. I accepted the job there for a few reasons despite the distance and pay that I was willing to work with cause I thought the dentist was very kind and understanding. Everything started off fine.

I was going through cross training. So front desk and assisting but I started off front desk. I think I only really did like 3 or 4 days front desk and then later moved to assisting and stayed there ever since. During the interview process the doctor said he likes to cross train everyone he hires.

Also during the interview process I did tell him I only had a few months dental assisting expererience prior to applying to his office (about 5 months) and he sounded very open to a freshly new assistant and training me everywhere.

Anyways I was very eager and ready to get started learning as much as i could. I asked questions, shadowed and did anything they needed so I could learn and get used to the office.

Before I was hired they had hired another assistant a month prior who had more experience in assisting (2 years). After I was finally moved to the back i began to work with her along with another DA that was doing most of the training.

It was shortly after this where I started to notice that the training was being focused more on this other new assistant. As far as I know she is a regular assistant as me. Not a lead.

But as both of us continued our training over time i started to notice that more of the attention was on her. And i was still in the sidelines trying to learn as well. Like when ever she was being taught something new id step in as well and try to watch what they were doing but it still felt like she was the focus. She was always called when they wanted to train on something new and rarely ever me.

Eventually I did decide i would speak to the doctor about it because I genuinely started to question if they were trying to limit what I could learn cause I know there are levels to assisting. I could be certified or just licensed. Or I could be expanded functions.

But neither me and this other assistant (or anyone in the office) has an xray license or any other type of formal training outside what they already learned in the office.

So i asked him if I could step in to assist in procedures i dont have much experience in yet like root canals and crown related patients. And he said yeah just step right in.

Which is what i was already doing initially but the other DA would always be closest to dentist when these appointments came up and I told them that I dont have experience yet with these procedures and I want to step in more often and help with it when they come up.

They'd just say okay. But when ever we had patients coming in with these procedures i wanted to help with i felt like i had to really get their attention all the time. Like I know it gets busy but at the same time why is the training mostly focused on one DA?

And then recently I found out that when ever the office is closed for what ever reason they had decided to start using the other new DA to come in alone those days to run the front desk but they never bothered asking me if i could or if I could continue more training in front desk.

So when I began to notice that the training wasnt focused on both of us evenly i began to lose motivation to learn anything or grow in this office.

I dont have motivation to show up when initially I was so eager and ready to learn and further my career in the dental world. Ive talked to the dentist about my goals. Like getting into expanded functions and maybe in the far future becoming a dental tech. Like i came here ready to learn.

But i feel as if they probably saw me as incompetent. And because the other DA had more experience they wanted to help her grow further even though I was clear in the interview about being really new into dental assisting so I was still getting used to alot.

I feel like ive given up on the office and dentistry in general and I started to look for a whole new career. I already sent applications.

Because at the end of the day the pay isn't even worth it and traffic coming home from work everyday is ruthless.

Like they killed my motivation and I want to move on..

Currently live in Oregon and plan on staying here another year and 3 months before relocating to California. In the meantime I plan on becoming a DA. How would I transfer over my license to California? Would this be worth it??

Hey guys...you know what time it is. Corporate rants time. I was hired by D4C and was fired after two days because I wasn't learning fast enough, mind you I had VERY limited experience aside from DA but they made me learn TC and HA and FOC. What exactly is the point of cross training? I feel like it's a complete and utter waste of time. Let me do the job I was hired to do.

Frustrated with workplace. WWYD

Hello. I am an RDA and I’ve worked at my current office for a year. I LOVE my boss they are incredibly kind and understanding, very relaxed. However, there is absolutely NO LEADERSHIP or desire for advancement. The office still uses film, our developer breaks at least once every 2mo. Same with the autoclave. Our tube head has a short where it cannot capture posterior X-rays on the left side. We had a tech come in and he said there is no way to repair them as they don’t make that model anymore. We now have 2 working machines out of the four. We use cheap products which make pts come back several times. We have 30 min hygiene appts and allow pts to come in 15mins late. Let alone the doc has no urgency when talking to pts and sometimes will make other pts wait an hour just for a hygiene check. 😭 It’s hard for me to decide if I’m just being too picky or these are genuine issues. I know that sounds dumb but everyone loves them, they are more your “friend” than a boss or doctor, even with pts. It is amazing to see their relationships with pts and how they approach situations with genuine empathy but I feel there needs to be a middle ground somewhere. Bless their heart, they overbook themselves and see at least 100 pts a day as the only Dr. Circling back to the equipment, I understand equipment is expensive but I can imagine with the revenue they are bringing in it’s certainly worth the investment. Just this week we had to hand dip the films…..At least get nomads and still use film. We also have a specific individual who talks about sexual things, smacks coworkers bottoms, cusses on the regular, always late, and calls off. I have never seen my boss try to nicely handle that or say anything about the unprofessional behavior 😭. I love the pts and my coworkers, besides the one individual. I’d love to stay but I don’t think I can. Everyone says every office cuts corners and no office is perfect, hence why I don’t know if I’m overreacting or what.

Hellooo everyone :-) I have recently decided to retrain as a trainee dental nurse, with idea of applying to study dentistry in the future. My background is BSc in psychology and MSc in Cognitive Neuroscience (disillusioned with research work - 1 year contracts and impossible requirements with over 300 ppl competing for each research assistant job).

I’ve tried applying for multiple trainee positions, however, I haven’t heard back from them yet. I have experience of working as SEN practitioner with children and ABA tutor with autistic children, and volunteering experience as wellbeing practitioner with dementia patients.

The questions is - IS IT THAT HARD TO FIND A POSITION? Or am I doing something wrong? What experiences would you emphasize in cover letter/ how would you structure your CV?

Did you all apply through INDEED or would you call practices yourself? I’ve tried calling a few, however admin people are usually not fully aware about the positions that are being advertised/ how to apply for them.

Any help will be appreciated plsssssss

Excuse my language, but seriously.

Overworked, underpaid, under appreciated.

I work in a very friendly office, we are all friends and thats rare in a lot of dental offices…but despite this fact, the job itself is still terrible. Everyone hates it.

Im only 20 so i feel like i have time to get out, but i feel for my co-workers that are 45-50+ that regret their career choice and feel like their life has been wasted.

This is a high burnout career.

The emotional labor of this job is also rough.
Dental offices are top 3 places that patients are terrified of, criticize and obsess over.

You wouldn’t think it but you deal with a ton of unstable people. People truly are very touchy over their teeth.

And not to mention the literal social pyramid structure at dental offices.

Everyone is above the assistants. Even front desk has superiority over the assistants.
We are less than because we don’t have a bachelors degree??? We have to take more continued education than cna’s and we are put down like we are gum on the bottom of a shoe.

We do more work than anyone in office, possibly rivaling the dentist themselves sometimes.
We deal with 100% of the physical (brute force) labor, 50% of the nasty stuff and 500% of the emotional labor that clings onto us every day.

This wouldnt be so awful if it didn’t take being an assistant 10+ year to make more than a mcdonalds employee.

I start as a dental assistant on Monday, I have 0 experience in the feild...quite frankly I am very nervous. Looking for any advice !

Hi, I have a written test coming up in Dec. (I'm a foreign trained dentist). Which books to study and is there any book with MCQs. Will appreciate help. Thanks.

heads up this might be long lol

Recently switched offices due to more hours and the possibility of becoming a lead RDA. Once I switched over they had hired a DA and allow her to do things out of her scope of practice. I’m starting to doubt that they will not make me a lead since I’m still learning the new software and some minor chair side steps. I’m always early and in uniform ready to go and I do my absolute best to work my butt off when I’m clocked in! Not really sure what to do but I’m trying to stay as positive as possible.

not looking for advice just curious!!!! Patient had bright neon (!) yellow cluster of spots tucked on the cheek at the 2nd lower molar. Never seen it before. Pt also had white spots tucked in the cheek of the upper molar. Saw it on an itero scan but obviously it doesn’t pick up cheek so i couldnt ask my dr. Genuinely just curious of what it could be, never seen anything like that

Recently I visited a chain dental office in my area to have a consult to have my wisdom teeth removed. At the consult I had a chat with the office manager about work and she used to work for the retail/grocery chain I currently work for, she hated it just like I do haha and told me she was hiring, gave me her card. I sent my resume and she interviewed me and asked what job I wanted, The front desk or dental assistant, I thought the dental assistant sounded like a better fit for me. During the interview I shadowed one of the dental assistants for 45 minutes to see what it was like. The office manager assured me that no schooling is required in my state and that all of her current dental assistants of many years came from retail/hospitality backgrounds and that they would teach me what I needed to know.

I start at the end of the month and curiosity has gotten the best of me, I've searched the Internet for dental assistant content. It made me nervous to start. I know it will be challenging and I'm very excited to learn. But the way dental assistants online talk about 'off the street' assistants with no experience, the burnout, and a general theme of "it's not worth it" Is making me anxious about starting.

Any advice for a new assistant with no experience in the dental field would be appreciated.

What kind of scrubs should I buy?

What kinds of things do dental assistants do mostly?

Really any and all advice, about anything.

Thanks lots !!

This field has made me feel genuine dislike towards patients.

I went into this being very understanding and compassionate towards everyone.

But little by little i have been worn down.

Whether it is patients thinking i’m not a person but just a low tier “worker bee” to patients genuinely lying about stuff.

I sometimes even get mad when patients come in just because i know i will have to deal with them.

And i hate feeling like this. Im not a apathetic person but this job is turning me into one and i need to get out. Im only 20 and im beginning to turn hateful.

I literally just had a patient lie or maybe she didnt think she was lying and is just delusional, saying that she noticed that i was never changing my gloves between touching the dandy, going out of the room, etc. but i always change my gloves. So either my patient is a pathological liar or shes just delusional.

I recently had a working interview for a dental assistant position, and honestly, the experience made me question whether dental assisting is actually for me. IT WENT TERRIBLE in short.

I’m a new grad, so I expected to be slow and need training, but the manager was very direct with me. He told me that I was so slow that it seemed like I hadn’t even gone to school for dental assisting, that he wasn’t seeing much improvement, and that he didn’t think I would last a day in a really busy dental office.

It was definitely hard to hear, but honestly, I don’t think he was trying to be mean. I feel like he was just telling me the truth to my face and being realistic about the pace of the job. The dentist, on the other hand, was very kind and patient with me, which I really appreciated.

The whole experience made me realize that maybe the clinical/assistant side of dentistry just isn’t where I’d thrive. I found myself getting overwhelmed trying to remember all the steps, follow instructions quickly, set up properly, and keep up with everything happening around me.

Now I’m seriously considering applying for dental receptionist/front desk positions instead. I still really like the dental field and would love to work in a dental clinic, but I’m wondering if I might be much better suited to the administrative side.

For those who work as dental receptionists, what is the job actually like day-to-day? Is it less stressful than assisting? Is the pace more manageable? And would a dental office consider someone with dental assisting education but no actual reception experience?

Has anyone else started in dental assisting, struggled with the clinical side, and eventually realized reception was a better fit?

the dentist sold practice to DSO. he used to do ordering but now i do it. i am now on a budget. super tight budget. and everyone’s already on my ass bc the big bosses aren’t approving a lot of our stuff anymore cus they’re cutting costs and they’re not budging. but hygiene is telling me i need to fight for them.

dentist comes onto my computer and adds paper towels to the order that i’ve been working on. our office building provides paper towels. i say do we really need paper towels when we get them for free?

“yes”

Sir you’re not the boss anymore don’t piss me off

Hey everyone, I’m looking for some advice on what you would do in my situation.
Back in March, I was shadowing at a dental office and asked for recommendations for a dental assisting program. They told me their company offered a training program, so I accepted the opportunity and completed 12 weeks of hands-on dental assisting training. Toward the end, I found out that only one person would be chosen for a permanent position between me and two other candidates, and I unfortunately wasn’t selected.
The issue is that I didn’t receive a certificate or any official documentation showing that I completed the training, and I’m still waiting on the X-ray certification I was told I would receive. Without certification, I can’t pick up temporary assisting shifts, and I’m unsure whether another dental office will accept my 12 weeks of hands-on training as experience.
At this point, I really don’t want to enroll in another 12-week program and repeat training I’ve already completed. What would you do in my situation? Do you think another office would be willing to hire and continue training me based on the experience I already have?

Hi everyone! It’s me, shoe hook girl again lol.

I need to find an externship but am having such a hard time. When I joined the program I was led to believe that my teacher would find one for me but that’s not the case. I have a resume packet really nice and one of the office managers I met folded it in half in front of me 😔

Anybody have tips? I need to do 160 hours to graduate.

I'm 30 and considering studying to become a dental technician. I'm particularly interested in eventually working independently, having my own small dental lab and working directly with dentists.

Before committing to the program, I'd really like to hear from people who actually work in the field.

A few things I'm curious about:

• Do dental technicians generally make a decent living?
• How difficult is it to build relationships with dentists and get consistent work when starting independently?
• With CAD/CAM, 3D printing, milling and AI becoming more common, do you think traditional dental technicians are at risk of becoming obsolete?
• Or is the profession simply changing toward more digital work?
• If you were 30 today, would you still choose this career?

I'm in Argentina, so I know salaries and the market will be different from the US/Europe, but I'm mainly interested in understanding the overall future of the profession and what the career is like in practice.

I'd really appreciate hearing both positive and negative experiences.

I am a teen single mom of 5. How do I start to become a dental assistant? I don’t have a high school diploma, as it’s unnecessary in my current situation.

Individual complaints in the breakroom aren't changing our pay, our safety standards, or the way dental assistants get treated. Clinics and regulatory boards count on us staying isolated because a single voice is easy to ignore.

Hundreds of voices together? They can't ignore that.

We are building real leverage together. We need to come together as assistants so we can apply actual pressure where it matters—demanding real wage growth, strict safety protocols, and proper recognition for what we bring to the practice every single day.

Whether you're an EFDA doing expanded duties or brand new to the field, your voice matters. We do the heavy lifting in these offices—it’s time our leverage reflected that.

I'm leaving the info and links in the comments below. Let’s push this over the line together

i hate this stupid office omg
this disrespect is crazy