To celebrate national Dental Assistant Recognition Week, Becker's sat down with Rose Olague, senior manager of dental assistant national strategy at Irvine, Calif.-based Pacific Dental Services and vice president of the Dental Board of California.
Below, Ms. Olague discusses the vitality of dental assistants, job outlook and how PDS supports its dental assistants.
Editor's note: Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Question: Why are dental assistants instrumental to an efficient workflow?
Rose Olague: Dental assistants have a combination of people skills, clinical skills and knowledge that makes them a key asset in supporting clinicians and positive patient outcomes. They work chairside with the dental team, take X-rays and intra-oral photos, handle charting, and educate patients.
DAs are skilled in establishing trust with patients by actively listening to questions and concerns, which helps patients accept the dentist's recommended treatment plan. DAs understand the value of good dentistry and educating patients about the benefits of treatment to ensure every patient is given the opportunity to receive the highest quality of care. DAs at PDS-supported practices are essential to educating patients about the link between oral health and whole-body health, or "the mouth-body connection." This understanding plays a key role in case acceptance and a patient's understanding of the importance of oral health. PDS-supported DAs also work with clinical treatment tools such as CEREC CAD/CAM same-day dentistry, cone beam computed tomography, digital X-rays and the Epic electronic medical record system. The use of advanced technology helps establish clinical excellence and create healthier, happier patients.
Q: Dental assistants' job outlook is growing at a rate of 7 percent, which is faster than average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Are you surprised by this growth rate? Why or why not?
RO: This isn't surprising, as DAs are essential to the success of dental practices. DAs provide comfort when patients are scared, answers when patients are confused, and a listening ear and smiling face. DAs contribute to practice productivity and preserve patient retention by building trust between patients and clinicians. As long as people require dental care, there will always be a need for DAs. DAs support of dentists has become increasingly important in maintaining clinical excellence and adopting additional safety measures to protect patients from COVID-19.
Q: How does Pacific Dental Services support dental assistants?
RO: DAs are vital to the success of every PDS-supported practice. PDS-supported DAs are
continuously challenged to elevate their performances as healthcare professionals, which maximizes their support for delivering quality oral care. PDS-supported DAs are offered opportunities for both personal and professional growth including continuing education courses, externships, development programs, additional certifications and opportunities to transition into different roles in the industry. The Pacific Dental Services Foundation also offers the Dr. Carolyn Ghazal Dental Assistant Scholarship, an educational scholarship that provides students with need-based financial aid, mentorship and on-the-job training, and aims to mold the next generation of passionate, servant-hearted DA leaders.