3 Changes You May Notice When Returning to Work as a Dental Assistant

a dental assistant working alongside a dentist while caring for a patient’s smile

COVID-19 is continuing to change the way people work, interact, and function day-to-day. With dental offices reopening and staff members returning, the “new normal” looks far different than before. If you are currently in a dental assistant program and working at a local practice to gain real-world experience, you may be surprised by some of the changes you’ll see when you arrive back at work. Read on to find out what you can expect when preparing to help dentists and patients alike.  

Keeping Bacteria and Viruses Out: A Stronger Emphasis on Sanitation

As a dental assistant, it is your responsibility to know how to sanitize and thoroughly clean instruments, equipment, and other frequently used objects within an office; however, COVID-19 is currently causing more dental assistants to find additional ways to amp up sanitation efforts to better protect themselves and patients.

While many rely on the expertise of certain health and safety organizations, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for guidance and instruction, another solution is to complete the OSAP-DALE Foundation Dental Infection Prevention and Control Certificate Program (Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention). This helps dental assistants become more knowledgeable about infection control and make better decisions when it comes to keeping a dental office clean and virus-free.

Closely Monitoring Current Patient Health: Pre-Screening and Social Distancing

Instead of patients arriving for their appointment and taking a seat in the waiting room, you will find that it is now necessary to perform a pre-screening to ensure the individual is healthy and has not been exposed to anyone with COVID-19. This may include taking their temperature as well as asking a series of questions upon arrival.

Also, depending on your dental office, patients may now be required to wait in their vehicles until it’s time for their appointment. Other social distancing measures can include:

  • Removal of magazines and other reading materials from the waiting room
  • The spacing of all chairs and seating to ensure they are at least 6 feet apart
  • Installing glass or plastic barriers within the reception area of the office
  • Spaced-out scheduling to avoid too many patients being in the office at one time

Providing a Sense of Calm: Easing the Minds of Concerned Patients

If you sense or know that a patient is nervous or scared about the idea of coming in for a regular appointment, you, as a dental assistant, can help to ease their mind and keep them calm about their time spent in the office. As part of your dental assistant classes, you learn how and why maintaining a compassionate demeanor is important.

When faced with patients who are fearful of potentially contracting COVID-19, you can remind them of the extensive safety protocols that are currently being implemented to ensure they remain healthy during and after their visit.

These are difficult times for everyone, but if you take the appropriate steps to learn, be proactive, and maintain a clear focus, you can help in making a patient’s experience less stressful and more enjoyable.

About Dental Assistant Pro
For more than 25 years, Dental Assistant Pro has been providing aspiring dental assistants with essential knowledge and hands-on skills learning. Our philosophy is the best dental assisting training should be taught in a dental office at an affordable cost, so why not take a chance and enroll in our 10-week course schedule? It’s now more affordable than ever to become a dental assistant! To learn more about us, visit our website or call (513) 515-6611.

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Reviews From Our Students

Kenzie Clark
Kenzie Clark
13. August, 2022.
Great experience!!
kaitlyn mcgarvey
kaitlyn mcgarvey
13. August, 2022.
Quick easy way to get a dental assistant certificate. Quick way to get into the dental field. More job opportunities opened after I received the certificate. Also received radiology license from class. Instructor is easy-going & bubbly personality.
Kaitlyn Waits
Kaitlyn Waits
13. August, 2022.
Enjoyable, quick program to get into a dental office. I'm looking forward to starting my new career
Sydnee Burgess (Syd)
Sydnee Burgess (Syd)
13. August, 2022.
It was a great experience! I was very nervous about dental and wasn’t sure how much I’d like it but through this experience I feel a lot better about going into the field. Jeanie who is the instructor is also a very warm person and truly cares for each of her students and their growth in the field.
Abby Morehouse
Abby Morehouse
11. May, 2022.
Such an amazing program! Would recommend this to anyone looking for a career in dentistry.
Lilly Collins
Lilly Collins
7. May, 2022.
Had an amazing experience as a student in the Lebanon program! The instructors Abby and Jeanne are amazing and have taught me so much from skills to job search, i will be forever grateful for their help and this experience.
Kaitlyn
Kaitlyn
7. May, 2022.
Dental Assistant Pro is a wonderful program! The instructors, Jeanne and Abby, are very welcoming and do a great job at teaching their students. This program teaches you all of the basics and allows you to enter at an entry level dental assisting position at any Office. It was very convenient having classes only on the weekends and was so much fun!
Megan Sellman
Megan Sellman
7. May, 2022.
I went to Dental Assistant Pro from 7:30am-12pm, Jeanne and Abby made the program very fun and enjoyable! I learned a lot from this program and they made it easy to learn.
kiranpreet kaur
kiranpreet kaur
7. May, 2022.
I am only 18 and a Dental assistant now. I went to Dental Assistant Pro at Lebanon. It was a wonderful and thorough program. Jeane and Abby made it so easyyy to accomplish my goal. I learnt a lot in this program- X-rays, impression, diagnostic caste model and a lot of other things. Hands on training, awesome experience!!!!! Loved it 😊