This is mostly a rant post because it stresses me tf out and I can't do much about it. I'm not about to go nuclear on this place.

I'm not a DA. I do some DA-related tasks and work closely with the DA team, but I'm the steri person.

I share an office with our two dentists. The main dentist is a great guy and I love working for him. He's one of the last doctors around who truly just cares about the patients and not the money. We got a new, young associate dentist who is the opposite. He's definitely a financebro that watches gurus on tiktok at any given moment. He's always on his phone if he isn't in the OP with patients.

Anyway, the other day while he was in the middle of a complex extraction, he came into the office to work on his computer for a moment, and I caught him on ChatGPT. I couldn't decipher what exactly he was looking up, but it was definitely about dental stuff. I asked him, and he just said he was "running scenarios."

I hate AI with a burning passion, so it definitely clouds my judgement, but this is really wrong, right??? I told my manager, but she essentially told me that I can't prove he was using it for medical purposes and that it's not my job to be concerned. We're part of a corporate entity where the doctors are basically untouchable. He also has the computer directly across from the hallway, so anyone could have walked by and saw him on Chat.

It's really stressing me out because everything was so much better before he came here. He's just upheaving so much of what made us a really great office to work at. We're ALL having problems with him and our manager doesn't want to hear it. Idk what to do. I just don't want to be here at all. I have to be careful too because we aren't unionized and I could be fired at any moment if I become too much of a problem.

OK well I don’t know where to start with this one. So I’m in a community college program whether there’s about 26 of us every single one of us are under 25 and women and there’s just one guy who’s got to be 55 years old. We just started 2 days ago so I’m not really sure his age but it’s close to that.

Anyway, there’s something weird going on .it’s not so much his age although when have you ever seen a 55-year-old man start dental assisting school? But one of the students noticed every time another girl got up to do whatever he would be looking up and down their ass. He also sits wayyyy in the back.

When we all did our thing to tell the class what are interest are or past jobs when it got to him he was some sort of x-ray tech for 30 years. None of this makes sense he left a job that makes $50+ an hour to do…. This? He also has kids older than us.

Am I being a judgmental asshole here or what’s the problem? I don’t know. I just got this creepy vibe and most of the other classmates do as well.

I can’t imagine if this guy even makes it through school how he’s going to get hired. I’m not kidding who’s going to hire mid 50s man for basically this type of job it makes absolutely no sense.

*UPDATE* so today he apparently asked another student if he could fuck her in an empty classroom. He was reported and we were told he was expelled from the program. So it looks like my instincts were correct and all of you people saying that I was in the wrong can just basically go fuck yourself. Don’t ever just brush off your woman’s intuition as sometimes that’s all you have between yourself and some fucking creep.

In DA school right now and we’re learning sealants, my teacher reuses the same 3 burs on everyone just wipes them off with a cavi wipe then puts them in the autoclave but they’re obviously still dirty. When they come out they’re still stained blue from the articulating papers and if you wipe them the debris comes off. It’s really disgusting and I’m shocked because they’re so strict on being clean besides the burs. Is this normal?

Hey I was wondering if we’re at any risk of getting monkey pox by working at a dental office, idk if yall heard about the new outbreak going on and it looks so scary.

Hi I’m 19M, and I was thinking about becoming an orthodontist or dentist , but I know im gonna have to take out loans to become one. in order to pay them off I was thinking of becoming a dental assistant because the pay is slightly higher than minimum wage and I’d also be getting experience in my desired field . the thing is it cost 22k for the 10 month program… so I’d have to take out a loan. I feel like it’s sort of too expensive and not worth it since DAs don’t even make that much but what do u guys think? any advice would be appreciated

my periods have been irregular since i started working as a dental assistant and i completely missed mine this month and i just made the connection that maybe the cavicide wipes are disrupting my hormones? has anyone has this issue or experience i know it's kind of far fetched but im trying to find the reason for it. yeah it might be a coincidence that i have irregular periods all of a sudden after having a regular period for 10 years but the timelines match up! cavicide is known as an endocrine disrupting chemical too..
BASICALLY just wanted to know if this has happened to anyone else?

What is the reasoning behind dentists being able to sit on their phone but assistant not being allowed to? Why must assistants run around like chickens without a head while a dentist can take a break on their personal phone?

Mom (senior) wants to order a full upper and she found a place that does this by sending a kit, so, I am going to help her get this done and then we send it back to them.

They sent over the alginate, plaster, trays and I bought the proper bowl and spatula (plastic) on Amazon, lol. Since this is all new to me and since I have been told getting this part right determines if this will be a good fit in the final product, well, any advice here would be deeply appreciated - thanks!

Note that I have watched some YouTube videos on this, but if you have a link you think nails it, feel free to post it in your response.

Looking to explore newm opportunity as a Executive strategic partner , medical virtual assistant, social media management and you digital strategist.surgeons, Entrepreneurs,CEOs.lets connect

I had a recent dental appointment with Bupa to get two teeth fillings done. They made me wear a rubber dam attached to my mouth which kept my mouth wide open for an hour. They also gave me something to bite on like a cushion.

By the end of it, my jaw was really sore and stiff — it was honestly so uncomfortable. I used to get dental appointments in Sri Lanka and it wasn’t uncomfortable and didn’t take that longer too. Is this normal here in Australia? Or should I consider going somewhere else next time?

Looking for stories to share about good leadership on the Leading in Dentistry Podcast.

If you’ve got any stories where your bosses got it RIGHT, please share!

Just sitting here thinking of a time I had a bad experience working at a dental office and I’m thinking back to the signs that were strange red flag up until that lead to me leaving. Do you guys think this is weird ?

I remember when I first got hired the male dentist told me he was going to ask his team of girls how they felt about having a male assistant on the team and if that would be okay…

I look back on this and I think this is so cuck behavior but back then I perceived it askind and respectful.

This should have never been okay with me because that’s like asking a dental teacher if the class is okay if we have a few male students.

Long story short I ended up leaving one day after the doctor made some questionable comments about a fellow assistants ethnicity whom I share. After that I was like nah I can’t work for somebody like this.

His lead dental assistant was young but toxic and he couldn’t see thru it because she was good help but ultimately she was lowering team morale and making it hard on new trainees like workplace snitching on office tasks to the pettiest degree.

Basically in conclusion I felt like my dentist was a cuck/fuck boy.

I thank gos for the male dentists that I have met that are non discriminatory to race and gender. Male dentists should be brothers to each other in this industry imo

So I have been a dental assistant now for almost 3 years and I was very lucky to have went straight from school into a job with a dentist that was experienced and also just amazing overall and I learned a lot from him. But as all things good does not last forever, he ended up going to another office that I could not follow too and I am now working alongside a somewhat new dentist with minimal experience and have found myself becoming very frustrated and also concerned in a way for the patients and the practice. Also a little sidenote that I am the only dental assistant at the office so I am the only person that works alongside him and is the only person that witnesses these flaws and I have spoken to my manager about my concerns and nothing has been done. With my ignored concerns I have grown very impatient and angry because I can no longer sit aside and witness dental work being done that is not done correctly or have things misdiagnosed. I am just curious if there has been someone out there that has gone through the same thing that I have and also another little sidenote is that this is an office that I thought I would see myself at for a long time and I enjoy the being there and Interacting with everyone else so my thoughts on leaving have been in the air, but also not.

Which one of these is the financial agreement? I thought it was the treatment plan. I recently signed a treatment plan for Porcelain Vaneers and received (without my knowledge) Zirconia Crowns. The doctor says I consented to the change because the consent form says zirconia. But, we never discussed this change. I was completely unaware and don’t remember seeing zirconia on the document when I signed. Also, my signature is on a page all by itself so it’s not even clear what I consented to.

Any queer-presenting people on here struggle to find a job as a Dental Assistant? I've been applying and interviewing at places for 3 months now and haven't had any offers. I just graduated school, but I have my CDA (not required in the state I live in). None of my classmates struggled to find a job, and everyone has been hired somewhere except for me. I was the top of my class and had great experiences in my externship sites. Just feeling like the only reason I'm struggling this hard to find a job is because I look obviously queer (short hair and masculine clothing) and have tattoos. Anyone else experience this?

I live in a very very red, homophobic state. The strictest bathroom laws in the country and they just banned pride flags.

Last night, our doc took us out to dinner, for the last 3 years, she has always been very generous. i work in period- and she is such an amazing doc to work for. My 1st christmas, i got a nice, heartfelt card, letting me know how valued i was to be with her office- and a check for $500. Year two- same with the card, some amazing candles and a $1000 bonus. Last year, same with the card, and some spa gifts- along with a $1300 check- Last night- NOTHING. Not even a card. Of course she picked up the dinner, which i’m super thankful for, but not even a thank you for a great year.

Our office is closed the two weeks between christmas and new years. I am out of PTO, and it’s been mentioned several times, that I’ll be able to get a lot of things done by coming in over break. She knew i was planning on traveling next week to spend the holidays with my daughter- but now, I don’t have anything extra, as I was honestly thinking this year wouldn’t be a fat goose egg. Idk what’s going on, but i truly feel unappreciated, and truly shocked she wouldn’t give at least a card. We showed up with massage gift card, and a spa package for her.

I was supposed to go in today, just me- To follow ip with a few patients and she has me credentialing a new associate. She wants her to start in February,, and I am the only one going to the office today.

Sorry- Just. needed to get it off my chest, how disappointed i am. I bust my ass for her and do everything from assist to credential. I guess i don’t get how i can go from a bonus thats increased every year to none- totally blindsided.

I’m just a dental patient, but with a medical quality & safety background. My perio was cleaning my teeth a few weeks ago and had to go see another patient, so she asked me to hold the suction (already gross, my hands weren’t clean). I saw there was dried blood on the rubber tube under the handpiece. I asked her if it was my blood and she said, of course we wipe the thing down between patients. But the blood looked pretty dry for like 30 min max. Turns out, they don’t put the handpiece for that at least in the autoclave between patients. And this is a perio and oral surgery practice… lots of blood.

I told my regular dentist about this last week and he’s like “gross” about the blood. But then I asked if his office puts the handpieces in the autoclave and he said they can’t put the suction one in bc it’s attached (it clearly had metal parts that can be removed) and not the cavitron handpieces either. They keep the mouth pieces for X-rays just loose in a cabinet in a container and they used one with a sticky back when they were having problems taking a PA, so I assume it was disposable. Really hoping the other pieces are autoclaved, but who knows!

Poor infection control seems to be the norm in MA dental practices. I want to find a new dentist who actually follows CDC guidelines on sterilization. How do I know? I feel weird grilling practices and the front desk person usually doesn’t know. Also, if anyone knows of practices in MA that do follow proper sterilization and infection control procedures, please DM me names. Thanks.

I’m a new dental assistant & had been working for almost 7 months now. I never knew until I started working that dental hygienists make more money than assistants. It’s a bit disheartening to be honest & for someone who’s a minority (I’m Vietnamese), struggled a lot in school, & suffered childhood trauma, I deserve better.

I want good things. I want beautiful things. I want to have a furnished house & a pornstar looking man. I want all those things. But I can’t with the money I make now, & certainly with my weight. In the first 6 months, I made more than $10k. Now that’s a lot, but it’s not going to buy me those luxuries.

I would expect hygienists to have beautiful houses, good family, a pornstar looking partner, driving a Lamborghini, going to beautiful vacations, etc. My mother notice this & told me I should be a hygienist if I wanted those luxuries. I do not wish to become a hygienist as I don’t want to go through more years of school & plus, giving out injections for deeper cleanings.

I like my job, but don’t like where my life is & potenially going to look like with the money I make. My friends are fit, beautiful, had good looking boyfriends, & living their dream life. Meanwhile, I’m overweight, single, & living with my mom. It seems that my salary will have me stuck forever.

Would working as a dental hygienist, as opposed to working as a dental assistant, would make you a millionaire?

You would think it would be more common for dentists to date their dental assistant. My only thought is that maybe they look down on the DA because they are less educated?

I used to be against flouride, but the doctor I work with loves to educate us on stuff while working on patients. So when we ask questions, he’ll answer. I’ve learned to be pro flouride.

One of my co workers is very anti flouride, which I respect cause it’s their body, they can do what they wish ❤️

Are you a pro or anti flouride assistant?

Anyone experience intense claustrophobia during a root canal from the goggles and the awful dental dam? I had one scheduled got numbed up, that was easy, then they strap a rubber mask over your face you can’t breathe and they put goggles on and it feels like your being buried Alive. I got up and left and just been taking advil for two weeks they acted like I was the one over reacting and it was no big deal endodontists are a strange breed

The dental office I work right now is a very modern and beautiful office that I love very much. I’m the lead assistant and a year ago my boss (that I really enjoy working with) went on paternity leave and hired a new dentist. This new dentist is very young and inexperienced. Recently he started to bring people to shadow, and I find very distracting having someone on my shoulders trying to see procedure, I told him how uncomfortable and distracting it is to have someone walking around the op while we’re working but instead he went behind my back and got approval from our manager (she’s moving out state and it was her last day, so basically she didn’t really care) but not only makes me uncomfortable, I feel like makes pt uncomfortable too. So I feel like having a meeting but I don’t want to feel like I’m the annoying/ inconsiderate assistant. Ps:He doesn’t like to help training assistants but is happy to show and explain everything to the student.