Invest in Yourself as a Dental Assistant

Written by: Dr. Bill Gerlach, DDS

Over my 32 years as a practicing dentist, I’ve found my dental assistants make a first-hand, tangible impact on our patients. Not only do they comfort the scared patient through a difficult journey with kind words and hand-holding, they assist me in making the patient’s smile of their dreams come true. To do your best as a dental assistant, you need to be a people-person—someone who not only enjoys meeting new people, but also someone who enjoys lending a helping hand.

My dental assistants realize they are part of a highly cohesive team dedicated to helping and healing—they are assisting me in the eradication of the patient’s pain and infection. Working as a group, something larger and more effective than the sum of its parts, is a highly rewarding experience, one that you have to experience to understand.

Dental assisting is one of the most fabulous careers one can imagine, as you will have more independence with your life than many other positions. Dental assistants have the flexibility to work as much or as little as they desire. Many who have worked for me chose to work 4-5 days per week, but some opted for a full 6 day work week while others worked 1-2 days per week.

Dental assistants have the ability to earn a higher income as opposed to a non-trained, non-skilled worker; and the cost of training at the DCDS Assisting School is the greatest value based on cost vs. earning potential. Investing in yourself is the best investment one can make.

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Dr. Gerlach graduated from Baylor College of Dentistry in 1987. He practices dentistry in Plano, Texas.