The Characteristics of Effective Dental Assistants: Gentleness
The Characteristics of Effective Dental Assistants: Gentleness
It is no secret that there are a good majority of the population out there who are afraid of the dentist. The fear may not even spring from a specific situation in which they were hurt or where they were scared. There are even phobias that exist in people who have never even visited the dentist before yet they still have fears about the dentist. In people that these phobias or fears do exist in there is a very rational reason in their minds that they should be afraid or nervous and there are other people who mainly just do not like people putting their hands inside of their mouths, especially with sharp tools.
Though a dental assistant may not need to have the skill set to be able to have the job of holding the drill or pulling a tooth. As a dental assistant there are not many surgical procedures that will be done but there are some requirements in attitude. Having a gentle disposition while on the job is definitely a requirement for success. A good percentage of the people who walk into the dental office are going to have some apprehension or fear about opening their mouths when the dentist walks in the door.
As a dental assistant the labor intensive work is usually light. Preparing trays and handing the dentist the equipment he needs for the procedure is the main part of the job. The other part of the job will mainly be involving taking care of the patients and helping to make sure they feel more comfortable and at ease with what is going to happen.
Though letting them know what is going to be done during the procedure might scare them even more, it is important to be gentle and to have a light hearted attitude that is friendly and cordial. Being gentle and kind and talking with the patient quietly with a smile on your face before the dentist comes in to do the procedure is a good way to calm their fears and ease their worries about what will be happening next.