 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
Medical Forum / General / Dentistry / July 2005Question about dental assistants
How exactly do dental practices select and hire assistants? I ask because I was going to a place downtown for a while, and I noticed something a bit odd going on there. I had to go about seven times over a five month period (a bunch of cavities and gum disease) and noticed that they seemed to get a new batch of assistants every month or so. I also noticed that the assistants were usually very inexperienced... For example, here's an exchange that actually took place one time while I was having a cavity filled: Dentist> Optibond, please. Assistant> (rustling noises) Dentist> Come on, you know where it is. Assistant> (rustle-rustle-rustle, then holds out a vial) Dentist> That's not Optibond. (reaches across me and grabs something) THIS is Optibond. ...Something like that happened almost every time I went. What is going on here? This was the first place I've been to with incompetent assistants and such a high turnover rate. It's like they're hiring trainees or dental school washouts. Or maybe they're dental school graduates, but have zero practical experience. Or maybe they attended a school with low standards. I don't know... But it was sure weird. The dentist seemed okay, but it's not exactly reassuring for a patient to realize that the dentist is being assisted by a newbie (or a moron). Any thoughts about this? > How exactly do dental practices select and hire assistants? > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > they seemed to get a new batch of assistants every month or so. I also > noticed that the assistants were usually very inexperienced... All the good ones get burnt out and move to the front office...or go to hygiene school so they can earn $40/hr. It's one of the highest turnover jobs in a dental office (at least in the town that I practice). >> How exactly do dental practices select and hire assistants? >> [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > It's one of the highest turnover jobs in a dental office (at least in > the town that I practice). The turnover rate at this particular place probably wasn't helped by one of the dentists there. There were three dentists. The one I usually got would sometimes act a tad annoyed when the assistant messed up, but she'd always help them in a halfway decent manner so they'd know better next time. (She was the dentist in that little sample exchange that I wrote in my original post.) But one of the others had no patience whatsoever, and he was kind of a dick about it. He'd chew the assistant out right in front of everybody. I don't mean that he'd just raise his voice a little, I mean he'd really yell and make a big scene with everybody (including patients) watching. I thought he came off as a supreme a.shole the time that he intentionally put one of the assistants in a difficult position and then screamed at her when she messed it up.* I bet that guy fired a lot of assistants, or at least made them want to quit. *I never returned after that charming little incident -- which happened to play out right over my face while Dr. a.shole was treating me. I don't patronize any business where a supervisor publicly bullies his/her subordinates. >>> How exactly do dental practices select and hire assistants? >>> [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] > patronize any business where a supervisor publicly bullies his/her > subordinates. I don't either. What happens a lot of time in "clinic-type" atmospheres, is that the dentist doesn't have any autonomy. They become a slave to the owners of the practice, and end up taking orders from a business manager earning 1/3 what they earn. The ones who stick around many times end up taking it out on the assistant since she's the only one he can yell at. You rarely see dentists acting this way in private solo-practitioner practices. >*I never returned after that charming little incident -- which happened to >play out right over my face while Dr. a.shole was treating me. I don't >patronize any business where a supervisor publicly bullies his/her >subordinates. Good for you ! You may even want to write a letter telling them why you left the practice, certainly you aren't the only patient who left. I always teach my assistants, privately if necessary. Very unprofessional behavior by Dr.A. -- W_B Take out the G'RBAGE wubbabubbazG@RBAGEyahoo.com >How exactly do dental practices select and hire assistants? My dentist in the UK, who is Dutch if it makes any difference, doesn't have an assistant. I like it that way as there are no conversations going on over my head and he gives me complete attention, but is that common? Tom >I ask because I was going to a place downtown for a while, and I noticed >something a bit odd going on there. I had to go about seven times over a [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > >Any thoughts about this? >The dentist seemed okay, but it's not exactly reassuring >for a patient to realize that the dentist is being assisted by a newbie (or >a moron). > >Any thoughts about this? Don't hire your assistants from the local burlesque hall. -- W_B Take out the G'RBAGE wubbabubbazG@RBAGEyahoo.com |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2009 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.