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Chapter 16 |
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"Meeting new people every day and helping them is the best part of my job."
Jurlene "Mickey" Washington is a dental assistant working for a periodontal dental practice in New York City. Periodontics is treatment of diseases of the gums that surround the teeth. Treatment may include scaling and root planing to remove plaque, surgery to reduce the depth of pockets around the teeth, soft tissue grafts, and dental implants. Dental assistants assist in all of these procedures and ensure that the treatment area is clean and safe. Mickey sees 25 to 30 patients a day. Her work includes dental cleanings and taking X-rays, digital X-rays, and CT scans. She assists the dentist in surgery, which may include bone grafts, implants, and other work.
Empathy for Patients Mickey always reviews patients' medical history before she begins the clinical work. "I have to check to see if something has changed. If their health has changed or they are taking a new medication, we need to know that." Her schooling in anatomy and physiology is important when she takes medical histories because it helps her understand the information patients give her. It also helps her read X-rays and answer patient questions. "Patients ask a lot of questions about procedures and their health. I have to answer them as best I can." Mickey has a lot of empathy for her patients, who often have to undergo painful or lengthy procedures. She's experienced many of the procedures personally. "When I was 17 years old I was diagnosed with juvenile periodontal disease. I was treated at New York University's dental school, and my treatment included surgery, dental caps, and implants. I'm familiar with what patients go through. I understand it, and I know what some of the aftereffects can be." Being a periodontal patient actually launched Mickey's career. While undergoing treatment at NYU, one of the dentists hired her to work as his part-time assistant. She went on to work for that dentist full-time and has been a dental assistant ever since. Because many patients are uncomfortable or even fearful about dental care, a dental assistant must work well with people, be personable, keep a good sense of humor, and be prepared to deal with whatever physical and mental symptoms occur. It's possible that a patient will exhibit erratic behavior because of nervousness or a phobia. Even so, she says, "Meeting new people every day and helping them is the best part of my job."
Constant Challenges Dental assistants train at dental schools for their certification. They must have up to date certification in CPR. In addition, they must continue to take refresher courses throughout their careers. After completing their training, most dental assistants work in private practice, although some work in clinics or in hospitals. Being a dental assistant is always interesting. "I'm always learning new technologies and new dental techniques, because dentistry is constantly evolving." According to Mickey, assisting with surgery is a challenging aspect of the job. Problems can arise when a patient does not fully disclose information about his or her health. "You may have a patient who hasn't told you that he's taking blood thinners, and he starts bleeding profusely. Or your patient's heart rate or blood pressure may rise. You never know what you're going to run into during surgery." A dental assistant can't be squeamish or afraid of the sight of blood. "The first time I saw blood I almost fainted. The dentist told me to leave the room and come back in 10 minutes. I needed time to get over the fainting feeling, but it was important to come in and finish the job. That's how you get used to it."
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