Personal Experience: A Career As A Dental Assistant

My initial exposure to dentistry came at an early age. My aunt is a dentist in Mexico and my grandfather was the technician in charge of her in-house dental laboratory. While growing up my summers were spent at my aunt’s dental practice, and while I waited for my mother to get out of work I observed, interacted with patients, and assisted both my aunt and grandfather. As I grew so did my curiosity for dentistry; however, it was not until I had a dental emergency that I considered dentistry as a career option.

A nasty fall while riding my bicycle during freshmen year of high school landed me in the dental office. I don’t exactly remember how I fell off my bicycle, but I will never forget how I felt. It started with an excruciating sharp pain coming from my mouth. …show more content…
While assisting Dr. Salinas in RGV smiles I got the opportunity to see multiple procedures up close such as root canals, extractions, crown, and sealant placement. Although these are very different procedures, one thing remained constant, the interaction between the dentist and his patients. Dr. Salinas has developed a relationship with all his patients, he found common ground and he takes a genuine interest in the patients’ life, which in turn earns the patients trust. As an assistant one of the most gratifying experiences so far was during a root canal; the patient, an older woman, was extremely nervous and I held her hand throughout the procedure while assuring her everything was going good and that it would be over soon. Throughout my time as an RDA I have had the opportunity to interact and build relationships with many patients, and although my duties are not those of a dentist I have acquired skills that will one day help me become a successful