The importance of education for dental assistants ... and ideas on where to get it [VIDEO]

A member of the Modern Dental Assistant Editorial Advisory Board shares her thoughts with fellow dental assistants (and sales reps) about the importance of product and technique education.

Hi, this is Tija Hunter, dental assistant and member of the Modern Dental Assistant editorial advisory board. I'm really targeting two audiences in this article and video - the dental assistant and the dental sales representative.

This profession is all about building great relationships … the relationship between the patient and the doctor, the patient and the front desk team, the hygiene team, and the assisting team … just in the same way we develop relationships with dealer representatives and manufacturer representative. In the dental marketplace, the dental assistant has a huge influence in purchasing for the dental practice. Because of that, dental assistants need to knowledgeable about various products. There will always be 32 teeth and the tooth surfaces never change, but the products and materials we use do! Of course not every product is going to fit your practice today, but knowledge of these products can help your practice grow.

We always talk about the "wow" patient experiences, and dental assistants play a huge role in that. Dental sales reps need to "wow" dental assistants and their practices with their products. Here’s my advice to the sales reps … give lunch and learns, talk to dental assistants at conventions, and get in that door!

A sales representative can be the assistant’s best friend and vise versa! Creating a great relationship between dental assistant and sales representative will benefit both parties. It's all about working together!