A Day in The Life of a Dental Assistant
The blue walls of the waiting room usually have a calming effect on patients but Mr T is different. The older gentleman exhibits some visual indicators of stress – he’s clearly nervous about his upcoming appointment. Luckily, Rachael Sorraghan knows just how to set his mind at ease. The job of a dental assistant is never done.
“Mostly I suck spit all day”, Rachael claims, but it’s easy to see there’s so much more to it than that. There’s a certain something about the way she interacts with her patients that sets this practice, with Rachael at the helm as senior dental assistant, apart from others. Patients whose anxiety about dental procedures would normally make a visit like this a traumatic experience leave the practice calm and cared for. Just the way this senior dental assistant likes it.
Rachael holds a Certificate III in Dental Assisting. She thoroughly enjoys the challenge of juggling the needs of patients with ensuring that she always provides the utmost professional support to the dentists. There’s an art to it – predicting how long a procedure will take, anticipating the emotional and physical support a patient will require and always maintaining an atmosphere of calm. It’s a combination of the personal and the professional that Rachael does so well and that really makes a difference in the lives of her patients.
She remembers with fondness an elderly patient, Mrs M, who has since passed away. They formed such a close and real bond that, prior to Rachael embarking on an overseas trip, Mrs M gifted her with a St Christopher’s medal to keep her safe. Their close bond reminded the dental assistant of her own grandmother and she counts the impact that each woman had on the lives of the other as a career highlight.
As with any other job, there are parts of being a dental assistant that Rachael both loves and loathes. Preparation for crowns is her favourite part – the opportunity to have extended interaction and engagement with a patient and use her expertise is a task she’ll gladly take on. Assisting with root canals, however, doesn’t exactly put a spring in her step. You can be assured, though, that she’ll support her patients no matter what.
As she leads Mr T from the waiting room into the examination room it’s with a firm, friendly confidence that slows his heart rate down and puts a smile on his face. She’ll stay with him until he leaves and walk him to his car – it’s just what she does.