> Dental Assistants
Moving forward As doctors grow in their profession, so must dental assistants. DSOs provide the opportunities they need.
: By Laura Thill
vacation, I can always find someone from another DecisionOne Dental Partners office to fill in for me.” As a result, the practice rarely needs to rely on a temp service, she explains, not to mention it’s an opportunity for those looking to add extra hours. Dental assistants working in DSOs also benefit from growth opportunities they may not have in a private practice, she continues. “I have been a dental assistant for 18 years,” she says. “For the last three years, in addition to chairside assisting, I have taken on the role of dental assistant coach and I’m the OSHA representative for our DSO. As such, I help train and onboard all new assistants, as well as ensure our practices are OSHA compliant.” And, she’s confident she’ll continue to grow professionally in years to come.
New technology, new responsibilities Working in a dental service organization (DSO) comes with its share of opportunities, according to Nina Diasio, a dental assistant coach and OSHA/ HIPAA compliance officer at Chicago, IL-based Acierno Family Dentistry, a DecisionOne Dental Partners supported practice. At the same time, given how quickly DSOs adopt new technology, dental assistants today must be fast learners, she adds.
Dental assistants today continue to be indispensable to the dentist, whether they work in a private practice or a DSO, notes Diasio. “However, there are many more opportunities
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in a DSO situation,” she says. For instance, it’s much easier to find a replacement in a DSO setting when scheduling vacation or sick time, she points out. “If I want to schedule a
Efficiency In Group Practice : ISSUE 3 • 2020
DSOs are well-positioned to adopt new technology, which means better patient care. Dental professionals today can catch and treat more oral health issues than ever before, Diasio points out. “As a result, our patients are healthier and can keep their teeth longer,” she says. “The challenge for the dental team, however, is that we must stay on our A-game at all times, whether that means keeping up with technology or being able to properly educate patients. Technology has become a much greater part of our
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