Career development in dental assistance and education through experiential learning

Dental Assistance (dental Surgery)

I started out as a dental assistant at 19, then became an instructor, and was promoted to a program director before opening my own teaching program in 2000. I work part time at a community college and teach my dental auxiliary courses on the weekends. In that way, I have an extensive background of practice, reflection, observation, and application that is connected to my job. Since I really have two jobs -- dentistry and teaching -- and the essay wishes me to employ just one, I will focus on the overarching one: dentistry.

Note that these four terms - practice, reflection, observation, and application - represent those used by David Kolb's experiential learning theory and indeed my essay format will be designed according to Kolb's theory so as to best illustrate the contributions of experience to my dentistry background.

Kolb considers experience a source of learning and cites four elements that contribute to experiential learning. These are: Concrete experience (doing); Reflective observation (observing); Abstract conceptualization (thinking, generalization); and Active experimentation (planning, testing and application). The essay will connect my experience to each of these four phases in turn.

Concrete experience (doing)

This is where the learner actively experiences the activity.

My dental experience has been the following:

San Jose City College (Feb. 2010- present). I function as Adjunct Instructor where I demonstrate skill procedures of dentistry, develop lesson plans, and present lectures/presentation. At the same time, I supervise the clinic with rotating groups. I also supervise the student's small group during their contact with patients. Finally, I evaluate student performance, Dental Radiation Safety and Techniques, Coronal Polish, Pit and Fissure Sealant.

Dental Specialties Institute, Inc.: (May 2000- present). I am the President and founder of this school. It is a private Postsecondary School where I work as the DBC, DANB CE provider. I instruct (namely work in lecture and lab) Dental Radiation Safety and Techniques, Coronal Polish, Pit and Fissure Sealant, and Ultrasonic Scaling State Board courses. My responsibilities include training and supervising instructors as well as preparing lectures and reviewing guidelines for future courses to be incorporated in the program.

El Camino Hospital: (2000-2001) I worked as BLS & First Aid Instructor

Corinthian College: (1992-1999) I gained practical experience in my role of Program Director/Instructor where I supervised the dental assisting program; Administration, Instruction-Classroom, Instruction- Lab and Student Advising.

Cupertino Dental Group: (1999- 2006) I served as head Registered Dental Assistant with Extended Functions. Duties included being Chairside assistant in cosmetic and general dentistry for Dr. Kenneth Frangadakis, DDS. I was also involved in Staff educational training and had front office duties.

Tooth Fairy Systems: (1997) I was both RDA Written Review Lecturer and RDA practical review Instructor

My practical experience in dentistry has extended to volunteer activities and these have been the following:

CADAT (California Association of Dental Assisting Teachers) where I officiated on the CADAT Board of Directors Panel ( 2010 -- 2012); stood on the Corporate Relations Council (2011-2012) as well as on the Communications Council (2010-2011) and was involved in the Publications & Website Committee (2010-2011) .

Dental Board of California Task force -- I helped formulate the written exam project: RDAEF-II (2009) for dentistry. In the same year I volunteered in the Dental Specialties Institute Inc. -- where I helped create the California state auxiliary certification course structure, content, updates and COMDA / dental board documentation submission for approval of radiation health and safety, coronal polishing, pit and fissure sealant, and ultrasonic scaling courses. I am involved in this work voluntarily still today.

Finally, I worked and still work in the American Red Cross as volunteer for the Santa Clara Valley Chapter

Reflective observation (observing)

This is Kolb's second stage where the learner consciously reflects back on that experience.

Dentistry has always been a part of my life. Even when involved in the work of today I see how it can contribute to the heath and, in a certain way, to the esteem of people. Reflecting on my learning experience, I realize how important it is that people be made to feel at ease first before they have their teeth seen to. So many people think dentistry a dull job and have to be cajoled to have their teeth serviced. Yet, dentistry is every bit as important as medical work.

People have told me that I am courageous for entering the field. I don't see it as such. I find it an enduring learning experience that can give much too many people.

I have learned a lot in my years as practicing dentist. One of the things that I have learned is that hygiene in all aspects of my work is excruciatingly important. Germs can get passed around through deficient dental hygiene too -- through the work that I do, through what I touch, through patients transmitting their germs to another simply because I fail to take optimum preventions. This aspect of dental hygiene is insufficiently known. I think that we should be more aware of it.

When first entering dental school, I was surprised at the requirement that students possess social skills. However, the more time that elapses in my business, the more necessary I see it to be that I possess people skills. In this way (as pointed out later), dental vocation extends to so much more than teeth. People are petrified of the dentist -- some may equate him with he gladiators of the old. There is not a day that does not pass that I learn some sort of technique about how to pacify the squirming patient in the dentist chair. And this is not just the child. I have learned to enter the patient's frame of reference as best as I can. Imagining myself to be the patient who is having an invader enter an intimate parte of her body helped me better emphasize with her. I try to keep this image in mind much of the time, and I find that it helps me work better with people as well as become more patient.

Another aspect of the work that I would not have realized at one time is the business skills that I learn. I have learned many things, but to me lean management is the most important. This is something that I have learned on the job: to be organized and to focus on that which is most crucial to my work., In this way, I learn to organize my time in a way that each and every component of it is strictly related to my work. I equip my inventory with items that are referential to the work and attempt to ensure that least wastage occurs not only in expense items but also in terms of time and in the duties that I do. As elaboration, I have learned to refer work that another can do to another person whilst I focus only on the work that moves me closer to my goal, that promotes my career, and that acts as my specialization.

Principals of lean management have proved invaluable to me in my work; they prohibit me form distraction.

Critical thinking too is a great part of dentistry. I have to be on the go the whole time as to which mode of teaching is best for my students; how to best attract them and patients; whether this style of learning or practice is best or whether I should assume another. Dentistry is a far more complex field than I ever imagined it to be.

Much of my learning comes from patients and colleagues, but much too comes from my membership in related associations such as in the Santa Clara Dental Society and as Continuing Educational Provider where I am certified as both Dental Board of California CE Provider (#3794) and Dental Assisting National Board CE provider.

Active experimentation

The accumulation of forming my work philosophy and generating my regimen and learning as well as my learning model has been ongoing. They were primarily acquired in my schools which consisted of the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Anesthesia Assistants Program (OMAAP),( 2003); University of California, San Francisco, CA (1999) where I took a course as Registered Dental Assistant in Extended Functions (AEF No: 690); the Dental Board of California 91991) where I studied to be Registered Dental Assistant (RDA No: 34591) and gained my Radiation Safety (license No: 101270); Corinthian College, San Jose (1984) where I enrolled in the Registered Dental Assisting program; and on the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc., (1984) where I received my first license as Certified Dental Assistant (CDA No: 124804). This was the theoretical learning.

The practical learning has taught me different kinds of experience and is ongoing. It relates to experiences that far transcended and bleed out of my work in dentistry. Valuable consequences of my work connect to teaching and health. As note from my vocational experiences, I integrate dentistry with extensive teaching experience. This involves leadership skills -- the preparing of the lessons for class and aims to make the lesson (naturally tedious and dull to some as well as off-putting) as attractive and interesting as possible. Difficult to do this when you're talking about teeth.

In that way then, my dentistry feeds on to so many different topics. Not only does it give me greater occupation with and appreciation for health, but it makes me think about the other -- who I can best put her at her ease and make the subject less intimidating to her.

Other skills that I have had to gain include social and professional skills as a working team member. I have learned to develop my interpersonal skills while not only working with patients but also with employees, instructors, and colleagues. In this way, I have acquired a modicum of Social psychology training- an understanding of the psychology involved in working with dental patients, and the art of patient management. As dental assistant, one has to be friendly, outgoing, enjoy working with people, and be comfortable caring for the patient's needs. These are skills that I have largely (although innate) also acquired on the job. I have learned to be not only empathetic, but also objective and acquire critical thinking skills. Critical thinking includes the necessity to make logical and professional decisions regarding patient care.

In another way, I have learned to take initiative and make professionally sound decisions while working under the direct supervision of the dentist. I have also had to learn technical writing skills by translating notes in patient files and familiarity with intermediate Microsoft word as well as knowledge of the ABEL-Dent dental software system. .

As regards personal qualities, training in dentistry really 'pulls one up' since I have learned to become more independent and assume a greater degree of responsibility particularly since I have had to carry out many tasks independently and keep patient files confidential.

As a part of my learning I also covered seemingly unrelated subjects such as Business Communications which helped me enormously to later starting my own business.

This subject has prepared me for communication challenges in the workplace (that are particularly rife in a stress-filled environment where consumers are reluctant to come to you! -- and workers may have a challenging time dealing with these reluctant consumers). Incidentally and inadvertently, this course has also improved my writing and speaking skills.

In a particular way, dental training focuses on skeletal anatomy and physiology, and more specifically, on dental anatomy and histology, but -- as see from my involvement with health in general -- my training has involved all aspects of health not only microbiology and oral pathology. The subject includes knowledge of disease transmission as well as development of skills necessary for infection control. In a similar way, I have learned to specialize in nutrition and oral hygiene which are essential to maintaining optimum dental health. In a related way, I have also achieved a basic knowledge of pharmacology as it applies to the practice of dentistry and have learned the response to the various emergencies; some of these may arise in the dental office and I have learned to be aware of their complications.

My dental learning, therefore, has extended too many areas of life and health outside of the strict discipline.

My training -- both practical and theoretical -- and indeed my whole life learning related to this job has taught me importance and practical skills of learning as diverse as time management, appointment scheduling, insurance and social assistance forms and patient billing. (This is another demonstration of how TQM connects cost efficacy with organizational outcome).

In summary, therefore, my work as dental assistant / lecturer / manager is directed along the principles of TQM that affect every aspect of my learning experience both theoretical and practical. I have learned to focus on quality and daring, critical learning with the patient being the fundamentals of my work. Dentistry has given me an insight into so many areas of life from social skills to health to leadership qualities and beyond. When starting out on the field, I entered it because I enjoyed dentistry and wanted to help others in terms of their oral hygiene but had no idea that oral hygiene would extend to so much more. Now that I have reviewed my work and learning history, I am amazed at the progress that I have perpetrated and the amount of work and learning that I have done in relatively so short a time that has far progressed beyond my work. I am also amazed at the amount of 'hats' (namely dental aprons) that I am able to wear. Attribute that to my adherence to TQM and to my commitment to being a continuous learner who is resolved to making persistent improvement in her field and learning experience.

Reference

Feigenbaum, A. Total Quality Control (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1991

Learning Theories.com Experiential Learning (Kolb)

http://www.learning-theories.com/experiential-learning-kolb.html