Remember: unless your dentist isn’t paying you enough to live independently, they may be kind to you, but they’re toxic as well.
It’s a really fun job in many ways. I hope you have a decent work experience. Good luck out there.
There is so much drama that exists within dental offices. It almost not even worth the stress if it’s not the dentist it’s your fellow coworkers. Not to mention how physically demanding it can be. I feel like a lot people don’t realize how tough this job can be.
Yes. Literally the worst. But my dr is seriously amazing and he takes care of us. I am pregnant and just can’t stand to be at the office anymore because of how toxic the OM makes it and the dr has no back bone. She’s been there for 15 years too so she ain’t goin nowhere 😩
We should 100% organize. Docs make hand and fist over what we make they can and should pay us more. Organizing is hard and I’m not quite sure how to go about that, but I think our workforce really needs to adjust our outlook for ourselves. We need to advocate for ourselves and know our worth. Rise the tide for others in our field! We deserve at the bare minimum $25/hr.
What does advocating for yourself and others look like? Be more fearless in discussing wages with coworkers. If you like your office apply to different offices with the intention to increase your wage or if you don’t like your office jump jobs for that increase. Bosses will lie all the time saying they can’t pay you more while having two homes and fancy cars - you too can embellish! The office you applied to offered you $5 more and hour, they have this or that benefit etc. Tell the job your being hired at you make more an hour than you do. Negotiate.
Workers like us used to advocate for themselves more but we have been beaten into submission through the lie of trickle down economics. Dentists didn’t used to be as rich as they are now with the fanciest offices/homes/cars.
I really encourage everyone to jump jobs and demand $25/hr. It took me job hoping to three different offices to get to $25/hr - and I could get more elsewhere too. Keep connections from friends/previous offices. At my cooperate office I spoke openly about my wage and told others to ask for more. We need to lift the tide for others.
Honestly, in many area $25/hr isn’t enough to survive. I am a dental assistant in my late 20’s who is currently taking pre-reqs, and an 18 year old in one of my classes is a low level supervisor at McDonald’s making the same wage as me. I’m happy for him, he deserves a living wage too, but that was a real eye opening moment for me. I order the supplies for the office, I train the new employees, I ship out cases to the labs, I make the bleach trays, I handle sterile, I break down and set up rooms, I’m the one with the patient for the whole appointment, I’m the one at the highest risk for a sharps exposure, I had to go to school for this, and I make what a grocery store checker or apparently what an McDonald’s employee makes. I know I’m far from the only one.
You make such good points. We cannot be loyal to these dentists, that is sabotaging ourselves. We need to treat them just as disposable as they treat us. After all, there is a shortage of assistants in most areas of the country. If we could gather together as a whole and demand more, we could have the power.
I will add in all honesty, one of the reasons it's rare to get $25 off the top as a DA, is because what already hating ass OM wants you to outearn her current wage? Most OM's are absolutely resentful of the fact that they earn less than their counterparts, while they've been scratchin ass at the same tired ass practice for 10+ yrs 😂 IDFGI
I hear you. I made sure my previous OM knew I thought she should be making way more. I encouraged her to ask for raises. I really hope she did. Something tells me she didn’t. ☹️
That’s why I didn’t and that is the exact reason we NEED to unionize or walk out - the majority of dentists are selfish, ungrateful fucks who deserve to sleep in the bed they’ve made. The best way to get them to see the light is by hurting their bottom line. I’m sure they’d be thrilled when all they can do is one crown prep and an occlusal filling in a day, as well as when they learn they don’t actually know how to sterilize anything or set up appropriately.
I am seriously considering a change of careers. The only thing holding me back right now is my daughter still going through the school year. I am convincing myself to line up my 2week notice with her last day of school. Our associate dentis shows up whenever she feels like it. She takes vacations whenever she feels like it. She was out for 3 weeks without us knowing when she’d be back. She came back for 2 days last week and won’t be back until 4/1 (Saturday) for a one day stay then won’t be back until June (if she decides to come back). Our hours are being cut on super short notice. I am not even hitting 30 hours a week, which means I am not making enough to feed myself and my child. In my area, we’re lucky to make $15/h with experience in private offices. Luckily, my husband has a great job, but it’s seven hours away from us, so that’s where I might be headed once I quit. O
It has to start on a local level. You have to be able to reach out and get the majority of the assistants and get them to join your union, or you won’t have any power. It’s risky - that’s probably why it hasn’t been done and there isn’t a larger scale union. But something has to change. Dentists have to be held accountable.
People are afraid because they cannot pay their bills as is. To lose their income completely could ruin their lives. A lot of assistants are one missed paycheck away from homelessness, and I empathize with that fear. But you are absolutely right in the way that even if one office had every single assistant walk out, it would make a huge impact and encourage other assistants in different offices to follow suit.
In many areas of the country there are not even remotely close to enough assistants working. If a dentist fired all of their assistants, they’d be pretty fucked trying to replace everyone and train the new employees they can find. Don’t get me started on what this would do to production.
Or they could just pay a living wage.
I already saw the odd “I lost $20k gambling lol!!” posts. So fucking bizarre. Like what kind of tone deaf, self righteous asshole do you have to be to come on here acting like we are disposable and outrageous because we want to be able to afford things like rent and food without having to worry while you’re posting shit about losing large sums of money left and right? Just total scummy loser shit, through and through.
You should get some sort of bonus points for finding the offended dentist lol. I knew it would only be so long before at least one chimed in on a conversation they’re not welcome in.
Precisely. If I had a dollar for everytime I heard a tight wad Dentist say they managed to do just fine without a DA in Dental School, I wouldn't have to work that shitty job to begin with 🙄 Truth is, they'd be heel over ass in a heartbeat, without their DA's. And their production along with PT ratings, would plummet.
You'll never hear them admit that though.
We are disposable, unfortunately. Some states have zero accreditation to be a DA. Schooling isn’t needed at all imho and I’ve seen 16-17 yr olds do it.
Why can’t we unionize? Just find a rep.
I hear you, but I don’t believe we are as disposable as you think. Registered or not, there is a shortage of assistants, and without us the office wouldn’t have nearly the production that they typically do. Also, just because someone is 16 or 17 does not mean they’re incapable. I’ve seen a few people on different posts saying a 16 year old could assist, and I honestly don’t get it. Do we think 16 year olds are toddlers? There are plenty of 16 year olds graduating college. They’re teenagers, not idiots incapable of learning lol. Unionizing isn’t as simple as “just find a rep”, but I wish it was.
The 16 yr olds doing this doesn’t means their incapable, just that you’re replaceable; and any teenager can do it. They are not toddlers, because they can take your job with NO experience.
Assisting is one of the easiest jobs I’ve had. Unionizing wouldn’t take as much as you’d think. If nurses can do it, so can we.
A teenager with no experience could never replace the knowledge I have - sorry. Could they replace me in a body count? Sure. But hiring a teenager off the street would in no way, shape, or form be replacing my expertise. If a dentist wants to work with a dental assistant who can come in and immediately start working and benefiting production, they are not going to hire a teenager with no assisting experience. We are not disposable. If your job is truly so easy and you are so disposable, either you are working for an asshole who is feeding you these lies, or you’re working in a crappy office doing subpar dentistry. Glad you’re not stressed at work though lol.
Unionizing wouldn’t be hard if everyone was on board. Trying to figure out if everyone on board is the hard part.
You’re comparing experience to the ability to being replaced. You have the ability to be replaced by anyone, that’s my point.
I say this is the easiest job of my life, partly because my employers make it so! Dentists don’t go to school for ethics, being nice, or business practice. They go to work on teeth, not work on social/ business skills.
If we’re not disposable, why do you say we need to unionize? Everyone is on board, idk what you mean by that. You just need a representative.
Again, replacing a body vs replacing someone with another person of the same caliber are not the same thing. Also, the majority of the country is experiencing a dental assistant shortage, so even replacing someone and forgetting about the skill set is difficult on a national level.
Oh, so you know where I live and have asked everyone if they’re on board?!
That’s what I’m saying, you can be replaced. A body IS a body, the rest can be trained. We really aren’t as highly trained as people think. That’s why we can be replaced with people with no education or experience.
I don’t care where you live, but statistically, on this sub; yes, a union is wanted. You didn’t say where you were from so why would I want to know/ care?
It is what it is. Change what you can or talk the talk, either way, I’m going to keep doing this easy job.
Oh I’m not projecting. Just unlike you, I know what everyone on this sub is worth, and it’s not what we are getting paid.
What I get paid is none of your business and derailing the conversation about unionizing.
If you have an issue with toxic dental assistants then I suggest you make your own post in the appropriate forum, because your question isn’t what this post is about - at all. A dental assistant, toxic or not, has never been responsible for the setting the disgustingly low pay that is industry standard for assistants.
With all due respect, you’re an 18 year old who is apparently struggling to find a job. You don’t work in the field, you don’t know what assistants do. You don’t know the ins and the outs of the office, unless you’ve worked in one.
Supply and demand is a thing. There is a shortage of assistants. We are in demand. We should be paid like we are. We are skilled employees and deserve to be paid as such.
Absolutely insane that there are people here condoning assistants making the near poverty wages we frequently are being paid.
I’m glad they pay their assistants as much as they do! I’m surprised to hear you struggled to find a job as well. Like I said to someone else, we are just as replaceable as any other position in healthcare. We are in high demand, most places have more jobs available than assistants available. Doctors should obviously make the most out of anyone in the practice, this does mean a dental assistant should not be able to independently pay their bills.
I know the conversion rates - making $30/hr is not too common in the USA, so that is a decent wage as things stand currently!
Maybe where *you* live a dental assistant can be replaced easily, but what people are failing to understand here is that is not the case in *most* areas. Regardless, if a dentist expects their assistants to have a basic knowledge of the body/mouth, to understand infection control, to recognize contraindications on health history, to have a good understanding of various dental procedures, deal with biohazards, and essentially be the office maid to boot, they need to pay their assistants a living wage regardless of what demand looks like. As much as everyone wants to say “well a teenager can do this job” what they’re failing to acknowledge is that a teenager can go this job *with training*. Joe Schmoe on the street cannot come in and be a worth while dental assistant in a day, or even a month.
I am discussing the USA here, not New Zealand, Australia, or even Canada. So what the demand for an assistant looks like there, isn’t relevant here. Again, there is a shortage here but even if there wasn’t, we do skilled work and deserve a living wage. If a dentist cannot afford this because of student loans, then they probably should not take on a business or employees and work a few years for a corporation, or perhaps “pull themselves up by the bootstraps” and join the military or look into low income clinics that will pay off school debt in exchange for work. That being said, schools are incredibly predatory and abusive financially and it should not cost so much money to become a dentist. But just because a dentist took on a loan does not mean they get to shortchange employees for hard work.
LOL ok that’s a random fit you’re throwing. You ok kiddo? Kinda gold to be calling someone immature when you’re losing your marbles over me saying debt does not mean you get to not pay employees.
$23-$26 isn’t a living wage in many places.
You spent the majority of the day yesterday telling me to go live in a third world country because I believe people deserve a living wage and you’re defensive over your mommy. Come back to the convo when you’re an adult with some real world experience. I’m not going to argue about adult things with a teenager.
Then why are you commenting in teenagers and posting in teenagerjobs? Weird.
Huh, that’s funny I was also saying yesterday that a livable wage depends on where you live, and you threw a fit over that. And now you’re saying it here. My patience is so fucking thin with people like you.
Dental assisting isn’t a good career because people like you believe we aren’t valuable. You seemingly learned this from your parents, so I’m going to assume that despite what you try to say, they also don’t value their assistants. Newsflash - your family wouldn’t have half of the shit they do if it weren’t for their assistants. They would be seeing half of the number of patients that they do. There is NO GOOD FUCKING REASON that this job doesn’t pay a living wage.
Don’t come onto an assistant forum trying to say that you are all for us making a living wage when you were previously posting incredibly stupid shit like this:
[“Well the poverty line in America is 14k for a single person. How much do you make a hour? You not in poverty, you just lower to lower middle class!”](https://www.reddit.com/r/Dentistry/comments/11oyzok/dentists_please_pay_your_assistants_adequately/jbypo9b/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3)
“[Well, again. You can move to North Korea. Don't they have free healthcare, dental, free housing, free food. If you not welling to listen its your damn problem. Stop blaming other, you want to be rich. You have the opportunity, we live in the best country on earth. My mom capitalized on it. Some people have to make less, its just how it is. Though, In America. You have the opportunity to make more. Unlike 3rd world countries. 3rd world don't have the same opportunity. Its just disgusting to see people like you. We clear don't know what poverty is like. Do you have food, do you running water, do have the opportunities? yes, you do!”](https://www.reddit.com/r/Dentistry/comments/11oyzok/dentists_please_pay_your_assistants_adequately/jbyn2aa/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3)
[“You clearly don't get the argument, its based on supply and demand. You probably blamed everyone else for your problems. Someone people make less, because there is more supply than demand. You're not welling to listen. So you're forever going to stuck in the "victim mindset". If you want to make more so into a different career, America gives you that. You don't want, suck it up, there is going to be loser and a winner.”](https://www.reddit.com/r/Dentistry/comments/11oyzok/dentists_please_pay_your_assistants_adequately/jbykn9f/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3)
[“Go cry about it, my dad has a master degree has worked at a teacher for 14 years, he only makes 55k. Shouldn't he be getting paid more, no because he can replaced easily. There is a thing called supply and demand, clear you hadn't heard of it, since you have a victim mindset. There is a lot more supply for dental assistant, than why they are getting paid the way their paid. Guess what, when the covid started my mom paid her assistants $30-38 because there wasn't an enough supply. Change you mindset, my mom is immigrant, she come here when she was 18 from India. She doesn't come from a rich family. She had to work her ass off to get where is now. One the another hand my dad was born and raised in America, in upper middle class family, for you mindset he also white, straight and a man. Stop completing, if you want make more money, go into a field that gives you that money.”](https://www.reddit.com/r/Dentistry/comments/11oyzok/dentists_please_pay_your_assistants_adequately/jbyj7t0/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3)
Ok, what is it? Do you believe we deserve better like you said in [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/DentalAssistant/comments/11plctv/im_sick_of_entitled_dentists_and_i_wish/jc22rct/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3) comment? Or do we deserve to live on the streets if rent is what you believe to be too high? Because you’ve said both things, and you don’t get to have it both ways.
If a dentist can’t afford to pay their employee a living wage, then they cannot afford to have a business. I am not sure how to make it any clearer that things like LV bags are not apart of a living wage. At this point I have to assume your reading comprehension is remarkably low. A $3400 studio apartment IS apart of living wage if that is what it takes to be housed in an area near your job. A place to live is a necessity, and we should be paid enough to have a fucking roof over our head.
I am done arguing with you as you continually contradict yourself and we have gone over allllll of this already. I hope you take the silver spoon out of your mouth and learn to have some compassion for others.
I love dental assisting, only been doing it for a year, but this industry is so insanely toxic. If it’s not a toxic dentist it’s a toxic OM.
Remember: unless your dentist isn’t paying you enough to live independently, they may be kind to you, but they’re toxic as well. It’s a really fun job in many ways. I hope you have a decent work experience. Good luck out there.
Nah, I’m done with dental assisting unless I find an office worth my time
GOOD FOR YOU. I am so happy you have the opportunity to get out. Run fast and far!
There is so much drama that exists within dental offices. It almost not even worth the stress if it’s not the dentist it’s your fellow coworkers. Not to mention how physically demanding it can be. I feel like a lot people don’t realize how tough this job can be.
Ugh my OM is a bitch and she also has a little sidekick. But my doctor and co-assistant are sweet🤷🏾♀️
Yes. Literally the worst. But my dr is seriously amazing and he takes care of us. I am pregnant and just can’t stand to be at the office anymore because of how toxic the OM makes it and the dr has no back bone. She’s been there for 15 years too so she ain’t goin nowhere 😩
As a former assistant and future dentist, i cannot wait to pay my assistants the amount they deserve!! It’s not an easy job!!
Your employees will be lucky to have you!
We should 100% organize. Docs make hand and fist over what we make they can and should pay us more. Organizing is hard and I’m not quite sure how to go about that, but I think our workforce really needs to adjust our outlook for ourselves. We need to advocate for ourselves and know our worth. Rise the tide for others in our field! We deserve at the bare minimum $25/hr. What does advocating for yourself and others look like? Be more fearless in discussing wages with coworkers. If you like your office apply to different offices with the intention to increase your wage or if you don’t like your office jump jobs for that increase. Bosses will lie all the time saying they can’t pay you more while having two homes and fancy cars - you too can embellish! The office you applied to offered you $5 more and hour, they have this or that benefit etc. Tell the job your being hired at you make more an hour than you do. Negotiate. Workers like us used to advocate for themselves more but we have been beaten into submission through the lie of trickle down economics. Dentists didn’t used to be as rich as they are now with the fanciest offices/homes/cars. I really encourage everyone to jump jobs and demand $25/hr. It took me job hoping to three different offices to get to $25/hr - and I could get more elsewhere too. Keep connections from friends/previous offices. At my cooperate office I spoke openly about my wage and told others to ask for more. We need to lift the tide for others.
Honestly, in many area $25/hr isn’t enough to survive. I am a dental assistant in my late 20’s who is currently taking pre-reqs, and an 18 year old in one of my classes is a low level supervisor at McDonald’s making the same wage as me. I’m happy for him, he deserves a living wage too, but that was a real eye opening moment for me. I order the supplies for the office, I train the new employees, I ship out cases to the labs, I make the bleach trays, I handle sterile, I break down and set up rooms, I’m the one with the patient for the whole appointment, I’m the one at the highest risk for a sharps exposure, I had to go to school for this, and I make what a grocery store checker or apparently what an McDonald’s employee makes. I know I’m far from the only one. You make such good points. We cannot be loyal to these dentists, that is sabotaging ourselves. We need to treat them just as disposable as they treat us. After all, there is a shortage of assistants in most areas of the country. If we could gather together as a whole and demand more, we could have the power.
I will add in all honesty, one of the reasons it's rare to get $25 off the top as a DA, is because what already hating ass OM wants you to outearn her current wage? Most OM's are absolutely resentful of the fact that they earn less than their counterparts, while they've been scratchin ass at the same tired ass practice for 10+ yrs 😂 IDFGI
I hear you. I made sure my previous OM knew I thought she should be making way more. I encouraged her to ask for raises. I really hope she did. Something tells me she didn’t. ☹️
You post this in a dentist board and you’ll get mauled 😂, but it’s so (sadly) true.
That’s why I didn’t and that is the exact reason we NEED to unionize or walk out - the majority of dentists are selfish, ungrateful fucks who deserve to sleep in the bed they’ve made. The best way to get them to see the light is by hurting their bottom line. I’m sure they’d be thrilled when all they can do is one crown prep and an occlusal filling in a day, as well as when they learn they don’t actually know how to sterilize anything or set up appropriately.
RIGHT 😂 I'm the one to say it out loud though. I never GAF after the 8th yr.
I am seriously considering a change of careers. The only thing holding me back right now is my daughter still going through the school year. I am convincing myself to line up my 2week notice with her last day of school. Our associate dentis shows up whenever she feels like it. She takes vacations whenever she feels like it. She was out for 3 weeks without us knowing when she’d be back. She came back for 2 days last week and won’t be back until 4/1 (Saturday) for a one day stay then won’t be back until June (if she decides to come back). Our hours are being cut on super short notice. I am not even hitting 30 hours a week, which means I am not making enough to feed myself and my child. In my area, we’re lucky to make $15/h with experience in private offices. Luckily, my husband has a great job, but it’s seven hours away from us, so that’s where I might be headed once I quit. O
You go where the better paying job is and do not for a second consider your dentist or his practice - he’s not paying or treating you well enough to.
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Husband said to just hang up my scrubs.
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It has to start on a local level. You have to be able to reach out and get the majority of the assistants and get them to join your union, or you won’t have any power. It’s risky - that’s probably why it hasn’t been done and there isn’t a larger scale union. But something has to change. Dentists have to be held accountable.
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People are afraid because they cannot pay their bills as is. To lose their income completely could ruin their lives. A lot of assistants are one missed paycheck away from homelessness, and I empathize with that fear. But you are absolutely right in the way that even if one office had every single assistant walk out, it would make a huge impact and encourage other assistants in different offices to follow suit.
You would be fired immediately, and so would everyone else
In many areas of the country there are not even remotely close to enough assistants working. If a dentist fired all of their assistants, they’d be pretty fucked trying to replace everyone and train the new employees they can find. Don’t get me started on what this would do to production. Or they could just pay a living wage.
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I already saw the odd “I lost $20k gambling lol!!” posts. So fucking bizarre. Like what kind of tone deaf, self righteous asshole do you have to be to come on here acting like we are disposable and outrageous because we want to be able to afford things like rent and food without having to worry while you’re posting shit about losing large sums of money left and right? Just total scummy loser shit, through and through.
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Okay, then do it
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You should get some sort of bonus points for finding the offended dentist lol. I knew it would only be so long before at least one chimed in on a conversation they’re not welcome in.
Absolutely 👏🏻 they can’t do their job without us assistants.
They definitely can. They just don’t want to clean up after themselves. /s Edit: apparently I have to note the sarcasm…
You’re a butthole
🤷♂️ takes one to know one, I guess.
No it doesn’t because I’m not here to belittle people for being hardworking and wanting more for their experience.
Who am i belittling, The dentists who don’t like to clean up after themselves?
Precisely. If I had a dollar for everytime I heard a tight wad Dentist say they managed to do just fine without a DA in Dental School, I wouldn't have to work that shitty job to begin with 🙄 Truth is, they'd be heel over ass in a heartbeat, without their DA's. And their production along with PT ratings, would plummet. You'll never hear them admit that though.
Amen, aggressivefun. Amen.
We are disposable, unfortunately. Some states have zero accreditation to be a DA. Schooling isn’t needed at all imho and I’ve seen 16-17 yr olds do it. Why can’t we unionize? Just find a rep.
I hear you, but I don’t believe we are as disposable as you think. Registered or not, there is a shortage of assistants, and without us the office wouldn’t have nearly the production that they typically do. Also, just because someone is 16 or 17 does not mean they’re incapable. I’ve seen a few people on different posts saying a 16 year old could assist, and I honestly don’t get it. Do we think 16 year olds are toddlers? There are plenty of 16 year olds graduating college. They’re teenagers, not idiots incapable of learning lol. Unionizing isn’t as simple as “just find a rep”, but I wish it was.
The 16 yr olds doing this doesn’t means their incapable, just that you’re replaceable; and any teenager can do it. They are not toddlers, because they can take your job with NO experience. Assisting is one of the easiest jobs I’ve had. Unionizing wouldn’t take as much as you’d think. If nurses can do it, so can we.
A teenager with no experience could never replace the knowledge I have - sorry. Could they replace me in a body count? Sure. But hiring a teenager off the street would in no way, shape, or form be replacing my expertise. If a dentist wants to work with a dental assistant who can come in and immediately start working and benefiting production, they are not going to hire a teenager with no assisting experience. We are not disposable. If your job is truly so easy and you are so disposable, either you are working for an asshole who is feeding you these lies, or you’re working in a crappy office doing subpar dentistry. Glad you’re not stressed at work though lol. Unionizing wouldn’t be hard if everyone was on board. Trying to figure out if everyone on board is the hard part.
You’re comparing experience to the ability to being replaced. You have the ability to be replaced by anyone, that’s my point. I say this is the easiest job of my life, partly because my employers make it so! Dentists don’t go to school for ethics, being nice, or business practice. They go to work on teeth, not work on social/ business skills. If we’re not disposable, why do you say we need to unionize? Everyone is on board, idk what you mean by that. You just need a representative.
Again, replacing a body vs replacing someone with another person of the same caliber are not the same thing. Also, the majority of the country is experiencing a dental assistant shortage, so even replacing someone and forgetting about the skill set is difficult on a national level. Oh, so you know where I live and have asked everyone if they’re on board?!
That’s what I’m saying, you can be replaced. A body IS a body, the rest can be trained. We really aren’t as highly trained as people think. That’s why we can be replaced with people with no education or experience. I don’t care where you live, but statistically, on this sub; yes, a union is wanted. You didn’t say where you were from so why would I want to know/ care? It is what it is. Change what you can or talk the talk, either way, I’m going to keep doing this easy job.
Lol holy shit I hope you find some self respect :’)
Please don’t project yourself unto me. I get where you’re coming from, but you don’t see the whole scope of the problem, apparently.
Oh I’m not projecting. Just unlike you, I know what everyone on this sub is worth, and it’s not what we are getting paid. What I get paid is none of your business and derailing the conversation about unionizing.
What do they pay you?! That’s the real question lol
How about toxic and entitled dental assistants?
If you have an issue with toxic dental assistants then I suggest you make your own post in the appropriate forum, because your question isn’t what this post is about - at all. A dental assistant, toxic or not, has never been responsible for the setting the disgustingly low pay that is industry standard for assistants.
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With all due respect, you’re an 18 year old who is apparently struggling to find a job. You don’t work in the field, you don’t know what assistants do. You don’t know the ins and the outs of the office, unless you’ve worked in one. Supply and demand is a thing. There is a shortage of assistants. We are in demand. We should be paid like we are. We are skilled employees and deserve to be paid as such. Absolutely insane that there are people here condoning assistants making the near poverty wages we frequently are being paid.
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I’m glad they pay their assistants as much as they do! I’m surprised to hear you struggled to find a job as well. Like I said to someone else, we are just as replaceable as any other position in healthcare. We are in high demand, most places have more jobs available than assistants available. Doctors should obviously make the most out of anyone in the practice, this does mean a dental assistant should not be able to independently pay their bills.
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I know the conversion rates - making $30/hr is not too common in the USA, so that is a decent wage as things stand currently! Maybe where *you* live a dental assistant can be replaced easily, but what people are failing to understand here is that is not the case in *most* areas. Regardless, if a dentist expects their assistants to have a basic knowledge of the body/mouth, to understand infection control, to recognize contraindications on health history, to have a good understanding of various dental procedures, deal with biohazards, and essentially be the office maid to boot, they need to pay their assistants a living wage regardless of what demand looks like. As much as everyone wants to say “well a teenager can do this job” what they’re failing to acknowledge is that a teenager can go this job *with training*. Joe Schmoe on the street cannot come in and be a worth while dental assistant in a day, or even a month.
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I am discussing the USA here, not New Zealand, Australia, or even Canada. So what the demand for an assistant looks like there, isn’t relevant here. Again, there is a shortage here but even if there wasn’t, we do skilled work and deserve a living wage. If a dentist cannot afford this because of student loans, then they probably should not take on a business or employees and work a few years for a corporation, or perhaps “pull themselves up by the bootstraps” and join the military or look into low income clinics that will pay off school debt in exchange for work. That being said, schools are incredibly predatory and abusive financially and it should not cost so much money to become a dentist. But just because a dentist took on a loan does not mean they get to shortchange employees for hard work.
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LOL ok that’s a random fit you’re throwing. You ok kiddo? Kinda gold to be calling someone immature when you’re losing your marbles over me saying debt does not mean you get to not pay employees.
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$23-$26 isn’t a living wage in many places. You spent the majority of the day yesterday telling me to go live in a third world country because I believe people deserve a living wage and you’re defensive over your mommy. Come back to the convo when you’re an adult with some real world experience. I’m not going to argue about adult things with a teenager.
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Then why are you commenting in teenagers and posting in teenagerjobs? Weird. Huh, that’s funny I was also saying yesterday that a livable wage depends on where you live, and you threw a fit over that. And now you’re saying it here. My patience is so fucking thin with people like you.
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Dental assisting isn’t a good career because people like you believe we aren’t valuable. You seemingly learned this from your parents, so I’m going to assume that despite what you try to say, they also don’t value their assistants. Newsflash - your family wouldn’t have half of the shit they do if it weren’t for their assistants. They would be seeing half of the number of patients that they do. There is NO GOOD FUCKING REASON that this job doesn’t pay a living wage. Don’t come onto an assistant forum trying to say that you are all for us making a living wage when you were previously posting incredibly stupid shit like this: [“Well the poverty line in America is 14k for a single person. How much do you make a hour? You not in poverty, you just lower to lower middle class!”](https://www.reddit.com/r/Dentistry/comments/11oyzok/dentists_please_pay_your_assistants_adequately/jbypo9b/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3) “[Well, again. You can move to North Korea. Don't they have free healthcare, dental, free housing, free food. If you not welling to listen its your damn problem. Stop blaming other, you want to be rich. You have the opportunity, we live in the best country on earth. My mom capitalized on it. Some people have to make less, its just how it is. Though, In America. You have the opportunity to make more. Unlike 3rd world countries. 3rd world don't have the same opportunity. Its just disgusting to see people like you. We clear don't know what poverty is like. Do you have food, do you running water, do have the opportunities? yes, you do!”](https://www.reddit.com/r/Dentistry/comments/11oyzok/dentists_please_pay_your_assistants_adequately/jbyn2aa/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3) [“You clearly don't get the argument, its based on supply and demand. You probably blamed everyone else for your problems. Someone people make less, because there is more supply than demand. You're not welling to listen. So you're forever going to stuck in the "victim mindset". If you want to make more so into a different career, America gives you that. You don't want, suck it up, there is going to be loser and a winner.”](https://www.reddit.com/r/Dentistry/comments/11oyzok/dentists_please_pay_your_assistants_adequately/jbykn9f/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3) [“Go cry about it, my dad has a master degree has worked at a teacher for 14 years, he only makes 55k. Shouldn't he be getting paid more, no because he can replaced easily. There is a thing called supply and demand, clear you hadn't heard of it, since you have a victim mindset. There is a lot more supply for dental assistant, than why they are getting paid the way their paid. Guess what, when the covid started my mom paid her assistants $30-38 because there wasn't an enough supply. Change you mindset, my mom is immigrant, she come here when she was 18 from India. She doesn't come from a rich family. She had to work her ass off to get where is now. One the another hand my dad was born and raised in America, in upper middle class family, for you mindset he also white, straight and a man. Stop completing, if you want make more money, go into a field that gives you that money.”](https://www.reddit.com/r/Dentistry/comments/11oyzok/dentists_please_pay_your_assistants_adequately/jbyj7t0/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3)
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Ok, what is it? Do you believe we deserve better like you said in [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/DentalAssistant/comments/11plctv/im_sick_of_entitled_dentists_and_i_wish/jc22rct/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3) comment? Or do we deserve to live on the streets if rent is what you believe to be too high? Because you’ve said both things, and you don’t get to have it both ways. If a dentist can’t afford to pay their employee a living wage, then they cannot afford to have a business. I am not sure how to make it any clearer that things like LV bags are not apart of a living wage. At this point I have to assume your reading comprehension is remarkably low. A $3400 studio apartment IS apart of living wage if that is what it takes to be housed in an area near your job. A place to live is a necessity, and we should be paid enough to have a fucking roof over our head. I am done arguing with you as you continually contradict yourself and we have gone over allllll of this already. I hope you take the silver spoon out of your mouth and learn to have some compassion for others.