Meet DANB Chair Kim Plate
Tell us about your dental background.
I attended a dental assisting program in my second year of college, graduated, took my DANB CDA exam in 1982, and started working as a chairside/front desk assistant. Years later, my instructor asked me to consider teaching. I taught part-time while still working in the dental office and went back to school to get my bachelor’s degree so I could teach full time. Now, I am the director of the CODA-accredited program that I graduated from!
I have been a member of the American Dental Assistants Association since 1982, and I enjoy volunteering. I have served on local and state dental assisting committees, local clinic advisory boards and several Mission of Mercy dental events. I am also a CODA-accreditation site visitor.
What do you enjoy most about working in dental assisting?
Even though I am full time at the college, I still work chairside one night a week. I LOVE helping patients, doctors, staff, and the profession of dental assisting. Working at the dental office allows me to stay current in dentistry as I am training and teaching the next generation of dental assistants.
What do you wish more people knew about dental assistants?
How passionate, adaptable, and resilient we dental assistants are about what we do!! We take a lot of pride in being a dental assistant. I don’t think people really understand all of what we do and all the different tasks we conquer on a daily basis in the office.
What do you hope for dental assistants in the future?
I would like dental assisting to be recognized as the essential healthcare profession that it is and see wages and recognition increase across the country, as well as national standards for dental assisting duties. All of this would help the shortage and position dental assisting as a profession with opportunities for growth. DANB’s strategic plan aims to address many of these issues, with the support of the dental community.
What are you looking forward to most as DANB’s Chair?
I am looking forward to meeting, working with, and supporting people in various parts of dentistry and at DANB. I am eager to work with DANB and the DALE Foundation to continue to advocate for dental assistants and their recognition as a valuable part of the dental team.