What to do if your office doesn’t celebrate Dental Assistants Recognition Week
With over 200 duties to perform, dental assistants are versatile, hard-working, and indispensable members of the dental practice. They’re involved in nearly every aspect of their offices, helping their teams work cohesively and ensuring their patients get quality, compassionate care. For all their hard work, dental assistants deserve to be appreciated — especially since they don’t always feel valued. Many practices celebrate Dental Assistants Recognition Week (DARW), held from March 2–8 this year, to give well-deserved thanks to their dental assistants. But this isn’t the case for every office.
If you’re a dental assistant whose office doesn’t observe or even know about DARW, what can you do? Here are a few ideas.
Raise awareness about DARW in your office
While DARW has been around for a while, not every practice leader knows about it. If this is the case in your office, spread the word about this important week! In some cases, dental practice leaders just need a reminder that DARW is coming up and are happy to recognize their dental assistants.
“They are too often overlooked as a vital part of the dental team,” says Donna, a dental hygienist. “They deserve recognition and appreciation.”
Share the dates with your dentist, office manager, hygienists, fellow dental assistants, and anyone else at your practice. If allowed, put up signs or notes in your office to make everyone aware of DARW. If you prefer to bring it up more subtly, you can share or write social media posts about this important week, wear a special dental assisting shirt, or casually bring it up to your dentist or office manager during a morning huddle or during your lunch break.
You can also suggest celebrating recognition weeks for others in the office so everyone gets a chance to be celebrated throughout the year. This can ensure nobody gets left out and help create a culture of appreciation in your practice.
“It’s very important to pause and realize those who make our work day easier deserve recognition,” says Leeann.
Plan a small celebration
Maybe your practice leaders are too busy to plan a DARW celebration or don’t have the budget for a team outing. In this case, consider taking the initiative and planning a small celebration. You could bring in treats such as coffee and doughnuts, or hand out small presents such as socks, headbands, or snacks. To keep it simple and cost-efficient but still meaningful, you could write thank-you notes to your fellow dental assistants to show your appreciation for everything they do.
“As the lead dental assistant, I tend to give out a small gift each day of the week,” says Stacey. “This includes a note stating how wonderful they are.”
Get your teammates involved
If your whole practice isn’t celebrating, you can still get in on the fun with your fellow dental assistants and acknowledge the hard work you put in together. For instance, you could pick a day for everyone to wear fun scrubs and special T-shirts, pretend it’s like Valentine’s Day and write each other notes, or plan a small gift exchange. You could also plan a group lunch or potluck during your midday break or meet up after work for dinner or a fun activity such as an escape room.
Celebrate on your own
Even if your office doesn’t commemorate DARW, you deserve to celebrate all your hard work! Treat yourself to a special meal, flowers, a spa day, or some well-deserved time off. Some dental assistants may also choose to celebrate by reflecting on their professional accomplishments over the past year or remembering why they enjoy their work (e.g., taking care of patients or working with teammates).
“It is a good reminder to self-reflect on all that the dental assistant does,” believes Ashley.
And remember, if you don’t feel valued or appreciated by your practice, there are other offices that will recognize you!
“Find a practice that appreciates you and tells you often,” says Sara. “Don’t settle for less than what you deserve.”