Dental Assistants Recognition Week (DARW), promoted by the American Dental Assistants Association (ADAA) and held March 7-13 this year, was a week-long celebration that recognized the significant contributions that dental assistants make each day in practices across the country.
Dental assistants are critical to the successful creation of value-based team building and the team synergy culture. “Putting their heart into every smile,” dental assistants help create an environment for patients and team members that ensures high-quality, safe, and compassionate care is provided at each visit.
According to many experts and surveys, recognition is a key factor to team building and happiness in the workplace. Recognizing the many skills, talents, experience, and expertise that dental assistants have is crucial for a culture of team synergy to thrive. Understanding that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts is equally as important. Everyone has something to give, and together dental teams are stronger.
Some of the benefits that come from successful team synergy include:
- Improved motivation of the whole team
- Increased appreciation of what each team member has to offer
- A positive energy and trust
- A cohesive team
These benefits are particularly important as dental assisting professionals face the challenges brought about by COVID-19. Many are dealing with pandemic fatigue and burnout. Working together to create solutions to the issues they’re facing is the cornerstone of team synergy. A shared goal by a diverse group of individuals may sound like a simplified definition of team synergy, but that is exactly what it is all about.
Thank you, dental assisting professionals, for all that you do. We celebrate your accomplishments and recognize your hard work, dedication, and contributions you share with your patients, team members, and workplaces each and every day.
Robynn Rixse, BS, CDA, EFDA, MADAA, is the practice manager for Buehler Family Dental in New Holland, Pennsylvania. She is the immediate past president of the American Dental Assistants Association and has been involved with dental assisting for more than 30 years. She became a certified dental assistant and expanded functions assistant in 2011, earned her ADAA Fellowship in 2013, and her ADAA Mastership in 2018. Robynn graduated summa cum laude with a BS in health-care administration in 2019 and was inducted into the Chi Epsilon chapter of Alpha Sigma Lambda the same year.
