What assistants love about their jobs

When respondents were asked what they enjoyed about their jobs, far and away, the most common type of response was about helping people, whether it was their coworkers or their patients. Assistants who had some degree of autonomy and ability to communicate well with patients seemed to especially enjoy their jobs.

Other frequently mentioned perks included:

Flexibility with schedules
Being able to learn new technologies and procedures
Working with a doctor who respected and empowered them
Not having to “sell” the dentistry and just being able to be present for the patient
Digital workflows
A drama-free office

Respondents explain their “wins”

“Helping patients and seeing the process throughout from start to finish. I love patient care and the feeling is super rewarding.”
“Teaching others best practices and tips I've learned over the years.”
“Getting to learn new technology. Working in a smaller practice. Having doctors that listen to my ideas and what I think. Getting along with coworkers.”
“I am able to give treatment without having to discuss payment and do treatment that is necessary and not try to convince a patient that they can find a way to pay for the treatment.”
“I have the ABSOLUTE BEST Doctor to learn with. He is passionate about teaching and often learns something new every day and is never afraid to acknowledge when he’s wrong or accept others’ ideas.”
“My doctor stays on the cutting edge of technology so we are always learning.”
“Team atmosphere, owner dentist's door is always open, and she truly cares about each member of her staff.”

What front office staff dislike about their jobs

While assistants shared many of the same woes as other dental team members, some explained that a lack of licensing and credentialing for assistants was holding the profession back. Other frequent challenges included:

Lack of raises, benefits, or opportunities; many confessed that the income wasn’t truly livable for them
Not feeling appreciated for what they do
Corporate restrictions
Conflicts with coworkers
Working in a disorganized office
Rude or difficult patients

Respondents explain their challenges

“As assistants, we are generally not appreciated for productivity yet with expanded duties that our DDS is used to us doing, her production would not be as high without us. We are not compensated as well as RDH since they have mandatory licensing. This has always been an issue with our profession.”
“Current patient climate seems to be getting more hostile. Lack of available hires is putting more responsibility on current employees making the work burden unbearable for almost any salary.”
“I dislike the way patients treat dental needs different than medical needs. If you went to your doctor’s and they told you that you had a disease you would accept treatment as directed by your doctor usually without questioning the cost. However, in dentistry patients expect office staff to run predeterminations with their insurances and will base treatment off costs.”
“I would like to get paid more, seeing the doctors always going on vacation and having nice things while myself coworkers and myself are basically living paycheck to paycheck hurts my feelings.”
“The lack of respect given to and standardized regulations governing dental assistants. There should be less of a difference from state to state, more training required overall, more training available to dental assistants and educational standards for CDA, not just hygienists!”

Salary highlights

Three-hundred and sixty-six assistants responded to the DentalPost survey. Their earnings increased 7% from 2023, rising to an average of $47,440. The average hourly rate is $26.96.

While most have gotten a pay raise within the last couple of years, income satisfaction among DAs is lower than other dental staff positions. More than one-third are dissatisfied with their pay, one third are neutral, and only a third are satisfied.

Perhaps not surprisingly, many assistants are contemplating a job change. Nearly 1 in 4 have changed jobs within the last 12 months, and 30% are considering a job change this year, a considerable increase from 2023.

Assistants looking to change jobs this year cited higher income as their most common reason, with better work environment and better benefits coming in after.

To get additional insights into benefits, hours, job turnover, and more for dental assistants, download the 2025 DentalPost Salary Report.

Survey responses were lightly edited for length and clarity