Want to change lives forever? Dental assistants can by volunteering
People have been helping each other for thousands of years. If a man needed to set a snare, there was someone nearby to show him how to do it. If a family’s barn caught fire, the whole village helped rebuild it.
The dictionary defines a volunteer as someone who freely offers to take part in an enterprise or undertake a task. Every one of us has strengths or talents that someone else would like to learn about. When we volunteer, we willingly give our time and use our abilities for someone else’s benefit. Opportunities to volunteer present themselves daily, and although we’ve heard the term “time is money,” time spent as a volunteer is priceless.
MORE ARTICLES FOR ASSISTANTS:
Dental assistants: Our mission is to serve, our passion is to care
Oral cancer detection: The dental assistant’s role
People have been helping each other for thousands of years. If a man needed to set a snare, there was someone nearby to show him how to do it. If a family’s barn caught fire, the whole village helped rebuild it.
The dictionary defines a volunteer as someone who freely offers to take part in an enterprise or undertake a task. Every one of us has strengths or talents that someone else would like to learn about. When we volunteer, we willingly give our time and use our abilities for someone else’s benefit. Opportunities to volunteer present themselves daily, and although we’ve heard the term “time is money,” time spent as a volunteer is priceless.
Many of us in the dental assisting profession have volunteered our time and talents during Children’s Dental Health Month, or at the Mission of Mercy events held in approximately 32 states each year. There are opportunities to travel around the world to help those who do not have access to regular dental care, or opportunities to help at our Association’s dental meetings to ensure they run smoothly and efficiently.
The benefits of volunteering are both tangible and intangible. The recipient of a volunteer’s services can experience a life-altering change, and the volunteer can take pride in the contribution he or she made to society and the increase in health benefits that resulted.
“Over the past two decades, a growing body of research indicates that volunteering provides not just social benefits, but individual health benefits as well. This research has established a strong relationship between volunteering and health: those who volunteer have lower mortality rates, greater functional ability, and lower rates of depression later in life than those who do not volunteer.” A more comprehensive review of this research can be found in the full report, "The Health Benefits of Volunteering: A Review of Recent Research," which can be downloaded at nationalservice.org.
Those of us who volunteer might ask, “Why doesn’t everyone do this?” The potential volunteer might answer with another question: “What’s in it for me?” That’s where we come in. Let’s make sure potential volunteers know that there is, indeed, something in it for them! If they look for opportunities in their areas of interest, within the time and skills they have to offer, and if they volunteer with a friend, coworker, or family member, they’re sure to have a positive experience. Remember what Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
This article first appeared in Dental Assisting Digest. To receive enlightening and helpful articles for assistants and office managers in this monthly e-newsletter, visit dentistryiq.com/subscribe.
The American Dental Assistants Association (ADAA) has proudly been the recognized voice of dental assisting for 90 years. It remains committed to promoting quality dental health care to the public and enhancing the public image and stature of the dental assisting profession. For more information on the Association, visit adaausa.org.
Many of us in the dental assisting profession have volunteered our time and talents during Children’s Dental Health Month, or at the Mission of Mercy events held in approximately 32 states each year. There are opportunities to travel around the world to help those who do not have access to regular dental care, or opportunities to help at our Association’s dental meetings to ensure they run smoothly and efficiently.
The benefits of volunteering are both tangible and intangible. The recipient of a volunteer’s services can experience a life-altering change, and the volunteer can take pride in the contribution he or she made to society and the increase in health benefits that resulted.
“Over the past two decades, a growing body of research indicates that volunteering provides not just social benefits, but individual health benefits as well. This research has established a strong relationship between volunteering and health: those who volunteer have lower mortality rates, greater functional ability, and lower rates of depression later in life than those who do not volunteer.” A more comprehensive review of this research can be found in the full report, "The Health Benefits of Volunteering: A Review of Recent Research," which can be downloaded at nationalservice.org.
Those of us who volunteer might ask, “Why doesn’t everyone do this?” The potential volunteer might answer with another question: “What’s in it for me?” That’s where we come in. Let’s make sure potential volunteers know that there is, indeed, something in it for them! If they look for opportunities in their areas of interest, within the time and skills they have to offer, and if they volunteer with a friend, coworker, or family member, they’re sure to have a positive experience. Remember what Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.
The American Dental Assistants Association (ADAA) has proudly been the recognized voice of dental assisting for 90 years. It remains committed to promoting quality dental health care to the public and enhancing the public image and stature of the dental assisting profession. For more information on the Association, visit adaausa.org.
