March Is National Dentist Day and Dental Assistants Recognition Week

Taking the time to recognize your dental team once a year is important because they seek to go above and beyond to take the best care possible of you and your family’s smiles. Our dentist works hard all year to improve your quality of life so you can eat, smile and speak with confidence.

Recognizing Dentists

March 6 is National Dentist’s Day, a day we celebrate these dedicated dental professionals whose goal is to protect your smile and help it flourish. We love raising awareness about how important it is to practice better daily oral hygiene for healthy teeth and gums in-between routine dental cleanings and exams!

The Origin of Dentists

There is a rich history of when dentists started to be acknowledged. The first recognized dentist was Hesy-Re, an Egyptian scribe who lived around 2600 B.C. While Chinese dentists were the first to use fillings made of amalgam as early as 700 A.D., it was in medieval Europe that texts on performing and regulating dental surgery were first identified. By 1210 in France, dental surgeries were fairly routine. In 1859, 26 dentists officially formed the ADA and had developed anesthesia for oral surgery. Dr. Lucy Beaman Hobbs became the first woman to graduate from an American dental school in 1866. In 1869, Dr. Robert Tanner Freeman was the first African American man to earn a dental degree.

Dentists Today

Today’s dentists work hard all year round to make sure your teeth and gums are healthy and strong. They help you prevent smile-destroying cavities and gum disease, fix or replace problem teeth, check for developing conditions to treat early, and generally give you things to smile about when you are in treatment. We not only do our best to help your chairside experience be as positive as possible, but we also protect your general health. It is because oral health is closely tied to the rest of your body. Thanks to oral bacteria, untreated tooth decay and periodontal disease can lead to serious health issues like cardiovascular disease, stroke, and diabetes.

Celebrate Your Dentist

You can celebrate National Dentist’s Day with us by sending a thank you note to our dentist or taking a photo with them to post on your social media with the #NationalDentistsDay hashtag. You can also recommit to better dental habits like brushing at least two minutes twice a day, flossing daily, consuming a balanced diet and scheduling your next dental check-up. These would all make our dentist smile for days!

Recognizing Dental Assistants

March 6-12 is Dental Assistants Recognition Week (or DARW) and is celebrated annually during the first full week in March. This year’s theme is Dental Assistants: Passionate About Our Patients, Dedicated to Our Profession. The American Dental Assistants Association encourages everyone to acknowledge and recognize their hardworking dental assistants! They come in every day ready to perform a variety of duties to help patients get the quality care they deserve for a healthier, more attractive smile.

Our dental assistants support the practice by helping you improve your oral daily hygiene habits, preparing you for your dental treatment, taking dental impressions and X-rays, maintaining infection control, recording patient notes, and scheduling your next appointment. That is a lot of responsibility, and they work hard to make sure you get the quality care your smile deserves!

The Origin of Dental Assistants

Historically, dental assistants officially date back to 1885, when Dr. Edmund Kells, a dentist in New Orleans, pioneered the dental assistant profession by having his wife assist him. He then expanded his practice by hiring another woman, Malvina Cueria, as a full-time assistant. By 1917, the first dental assistant society was founded in Nebraska, and another was established in New York in 1921. The American Dental Assistants Association (ADAA) was founded in 1925. Eventually, the ADAA created Dental Assistants Recognition Week, proudly recognizing the contributions of dental assistants to dentistry and the health of people’s smiles!

Celebrate Your Dental Assistants

Help your dental assistants feel valued the next time you come in by telling them how well you practice your oral hygiene routine. It helps them know you listen to their advice when you come in for cleanings. You can also thank them for their diligent help and advice on how to keep your smile healthy in between visits! We welcome you to celebrate our dental assistants! We are thankful for the vital role they play in supporting our practice and helping us better patient satisfaction. Call us today to schedule your next visit!