In addition to the annual celebration marked with events and festivities nationwide, PDS has long supported dental assistants and dental assisting students by offering opportunities for advancement, growth, and learning.
IRVINE, CALIF. March 2, 2023 – Pacific Dental Services® (PDS), one of the nation’s leading dental support organizations, is joining the American Dental Assistants Association (ADAA) in celebrating the annual Dental Assistants Recognition Week (DARW), March 5 – 11, 2023. The weeklong event celebrates dental assistants and their commitment to providing quality dental care and pursing professional development. To honor its dental assistants and provide support to aspiring dental assistants, PDS is partnering with dental assisting schools nationwide and organizing a range of events at its supported dental practices.
“I would like to express my appreciation and heartfelt thanks to all of our over 5,000 dental assistants, whose unwavering devotion and steadfast pursuit of clinical excellence is truly remarkable,” said Stephen E. Thorne IV, Founder and CEO of Pacific Dental Services. “As an organization, we remain committed to recognizing, prioritizing, and valuing the vital contributions of our dental assistants, both now and in the future. This week and every week, we celebrate and support them.”
“Our team of dental assistants are driven by a common passion to provide exceptional oral healthcare to the communities we serve,” said Rose Olague, RDA, Director, School Relations and Dental Assistant Programs at Pacific Dental Services and member of the Dental Board of California. “While providing unwavering support to clinicians, our dental assistants offer services with the highest degree of care, compassion, and integrity.”
Starting Sunday, March 5 and continuing throughout the week, PDS and its supported dental practices will take time each day to recognize their dental assistants and celebrate with events, trainings and volunteer opportunities through partnerships with Concorde Career College, UEI College, Carrington College, Charter College and West LA College, including:
- PDS is donating $14,000 to Concorde Career Colleges in support of dental assisting education across the country, including campuses located in San Diego, Calif., Dallas, Texas, San Bernardino, Calif., and Aurora, Colo.
- Dental assisting students from Concorde Career College Dallas, Texas, UEI College and Carrington College in Las Vegas, Nev., and West LA College in Culver City, Calif. will visit the PDS Support Centers in Dallas, Texas, Henderson, Nev., and Irvine, Calif. for educational computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) boot camps. The events consist of hands-on training focusing on the techniques of restorative crown imaging, design, same day milling and glazing through CEREC® CAD/CAM technology.
- PDS will partner with dental assistants from Concorde Career Colleges to provide community service through volunteer events at Harvesters Food Network in Kansas City, Mo., Food Bank of the Rockies in Denver, Colo., and Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County in Irvine, Calif. In addition, PDS will partner with Concorde Career College Dallas to create hygiene kits for homeless shelters with the help of dozens of dental assistants. Kits will include shampoo, conditioner, soap, deodorant, toothbrushes and toothpaste, floss, and hand lotion, along with an inspirational note.
- PDS University & School Relations officials will represent the organization and speak with students during a dental assistant career fair at Concorde Career College in Grand Prairie, Texas.
- PDS University & School Relations officials will attend board meetings with Charter College Vancouver, Wash. and Oxnard, Calif. to discuss how the college's dental assistant externs are performing, curriculum changes, and industry updates.
For quite some time, PDS has placed significant emphasis on assisting dental assistants and dental assisting students offering opportunities for advancement, development, and education. PDS is in the final year of a three-year plan of investing $5 million in compensation and advanced training of its dental assistants. PDS also supports dental assistants through the PDS College Advancement Program, which launched in 2022. PDS was the first dental organization to offer team members – including dental assistants – 100% college tuition coverage toward an undergraduate degree of their choice. The program has allowed PDS team members the flexibility and satisfaction of advancing their careers while earning their education debt-free – all while remaining employed full-time.
In addition to DARW, PDS remains committed to elevating the dental assistant profession through supporting the Pacific Dental Services Foundation’s Dr. Carolyn Ghazal Dental Assistant Scholarship. These educational scholarships are awarded quarterly and provide dental assisting students with need-based financial aid, mentorship, and on-the-job training to mold the next generation of passionate, servant-hearted dental industry leaders. The awards ceremony for Spring 2023 recipients will be held Fri., March 3.
For information about becoming a part of the PDS dental assistants team, please refer to the Pacific Dental Services Careers webpage for more details.
