Leadbeatter D, Tjaya K C, Li P, Ma H S, Phan A J, Peck C. Professional knowledge acquisition of dental students employed part-time as dental assistants. Eur J Dent Educ 2022; DOI: 10.1111/eje.12782. Online ahead of print.

Developed an understanding of teamworking

Dental students who chose to work part-time in dental practice whilst at university may acquire additional skills. Sixteen dental students attending the University of Sydney were interviewed about these roles, which were interpreted widely as including chairside assisting, reception, sterilisation nurse and working in a dental laboratory. All were in their penultimate or final year of training and had worked for more than six months.

Students gained a greater understanding of the routines, rhythms and responsibilities of a dental practice and the value of teamworking - eg 'I don't get lunch often (but) we're all in it together so it's alright.' The importance of learning about patient communication and interactions were stressed, by 'listening to my dentist explain … things to patients in a more casual and friendly way.' They learnt about calmness, perseverance and learning from mistakes, leading to a sense of belonging in the team. All of the team from manager to hygienist to dentist contributed to the learning experience.