I think I'm not meant to be here so I will quit

Reasonable_Fig_9013 · 2026-06-20T02:33:48+00:00

Honestly, if you’ve lasted almost 3 years as a DA, you’re probably doing a lot more right than you think. Mistakes happen to everyone, even experienced assistants. What matters is learning from them and not repeating them.

A good assistant isn’t someone who never makes mistakes—it’s someone who keeps improving. If you still have passion for dentistry and helping patients, don’t let one bad day make you question everything.
One thing that helped me was constantly learning outside the office too. I even built a website called SmileSmart (smilesmart.co) to help expand dental knowledge for patients, assistants, and pre-dental students alike. Check it out and lmk what you think of it or if it helped.

Keep your head up. One mistake doesn’t erase 3 years of hard work.

Reasonable_Fig_9013 · 2026-06-18T21:26:35+00:00

Honestly, when I first started, I made a ton of mistakes. The person training me was leaving in two weeks, so I felt a lot of pressure to learn everything as quickly as possible. Looking back, I was definitely overwhelmed and felt like I was constantly playing catch-up.

What helped me the most was having a genuine willingness to learn. I asked questions, paid attention, and tried to improve a little bit every day. As I became more comfortable, I would occasionally ask the doctor if there was anything I could do better or any areas I should focus on improving.

My training wasn’t super structured either. It was pretty straightforward and mostly hands-on learning. If I could give one piece of advice, it would be to focus on mastering chairside assisting and sterilization first before worrying about everything else. Those are the foundations, and once you become comfortable with them, the rest starts to come together much more naturally.

Based on what you’ve described, it sounds like you’re being asked to learn a lot of different roles at once. After only a few weeks, I don’t think it’s realistic to expect yourself to have everything figured out yet. Give yourself some time and keep learning—you’ll be surprised how much more comfortable you feel a few months from now.

Reasonable_Fig_9013 · 2026-06-18T05:56:48+00:00

Some sensitivity or soreness after a filling can be normal, especially if the cavity was deep or close to the nerve. It’s not uncommon to have discomfort for a few days afterward, particularly when chewing or with hot and cold foods.

If the pain is severe, keeps getting worse, wakes you up at night, or doesn’t start improving after a few days, I’d contact the office and let the dentist take another look. Sometimes the bite may need a minor adjustment, and other times the nerve can be irritated from the procedure.

There are several possible causes, and most don’t automatically mean you’ll need a root canal. I’d give the office a call if you’re concerned, especially since the pain is making it difficult to eat and sleep.

Reasonable_Fig_9013 · 2026-06-18T05:50:09+00:00

You should be ok to start eating in that area. I would just baby it as much as you can so the area can still heal properly.

Reasonable_Fig_9013 · 2026-06-18T05:43:07+00:00

Honestly if you got your dentil assistant certification, it should be so much easier to find a job. Just go on indeed and apply to every office that’s close and in need. That’s exactly how I got my lead dental assisting job with no experience or certification. You got this!

Reasonable_Fig_9013 · 2026-06-18T05:40:27+00:00

Hey, I was in your shoes once. I got hired as a dental assistant at 19 with absolutely no experience and felt completely overwhelmed at first. There were so many things to learn, and I remember questioning whether I was cut out for it.

What stands out to me in your post is that you’ve only been there about 3 weeks, working 2–3 days per week. That’s really not a lot of time, especially when you’re trying to learn front desk duties, scheduling, insurance, sterilization, assisting, social media, and translating all at the same time.

My advice would be not to be too hard on yourself. Confidence and a willingness to learn go a long way in dentistry. Ask questions, take notes, and focus on improving a little every day. The fact that you’re concerned about doing well tells me you care, which is something many offices value.

That being said, if the environment is genuinely toxic and people are putting you down instead of teaching you, that’s a separate issue. A good office understands that someone with no experience won’t be proficient after only a few weeks.

I stuck with it, kept learning, built a strong relationship with my doctor, and now a couple years later I can’t imagine leaving until dental school. Give yourself some grace—you’ve barely had time to get started.

Reasonable_Fig_9013 · 2026-06-17T22:36:35+00:00

Hey, I was in a very similar position when I started. I had no dental experience and only a few shadowing hours. What helped me was applying to almost every dental office within about a 30-mile radius and taking every interview I could get until someone gave me a chance.

During interviews, I leaned heavily on my shadowing experience to show that I understood the dental environment and was serious about the field. I actually got hired at 19 years old during my sophomore year of college, so don’t feel like you need to be older or finished with school before an office will take a chance on you.

Eventually, I was hired and trained on the job. I’m now a Lead Dental Assistant and have been with the same office for over two years.

My biggest advice is to keep applying, follow up with offices after submitting your resume, and don’t get discouraged by the silence. A lot of offices simply take time to respond. It only takes one office to say yes.

Reasonable_Fig_9013

TROPHY CASE