"Just a Dental Assistant": Why the Industry's Most Undervalued Role Holds the Key to Patient Trust

Описание: What happens when a sports publicist loses his job and accidentally stumbles into dental journalism—then spends 25 years becoming the industry's most vocal advocate for dental assistants? Kevin Henry's journey from covering small college athletes to editing Dental Economics and launching the Dental Assistant Nation podcast reveals a career built on championing the underdog. With more than a quarter-century in dental publishing and experience as editor-in-chief for DrBicuspid.com, Kevin has witnessed firsthand the critical gap: dental assistants are the ones patients turn to when the doctor leaves the room to ask "Do I really need that crown?"—yet they're still introducing themselves with "I'm just the dental assistant." In this powerful conversation, Kevin exposes the two biggest pain points facing assistants (lack of pay and lack of respect), reveals why Colorado doesn't even have a state dental assistant association, and introduces a revolutionary "Jeffersonian Dinner" format coming to the Rocky Mountain Dental Convention.

Kevin Henry never planned to spend his career in dentistry. As a born-and-raised Tulsa sports publicist working with small college athletes in 1999, he loved his job—until his boss announced the company was relocating to Kansas City. With a three-month-old daughter who was the only grandchild, Kevin knew his parents would kill him if he moved their granddaughter away. So he left the sports world and, needing a job, landed the managing editor position at Dental Economics. Publisher Lyle Hoyt told him something that would shape his entire career: "We can teach you dentistry. I want you to be a good journalist." Over 13 years at Dental Economics, Kevin learned the industry inside and out. He only left when they refused to let him work remotely so he could move to Colorado with his now-wife Dayna—fortunately, Dental Products Report said yes to remote work, and he found both Colorado and the love of his life.
While at Dental Economics, Kevin noticed a critical gap: dentists had their publication, hygienists had the powerhouse RDH magazine, but dental assistants had nothing. He launched the Dental Assisting Digest e-newsletter reaching over 28,000 assistants monthly. In 2005, the Oregon Dental Assistant Association reached out asking him to speak at their meeting, noting there weren't many people focusing on assistants. Kevin hasn't stopped since—speaking at Chicago Midwinter, Hinman, and Rocky Mountain Dental Convention, hosting the Dental Assistant Nation podcast, and now introducing a revolutionary format at RMDC 2026. Inspired by Thomas Jefferson's dinner parties where eight people from different backgrounds answered one question each without interruption, Kevin is launching "Jeffersonian Dinners" for dental assistants. The opening question: "Are you more concerned today about your health, your career, or your relationships?" Connecticut and Florida state meetings are already adopting the format because assistants desperately need these peer learning opportunities.
The two biggest challenges Kevin hears from assistants: lack of pay and lack of respect. He constantly encounters assistants who introduce themselves with "I'm just the dental assistant"—a devastating self-image problem compounded by the fact there's no national dental assistant association and states like Colorado don't even have state associations. Unlike hygienists who often work in teams, most assistants are solo in their practices with no peer support system. Practice management systems don't even have columns to track assistant financial contributions to the bottom line. Yet Kevin knows the critical truth: when doctors leave the room, patients turn to assistants and ask "Do I really need that crown?" Assistants close cases, drive acceptance conversations, and build the patient trust that determines whether treatment gets scheduled. Kevin's work with DISC personality assessments in practices reveals transformational moments—like the Oregon hygienist who pointed at her dentist after the assessment and said "That's why you act that way!" Understanding these personality differences (Kevin is a quiet S married to Dayna's strong D) changes everything about team communication. His golden nugget: understand how valuable every team member is, embrace your differences, and stop the eye rolls. Because at the end of the day, we're all just people on this marble floating through space together.

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