Australasian Dental Practice

Wednesday, 9 July, 2025

01 May 2009 | Australasian Dental Practice

news > Spectrum > Page 20

A different approach to staff training

Pacific Smiles Staffing Solutions is an Australian Registered Training Organisation established specifically to deliver outstanding training and education to Dental Assistants. Registered to provide a nationally recognised Certificate III in Dental Assisting, Pacific Smiles Staffing Solutions offers a variety of flexible course delivery modules for maximum suitability to Dental Assistants and the dentists who employ them.


All dentists know the benefits of a well trained and productive DA but there are often daunting challenges to involve their employees in much-needed training courses. Some courses require the employees to be released during the work-day, which is not very suitable for the employer; others demand the employee's time after-hours, which is difficult for many employees to sustain. Then there is the problem of geography in the case of some regional and rural practices and the big issue of cost.

What if one Registered Training Organisation could solve all of these problems and provide the training and education required by your Dental Assistants? And what if you, as an employer, could access government subsidies for the employees that you send into training?

The company also provides short courses in Dental Implant Nursing and Infection Control for Dental Assistants. Coming soon is a Practice Management course.

A dentist recently wrote this endorsement just two weeks after the completion of an intensive 4-week block of training for his nurse: "As a result of your training, our new Dental Assistant is proving to be a fantastic asset to our team even at this early stage. Her knowledge and understanding far outweighs any of our Dental Assistants who have undertaken training in the past. She is enthusiastic and willing to learn and absorb any information we can give her".

Comments from some of the participants of the 4-week block included: "an awesome course, very knowledgeable and supportive trainers"; "Being with a trainer who has so many years experience meant we learnt a lot that wasn't in the textbook"; "The trainer's past experience gave me a real insight into the role of a dental assistant and helped me feel more confident in my ability"; and "Loved everything about the course but especially all the practical activities in the surgery".

Quality is the key to these wonderful outcomes. For example, the distance learning course provides one-on-one support for your Dental Assistant to maximize learning as they work through the training materials, in a systematic order as set out the in easy-to-follow study and assessment guide, supplemented by residential weekend workshops, if required.

Helen Gayner, Manager of Pacific Smiles Staffing Solutions, said "Training has historically been a strain on the employing dentist but now there is an option to access skilled and professional trainers in a way that suits you, your employees and your practice. And possibly get paid by the government to do it".

The next classroom training courses will commence on July 6 in Sydney and July 20 in Newcastle. Residential workshops for both Sydney and Newcastle commence from July 3.

For full details of residential workshops and training dates for all courses plus more information about Pacific Smiles Staffing Solutions please see www.pacificsmilesstaffingsolutions.com.au.

Stream the latest dental videos...
Asiga Max 2

Upcoming Events...

Jan 01 2025
Jul 22 2025
Aug 01 2025
Aug 07 2025
Aug 07 2025

IndoHealthcare Expo 2025

Jakarta, INDONESIA

Aug 22 2025

HKIDEAS 2025

Hong Kong, HONG KONG

Aug 28 2025

ABSO Meeting 2025

Hamilton Island, AUSTRALIA

Sep 03 2025

AAPD 2025

Kuta, INDONESIA

Sep 09 2025
Sep 11 2025

Veneers: A Comprehensive Guide

Auckland, NEW ZEALAND

Sep 12 2025
Sep 13 2025
Sep 17 2025

PharMed Cambodia 2025

Phnom Penh, CAMBODIA

Sep 19 2025
Sep 20 2025
Sep 25 2025
Sep 29 2025

PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2025

Las Vegas, USA

Oct 02 2025

IAO 2025

Padova, ITALY

Oct 02 2025

ITI Congress Brazil

Rio de Janeiro, BRAZIL

Oct 09 2025

Pragodent 2025

Prague, CZECH REPUBLIC

Oct 15 2025
Oct 16 2025
Oct 16 2025

DDS Global Congress 2025

Venice, ITALY

Oct 16 2025

OHAA 2025 National Congress

Gold Coast, AUSTRALIA

Oct 24 2025
Nov 05 2025

ITI Congress Mexico

Mérida, MEXICO

Nov 06 2025
Nov 07 2025

ITI Congress Italy

Bologna, ITALY

Nov 08 2025

CDSS 2025

Singapore, SINGAPORE

Nov 14 2025
Nov 20 2025
Nov 28 2025
Dec 05 2025

8th Dental Expo 2025

Lahore, PAKISTAN

Mar 20 2026
Apr 17 2026

IDEM Singapore 2026

Singapore, SINGAPORE

Nov 27 2026
Nov 26 2027
Nov 24 2028