Appearances DO Matter

Sorry, but it's true.  If you want to be seen as a professional, then you must look the part.  You can still make a statement with your personal style, but you can't dress like you're going horseback riding and expect to be taken seriously.
    I am amazed when I go to CE and see staff members dressed in jeans, tight spandex shirts or, worse yet, graphic tees.  Your boss is paying a lot of money to take you to these courses, dress like you're going somewhere serious, not like you're going to a baseball game.  I actually went to a seminar about how to present a more professional image and one girl was laughing that she was wearing her pajama top. She was "too tired to change" and "figured it would be a lot more comfortable when she got bored and fell asleep during the lecture." That's just plain rude.
    Dental assistants, I am asking you to present a professional image when you are representing your practice. You are also representing our profession.  If you want our profession to be taken seriously and and you want to be looked at as health care providers, then step up and dress correctly.  I hate to walk into a seminar aimed at assistants and see a high percentage dressed sloppily.  When you dress professionally, you think and feel more like a professional.  Others listen to you more and take you more seriously.   
    Dentists and managers, set expectations.  We once went to a nice reception for a new dentist in a very nice venue. I was shocked to see our new dental assistant walk in wearing skin tight pants and a crocheted (see through) top chosen to display her various tattoos.  I have nothing against people who have tattoos, two of my children have them, but they were displayed inappropriately at this event.  It was my fault.  I didn't make it clear to her about the attire we considered acceptable when representing our practice.  On her part, she used no discretion and that carried over into other areas of her job. 
    All in all, use good judgement.  Clothes and make-up make a statement.  What are you saying with what you choose to wear?

Comments

[Terry L. Sumerlin]

I attended a similar program where the presenter was standing near the elevator where attendees were getting off - talking on her cell phone. She got off her phone just before getting up to speak having greated almost no one.

[Linda Zdanowicz]

Terry, you're right, it goes both ways. The presenter should certainly have been greeting attendees. I recently attended a seminar and found out that the name of the seminar was different than what I signed up for. When I questioned it, I was told that the presenter would be there in a minute and I could ask him. 15 minutes later he showed up, and waved me off with, "It doesn't matter it's all the same anyway. I attended the first half only to find out that he copied all his material from various management books that I had recently read. To top it off it was August and the air conditioning was broken. I also noticed that there was a lot of attention being paid to cell phones. A lot of the attendees were text messaging. I finally realized that the 2 people next to me were actually texting each other. I left halfway through sweaty and incredulous.
Linda