Blog for dental assistants forges a much-needed sense of connection

Most people working in vocations have a sense of community and often a trade association that provides connection and a sense of identity, but that’s not always the case for dental assistants. The Dental Assistant Life blog seeks to change that—and its success has earned it a first place award in the “Best Blog” category of PR Daily’s 2016 Nonprofit PR Awards. 

Dental assistants are certified by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB), but after they get their certification they’re sometimes left without a sense of connection to others in their line of work. To address that, and to increase the number of dental assistants who get certified (currently at about 12 percent), the DANB launched the Dental Assistant Life blog. 

With a crisp design, conversational tone, and discussion of issues that matter to dental assistants, the blog has attracted a community that most blogs have seen shift to social networks. The content is focused on dental assistants themselves, rather than dry updates, regulatory information, and the other kinds of routine stories a blog like this might be expected to produce. 

Starting in March 2016 (during Dental Assistants Recognition Week), the blog has already attracted more than 100,000 subscribers to its e-newsletter. The top posts have drawn up to 250 comments and more than 500 shares, more than some of the most popular blogs. 

Congratulations to bloggers Hanna Aronovich and Colleen O’Connor for an engaging, uplifting blog that has become a true community to a class of workers who may not have had one.