The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-02-23
GIRL HELPERS OF DENTISTS.
A CALLING IN WHICH THEY ABr
MORE AND MORE IN DEuiND
Far superior 10 Young Men as AssIttan,,
Dentie's say-Thc Work Easy ana
the Pay bod They Don't Decons
Dentists. Though, but Get Narrlc1

are employing girl a~ssjstants?'
One Of New York's leading dentists mn,
the question. The victim in his chair adj.
mitted that he had never thought abou,
the assistants.
1T is really a profitable and Agreeable
field Of employment for girls" tho DENTS,
went on, and II ia broadening every day
People are giving more and more attention
TO their teeth, and in response to the de.
mand dentists are springing up like mush.
rooms.
Every dentist Of the slightest Importance
needs an assistant, and to-day the ~assistan,
Is almost invariably a young woman. Whv'
Well. In the first place, the girl does better
work. She Is more deft, more neat and
quick and ~tactful. / wouldn't trade one
intelligent girl assistant for fifty boys.
Then. too, the girl doesn't serve notice
and trot off TO study dentistry just abou.
the time she learned to be useful. That's
what the average boy does. 1t Is all right
for him TO be ambitious and / would cheer
him on, but IL Ia a ~confounded nuisance
In an otice.
when I began business I hired boys in
rapid succession. Most Of them were no
good. Those that were good learned all
they could learn here and then went In for
dentistry as q profession.
Il put several Of them through a dental
college myself and wished them luck, but
] never had a really serene moment here In
the Office until one day a young woman
walked In and took possession Of the place.
"A woman assistant was rather a novelty
In a dentists Office then, although one Of
the most famous dentists In New York
has had women assistants for more than
twenty years. but I was dok Of untidy,
awkward, laundering boys, and Of nigra-
tory, ambitious boys. I decided to mako
the experiment. I've abused myself ever
since because I didn't make It sooner.
MY new assistant didn't know any
more about dentistry than she did about
Choctaw, but she was as trim and neat
as a woman could be. She had a low voice
and she could move around like a flash
without making any noise.
'She was 30 tidy that she revolutjonised
the Office. Not g blessed thing was out Of
place after abe came. She could put her
hand on anything under heaven l asked for.
Il never had TO tell her q thing twice.
She took charge Of the books, Strengthened
them out, put them into copper-plate con-
dition. She made all my appointments,
saw I'LL my Cilltrh, uld1dKcu tnt Granny
onee tactfully. amused the children.
Il really became more or less helpless.
She took everything In hand, me included,
and I could rely upon her 30 completely
that I { didn't bother about anything myself,
except Just my work.
when she married. I felt utterly adrift;
but. bless your heart, in walked one Of her
girl friends and things were right where
they were before. After four years, she
married. too.
-Four years seems to be the limit here.
The girl ] have now is just as good az her
predecessors. but I've had her only two
years, 40 I'll not lose her yet"
Isn't losing girls by marriage just as
bad as losing boys by ambition?' asked
mot at all. In the first place, the boy
factory while he did last. Taking in a
green boy was a horror.
A girl isn't so bad, even at the start.
She usually stays several years and she's
a solid comfort while she lie here
Don't any Of the girls study dentistry
after becoming Interested In the work
here7'
Now, that's a funny thing. I've never
known one to do IL. and my fellow dentists
tell me they've never known II to happen.
THE girl seems to enter a dentists Office
Just as she would 60 into a shop. She merely
wants employment until che marries.
Every girl confidently expects to marry,
though she may not be willing 10 admit II.
While she waits for her natural vocation
she wants 10 take up the lightest and most
remunerative work she can find.
"A dentists Office is far ahead OF a shop.
I'm surprised that the number Of girls ap-
plying for employment as dentists assis-
tants isn't larger, but i fancy that Il
age girl doesn't know anything about the
work nor understand how good an opening
II offers.
Il pay my assistant SIS a week, but she
IL particularly helpful. She can even, in case
a soft filing to relieve sufferer when i
happen TO be away.
dShe mixes all my amalgam, banners the
gold, adjusts the rubber shield, knows every
one Of my tools as well as ! do, cleans the
in addition to keeping books and running
he office. | could afford TO pay her more
han | do rather than lose her.
Fifteen dollars a week ia rather higher
han the average pay In most good Offices
believe, the assistant gets $40 or si2 n week,
see how much easier the work is thar
store work or many OF the other employ
for girls.
THE hours are short-from $50 until o,
out there is seldom anything to do after
he girl is idle. She sits in tho waiting
reads and sees the callers.
Save when assisting with filings she IA
IN her feet very little, She Is in a COM
sanitary Office amid pleasant sur
'oundings. Her employer nay be a crank,
,ut one takes that chance In accepting any
place, and The percentage Of cranks nthe
profession isn't larger than in
my other,
personally, ! think tho work Is in the
nature Of a snap for a girl who hasn't the
,ducation or talent to fit her for higher
A dentist should choose hs as
Instant carefully. She should be neat,
luiet. respectful, intelligent, out she doesn't
iced TO be educated.
~I've always obtained nv girls through
he departing incumbent. but some dentists
when they need assistants put up notices
N the bulletin boards in the dental depots,
girls who know about the work, often
MT up applications there.
1T seems 10 me, though, that now when
he value Of girl assistants Is thoroughly
ecognized and their employment is prac-
universal In our profession, iheN
ught 20 be some provision for training
iris for the work.
Il ought not TO have 20 taxi a perfectly
reen hand, each time / want an assistant.
here should he a training school. The
curse need not be q long one. A bright
irl can very quickly master all that she
rpouirpI 70 know md gha pan GOT her