Dental Depot is a locally owned and operated family company. As such, we believe that the incredible group of doctors, hygienists, assistants and staff that make up Dental Depot are more than their job titles, they’re more like members of our extended family. In our family, we like to recognize when someone goes above and beyond, living the Dental Depot values. This is why, this month, we are proud to announce our new Employee of the Month spotlight series. Each month, we will choose a nominated employee to recognize for all of their hard work and dedication.
October 2016 Dental Depot Employee of the Month: A Lesson in Finding Your Passion.
When asked what super power she possesses, Brooke Ross, didn’t seem to know what to say. “Being a dental assistant, I guess,” she laughed. Although that’s certainly true, the first thing we noticed about Brooke is that she exudes pure joy – she simply can’t help it.
Brooke is a dental assistant at the Dental Depot Midwest City office, where she began as a customer service representative five years ago. During her first year with the company, Brooke did double duty, taking night classes at Platt College to earn her dental assistant certifications.
“I’ve learned so much new stuff from the dentists and other dental assistants. I just threw myself in there and I’ve been learning from them ever since,” Brooke explained about how Dental Depot has helped in her career development.
“And they’ve (Dental Depot) always taken care of me,” she continued. Brooke explained that she once reduced her hours to part time so that she could work somewhere else, but quickly found that her second employer did not take care of her the way Dental Depot did. “When I wanted to come back, they let me come back full time. I always hung on to Dental Depot. There’s just something here that I couldn’t let go of.”
“I didn’t start out wanting to be a dental assistant,” Brooke said. In fact, she started out in school to be a dental hygienist – but ended up making the switch to dental assisting. As a kid, “I told my mom I wanted to be either a lawyer or a cashier at the grocery store,” Brooke laughed. But, “I love to dental assist; I love my job.”
“I’d rather be at work than be at home,” Brooke said. “I think I’m addicted to it, I really do! I’d rather be here helping people than sitting at home. I think this place is like home to me.”
Still, don’t let Brooke’s home away from home attitude fool you. She is happily married with two young-adult daughters; and she confided that, while she loves her job, she also enjoys spending her spare time with her family and going on vacations. In fact, she has a double whammy planned for the upcoming year, to visit her brother and mom in Atlanta; a trip she’s very excited for!
And speaking of family, Kaitlin, Brooke’s eldest daughter is also part of the Dental Depot family as a dental assistant intern, a fact which Brooke seems quite proud of. “She says she wants to follow in my footsteps,” Brooke proudly explained about Kaitlin’s decision to join the family business.
Beyond her career, family, and globetrotting, Brooke says that she enjoys fishing, camping and shopping for clothes, especially at places with deals and a little vintage flair, which she says she gets from her mom. If you can’t find her in the dental office, at home, or on the lake, your best bet would be to check the garage sale and thrift store trails.
“Caring for my patients comes first … my least favorite thing is seeing them in pain and hurting,” Brooke explained, her expression turning somber for the first and only time during our chat. “I just love working with people!” she exclaimed, back to her joyous self.
She’s an inspiration.
Brooke was nominated by fellow Dental Assistant Heather McCauley to be honored as the Dental Depot Employee of the Month because Brooke “always pitches in and helps keep the office on schedule.” But we all know that Brook has been earning this recognition for years.
