Extracurricular experience Shadowing

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Students decide to become a dentis at different point of their lives. Some want to become dentists when they are just 5 years old, while others do not make the decision until getting into the college. However, no matter when do you make that decision, you want to make sure you like this profession. That is why shadowing dentists is an important part of the dental school application

Dental schools like to see applicants with shadowing experience, as it shows that the student has a solid understanding of what is involved in the practice of dentistry.Shadowing enables students to observe first-hand the vital role confidentiality plays in building and maintaining trust with a patient. Shadowing will also give you the chance to confirm your descion of becoming a dentist.

How could I start?

• You could start by asking your dentists whether she or he would like to have you shadow them.
• If you do not have a personal dentist, you could ask other pre-dent student who they are shadowing.
• You can also check local dental office via Google map. You could either call them (preferred) or visit their office directly.

How could I prepare for the shadowing

• Schedule the shadowing at the time you are not tired or in a harry.
• Ask for dressing code. Some dental offices are linient about dressing, while others not. Make sure you dress up properly and wear COMFORTABLE shoes(because you are going to stand fro a few hours)
• Find a note book to write down your observation.

What should I do during shadowing

• Track the shadowing hours.
• Ask Questions! Sample Questions to Ask: Why you choose dentistry as your career? What is the aim of XXX (it could be either equipment or procedure)?
• Take notes of the procedure. Recommended: make a table about the produre:

  Patient number	Dental issues	Treatment	note
  1	tooth 12 has cares	Remove the corrsion, apply acid etching, rinse with water, apply primer....	Patient has high blood pressure

• Do not block the way or stand too close to the patients
• Talk to the assistants, dental hygienists, patients, etc. Initiating a conversation is super important skill for a dentist.

How many hours do I need?

The hours varies based the school. Most applicants have at least 100 shadowing hours. You could distribute your shadowing hour between serveral different dentists. You could check the newest shadowing hour requirements from all dental school HERE.