scared to volunteer at a dentist office.

[futuredentist23]

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hey all,
i called a dentist office to volunteer (to look good in the application) and they said no, which was totally cool with me. BUT! i got scared after they treated me like i was wasting my time AND hers and wasn't polite about it at all. I was like..uhh... 😕 AFTER THEN, i got a little uncomfortable and now i don't know how to begin. how did YOU get in to volunteer at a dentist office? and what do you do when your in? do you just roam around and touch things here and there?..haha..too many questions.

 

[dental poopie]

hey all,
i called a dentist office to volunteer (to look good in the application) and they said no, which was totally cool with me. BUT! i got scared after they treated me like i was wasting my time AND hers and wasn't polite about it at all. I was like..uhh... 😕 AFTER THEN, i got a little uncomfortable and now i don't know how to begin. how did YOU get in to volunteer at a dentist office? and what do you do when your in? do you just roam around and touch things here and there?..haha..too many questions.

call your school to set something up.

or call a dental clinic

 

[crazy_sherm]

It might be easier if you started by asking your own dentist, or the dentist that your friends or family go to. At least that way, they have a personal reference and know you're someone they can trust. If you're going to ask random dentists, try asking in person rather than on the phone. It'll probably come across better.

 

[dexadental]

The ASDA chapter at your school or predental club should have references. I found the dentist I shadow through ASDA,, they should have a list of dentists open to taking students.

 

[IWuvTeef]

ask in person; it's harder for them to say no to your face.

don't get discouraged, just be persistant. trust me, you will get more "yes's" than "no's". dentists like to show how mighty they are and like to show off their skills to us underlings 😛

once you get in, just throw on a pair of scrubs or some dress clothes. most of what you'll be doing is observing dental procedures, holding instruments for the doc, and asking a lot of questions. 😉

good luck. you'll see alot of cool things. i loved shadowing.

 

[grinningrice]

ask in person; it's harder for them to say no to your face.

don't get discouraged, just be persistant. trust me, you will get more "yes's" than "no's". dentists like to show how mighty they are and like to show off their skills to us underlings 😛

once you get in, just throw on a pair of scrubs or some dress clothes. most of what you'll be doing is observing dental procedures, holding instruments for the doc, and asking a lot of questions. 😉

good luck. you'll see alot of cool things. i loved shadowing.

I agree with you, its way harder for them to say no to your face. Also, dentists like it when you take initiative, come prepared and bring your resume. Good luck

 

[dental poopie]

I agree with you, its way harder for them to say no to your face. Also, dentists like it when you take initiative, come prepared and bring your resume. Good luck

Jesus, dont be scared to ask to shadow. Be scared when you have a tooth ache instead.


Most dentists are real pricks behind the public curtain. I know I have worked with them.

Their jobs are very stressful and most work alot more than SDN posts lead you to believe.

Dentistry is not an 8-5 job.

Heck, thats why they take fridays off. Cause they already got 40 hours in!!!

 

[ItsGavinC]

Just keep asking. It's no big deal. Some will say no and many will say yes. Let them know your specific interests and where you are in the application process.

Most importantly, don't volunteer to look good in the application (as you put it), but do it to become more familiar with your future profession.

 

[IWuvTeef]

Most importantly, don't volunteer to look good in the application (as you put it), but do it to become more familiar with your future profession.

right on! 👍

 

[msf41]

I find it odd that some people are having trouble getting into shadow dentists. I shadowed 7-8 different offices and they were all helpful (accept one who was always too busy). good luck.

 

[tam0026]

It might be easier if you started by asking your own dentist, or the dentist that your friends or family go to. At least that way, they have a personal reference and know you're someone they can trust. If you're going to ask random dentists, try asking in person rather than on the phone. It'll probably come across better.

That is what i did. I went in for a routine cleanign and asked if they needed some extra help and if i coudl shadow. You will feel like an idiot b/c there's not much can do but stand around and watch and lead patients in, etc. But that's what you're there for: to be a shadow! Just bite the bullet; Patients will be rude, sometimes the dentist can have a bad day, just go w/ the flow and try to expose yourself to as much as you can.

 

[Generallee]

hey all,
i called a dentist office to volunteer (to look good in the application) and they said no, which was totally cool with me. BUT! i got scared after they treated me like i was wasting my time AND hers and wasn't polite about it at all. I was like..uhh... 😕 AFTER THEN, i got a little uncomfortable and now i don't know how to begin. how did YOU get in to volunteer at a dentist office? and what do you do when your in? do you just roam around and touch things here and there?..haha..too many questions.

Just curious, where are you located?

 

[budge311]

Just keep asking and be persistant. Be interested in who these dentist are and what they are doing because for the most part people are flattered to know that people are interested in them and as a result will want to tell you everything about themselves and their job. Once that happens you will be on their good list.

Be interested, don't try to be interesting.

 

[lunguv]

I never got denied by dentists when I asked them to shadow, but then again I only shadowed three dentists. But I always knew what to say if they tried to deny me

Me: Hey can I shadow you?

Dentist: No I am very busy and I can’t waste time because I have to make money to pay for my Porsche 911 turbo.

Me: Don't hate me because I am beautiful! 😀

Dentist: You are right, ok come shadow me starting this Monday!

So...yeah...just try that line 😛 … should work 40% of the time...everytime!!

 

[Sprgrover]

I agree with you, its way harder for them to say no to your face. Also, dentists like it when you take initiative, come prepared and bring your resume. Good luck

One thing to keep in mind is that private dental offices are for-profit entities. Basically time is money that is one reason why a lot of dentists might not be open to the idea of taking on a volunteer dental assistant (versus shadowing, which is a different thing) - they want procedures done as quickly and professionally as possible. Second, some might be hesitant from a labor standpoint. Worstcase scenario is that a volunteer could turn around and sue over 'missing wages' and the 'rich' dentist is left with the volunteer defense.

 

[Biogirl361]

are you asking to volunteer as in to shadow or as in to actually do stuff? almost any dentist will not mind you hanging around and shadowing, but fewer are open to actually letting you get your hands on with their practice. Maybe you can start off by just shadowing a few dentists, and if you find one who seems really helpful and lets you come back often then eventually you could ask to help with some of the easier things. then depending on how that goes you might be allowed to move on to more advanced assisting, etc.

 

[Kirk-]

futuredentist23-you went about it all wrong by cold calling an office. Most times, the person you are speaking with is the front office manager/receptionist. While the Doc would be a much easier sell on a cold call, the front office people are tough for many reasons.
My advice would be the same as many on the thread, just ask the dentist who you regularly see.....you do have a dentist don't you?-LOL, if not, ask the pre-dental department about docs in the area who have mentioned that they are interested in mentoring. Good luck-you should ask a lot of q's(when appropriate) and this will actually help you in pre-clinic.
kirk dmd

 

[Godspeedyou]

I am not sure how some people are able to shadow so many clinics. I have only been able to track down 1 so far...

Strong 9 year bump. OP now is probably one of the 9/10 dentists recommending Sensodyne on the commercials