Shadowing/Assisting/Volunteering

[urluvzaddicting]

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Hi. I was wondering if shadowing is more important than assististing?
I have shadowed before, and all I do is watch the dentist. But sometimes its difficult because the dentist is covering the patient's mouth. I also have to look from afar.

I have never assisted but I want to. How will I do that? Do I ask the dentist if I can assist him and he trains me? Or do I have to go to another year of schooling for that? How may I approach the dentist?

For volunteering, where would be best to volunteer? At a hospital or dental office? How can I approach the dentist to ask him to volunteer? Would I be asking him to help him clean his utensils?

I am still a bit confused on what to do, and what to expect and how to approach things. Does anyone know that can help! Thank you!

 

[the prodogy]

I'm kind of glad you asked this question. I was also wondering about shadowing and assisting.

 

[sachmo23]

as a person who has both shadowed and assisted i cant believe theres even a question about which is better. Shadowing allows you to watch what a dentist does. Assisting allows you to not only watch a dentist from a closer angle, but to actually take part in the process as well. Ask anyone which is the better experience, passively watching or actively participating on anything and its clear. As an assistant, I was completely involved allowing me to fully understand the procedure and the reasons behind each step. This is much more difficult while shadowing as the dentist can often block your view and you have no idea what the use is of each instrument. As for how i started assisting, I originally took up a rover position at a local dental office. It basically consisted of sterilizing, cleaning and setting up rooms and trays, and clerical work. About 6 months in, my dentist determined that i had enough experience to take the next step. He gave me the chance to assist during an amalgam filling and it absolutely blew my mind. Trust me that you have no idea until you actually experience it.

 

[sachmo23]

In general, if you want any dental-related position you should explain to the dentist that you are a student who is interested in the profession and would like to gain more experience. Start with talking to your dentist, who you should already have a good relationship with. If he says no ask him if he knows any other dentists that are looking to hire students. Also try asking your friends to see if their dentist is looking for someone. Worse case scenario: try the yellow pages and just call offices or go down to an office complex and pass out your resume. If you have any other questions just pm me.

 

[keving]

Very good advice, sachmo, that's exactly what I did and dental assisting is multiple times better than shadowing. It also gives you a reason to be there, which doens't make the patient feel all weird!