As a pre-dental student, I was eager to get as much exposure to dentistry as possible. With each opportunity, it solidified my reasons for wanting to become a dentist, expanded my knowledge of the field, and helped me grow as an individual. Demonstrating that you have meaningful dental experience is an important component of the application process and will position you as a strong candidate. Oftentimes, dental schools have specific requirements for dental shadowing to make sure you have a genuine interest in dentistry, rather than more generally in medicine and other health-related professions. Shadowing is a great place to start getting your feet wet.
Here are some other creative avenues you can take to explore dentistry and showcase your true passion and commitment as an applicant:
Shadow a general dentist and start to explore the different dental specialties
Many schools require a certain amount of shadowing hours as part of your application. Finding a dentist is not always easy, but I would recommend starting with any dentists you may already know. Ask your own dentist if you can shadow them or if they know anyone you can reach out to. Shadowing a general dentist will give you a solid foundation for the different procedures and type of work within dentistry as a whole. If you want to go a step further, try shadowing a few of the dental specialties periodontology, prosthodontics, pediatrics, oral surgery, endodontics, or orthodontics. This can give you greater insight into the more specific areas of dentistry and tailor your interests. It can even help you navigate your dental school career by giving you an idea of what specialty you might want to pursue once you get there.
Become a dental assistant
Dental assisting is a great way to get more hands-on experience because you have a closer view of the patient’s mouth and are actively involved in providing patient care. I spent my gap year working as a dental assistant at a community health center and assisting dentists doing their residency program. Through this opportunity, I learned how to take dental x-rays and became familiar with the steps of dental procedures and the different instruments and materials used. There are varying levels of what work a dental assistant might do, depending on the office. You might ask the dentist you shadow if you could progress from shadowing to assisting them. Another tip is looking into job postings online. Many offices or health centers may be looking for assistants and sometimes specify in the description that previous experience is not required, which is exactly how I found my own dental assisting job!
Pursue dental related research
Another angle for becoming more well-versed in dentistry from an academic standpoint is to pursue dental related research. Any science related research can be helpful for your application, but one focused on dentistry may be less common among applicants and can help you stand out. This might mean seeking existing dental research, such as if your college has a dental school and you find a faculty member willing to let you join their team, or pioneering your own independent project. You can also try and write for your school science journal about dental topics. I wrote an article for the Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science on periodontal health and how it relates to cardiovascular disease, which helped me understand these connections better from an academic perspective.
Attend pre-dental events
Attending pre-dental hands-on workshops or events with dentists can also be a great way to get more dental exposure and connect with your fellow pre-dental peers. For example, Tufts hosts a pre-dental day where prospective applicants can practice doing a dental filling on a plastic tooth. If your school has a pre-dental club, they may host events with dentists where they show you examples of their patient cases, which is another way to engage with the clinical aspects of dentistry without necessarily being directly in an office!
Comments