Dentistry
Mentor: Dr. Abby Wu
Belle Chung, Hilda Tse and Antonya Ng
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We went to Amazing Brace Orthodontics on 20 July for a job shadowing experience related to dentistry. This clinic specializes in orthodontics. We had the opportunity to observe a total of 8 patients from different age groups (teenagers to adults). During the job shadowing, we had the chance to learn about the dentist's communication with the patients and her daily routine. Typically, the dentist would ask the patient to rinse their mouth first and inquire about their condition before starting the treatment.
Furthermore, we learned how the dentist demonstrates her care and helps alleviate patient fears. For instance, one of the patients was slightly scared about orthodontic procedures. While she was in the chair, the dentist handed her a squeeze toy to hold and press on, which helped her anxiety. This also reinforced the importance of providing comfort and reassurance towards patients, as well as giving us a brief idea of the qualities a dentist should possess.
In addition to learning by observing treatments, we also had the opportunity to learn from the dental assistant, Abbie. She taught us about different types of braces using models such as Twin Blocks (aided with 3D videos) to provide us with a more concrete and precise understanding of the dental procedures. This experience provided us with more information and conditions about what we might encounter when we study dentistry in university, and would certainly be useful in the future.
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Mentor: Dr. Ng Poon Yun, Jennifer
Cindy Leung & Christy Yue
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Through our mentor’s sharing of her experiences in a dental school, we learnt more about different roles of a dentist and the qualities required. She demonstrated how to act, what to say and do when consulting patients.
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Afterwards, we were taught how to create a dental model and operate dental x-rays. We even had our teeth x-rayed and were briefly explained how to analyze the dental radiographs. This experience has truly piqued our interest in studying dentistry and also motivated us to strive towards our goals.
Mentor: Dr. Meika Cheong
Chloe Leung
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Through this half-day job shadowing, I gained more insights into what it is like to work as a dentist. I am grateful to have this opportunity to shadow Dr. Cheong, who gave me very inspiring responses and ideas.
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From our conversation, I learnt about Dr. Cheong’s motivations and her major takeaways as a dentist. Also, through observing her practice, I learnt the qualities of being a dentist, which included empathetic, attentive and meticulous when handling patients. Being empathetic and attentive is really important as it is the major key to building good relationships with patients and allow them to trust you. I also noticed how her attentiveness and encouragement allowed patients to feel at ease and relax. Dr. Cheong also showed some small dental operations such as root canal surgery which I found interesting.
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Through this job-shadowing, I have developed a clearer direction on choosing my own career path, allowing me to think if I am suitable for this career. Gaining first-hand observations is definitely helpful in understanding and learning about my potential career in the future. Overall, this job-shadowing experience is invaluable and useful to me, and I am thankful to have this experience!
