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Dentistry Work experience

Hi,

I am in yr12 and I am going to apply for dentistry. For this to happen I need to do work experience at dental clinics. The thing is I have really bad social anxiety and I am afraid to speak to people. I know that this will help me stop being like that but I can't get myself to just do it. I don't know whether to apply to a dentist or orthodontist. If I was going to apply to an orthodontist I would apply to the one I went to last month, they were really nice but also they rejected me for braces so it's kind of awkward lol. Other places are my dentists which are nearby. If any of you guys did work experience at a dentist/orthodontist could you give me an idea of how it would play out? Thank you
With COVID, it will be unlikely that you can have work experience in person. Have you looked at the dentistry work experience couse on futurelearn by the university of Sheffield?
As above, it will be quite difficult to get in-person dental work experience at the moment so I’d have a look around for online/virtual opportunities too.

However, that shouldn’t stop you from trying to look for work experience. I did work experience at my dentist - I (or rather, my mum) asked him at my appointment and he agreed to it, so it was as simple as that. Alternatively you could email lots of practices, call or visit in person and ask if they have any work experience opportunities.
Reply 3
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Markvokin
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11
Original post by Mesopotamian.
As above, it will be quite difficult to get in-person dental work experience at the moment so I’d have a look around for online/virtual opportunities too.

However, that shouldn’t stop you from trying to look for work experience. I did work experience at my dentist - I (or rather, my mum) asked him at my appointment and he agreed to it, so it was as simple as that. Alternatively you could email lots of practices, call or visit in person and ask if they have any work experience opportunities.

Thank you for the response, if I was going to ask is it wrong to ask an orthodontist and not a dentist. Also when you did work experience what did you do and how many times a week did u go and recommend to go
Original post by Markvokin
Thank you for the response, if I was going to ask is it wrong to ask an orthodontist and not a dentist. Also when you did work experience what did you do and how many times a week did u go and recommend to go

Orthodontists are dentists who have specialised in orthodontics, so it’s absolutely fine to gain work experience with them, as it is in any specialty.
I went about 3-4 times for 2 weeks. I mostly watched the dentist interacting with their patients and sometimes I assisted them and the nurses in preparing the surgery and disinfecting instruments. I also helped in reception.
Reply 5
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Markvokin
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HI,

So i've contacted a few dental/orthodontic clinics, but none of them have replied. I need to do work experience as i believe i won't have time to do them next year in yr 13. One of the orthodontics i am eager to do work experience in has not replied but i emailed them on friday and maybe it went to the bottom of their emails as it's closed on saturday and sunday. Should i email them again or is that pushing it
Email again, what will you lose? nothing What can you gain? possibly work experience. So go ahead, no harm in emailing again
Reply 7
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Markvokin
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Hi,

I am in yr12, I've emailed a few dental places and they all said that they don't offer work experience due to the pandemic. Is there any other option to gain work experience that gives a similar experience to in person.
Reply 8
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Markvokin
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Anyone
Reply 9
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Markvokin
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Hi, so I’m in yr12 and I want to do dentistry at uni. I’ve emailed 15 dental/ortho practises to work experience in my area. So basically all the practises in my area. Only one replied and they says no. I get it might be because of the pandemic but pandemic has nearly gone. All restrictions have been lifted. What should I do
Original post by Markvokin
Hi, so I’m in yr12 and I want to do dentistry at uni. I’ve emailed 15 dental/ortho practises to work experience in my area. So basically all the practises in my area. Only one replied and they says no. I get it might be because of the pandemic but pandemic has nearly gone. All restrictions have been lifted. What should I do

I would maybe wait until the summer holidays and ask a few places again. A lot of dentists in my area are barely seeing patients at the moment so its not surprising that they are still cautious about letting anybody into the surgery who doesn't strictly need to be there. Try Discover dentistry with Sheffield uni, its an online course which gives you a little insight into the field and different aspects of it, I'm pretty sure it was free too.
I’ve merged all your work experience threads into one thread - there’s no need to create several threads on the same topic within a close frame of time. You’ve been given some good advice before which is to seek out virtual experience if in-person experience is proving difficult to secure.
Original post by Markvokin
Hi, so I’m in yr12 and I want to do dentistry at uni. I’ve emailed 15 dental/ortho practises to work experience in my area. So basically all the practises in my area. Only one replied and they says no. I get it might be because of the pandemic but pandemic has nearly gone. All restrictions have been lifted. What should I do


it would be better to call them in order to get a direct response

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