I enhanced my foundational knowledge by shadowing in a private dental office tha

I enhanced my foundational knowledge by shadowing in a private dental office that especially has both general and orthodontic doctors. Over six hundred hours of assisting, I’m familiar with the preparation of tools for various procedures and at the same time being an expert of how different instruments work with their associated functions. One of the particular things that I recently learned and have attempted is the 3D scanning technology in the orthodontic side. During this procedure, cameras are inserted into the patient’s mouth and within several minutes of scanning, a digital image with more accuracy and oral details are generated. One of the greatest benefits is it directly makes dentist and patient easier since patients no longer need to tolerate impression material in the tray which can potentially cause a vomiting reflex. Realizing being a reputed dentist is not just soft and hard skills but also needs to stand from the patient’s perspective, from insurance benefit or from their treatment plan. Always showing the service principle of “patient-centered” is the key to becoming a successful dentist. Besides assisting, I like to find outside opportunities to study more about dentistry, such as attending last year’s AAO annual session in Chicago. As a genuine student visitor it was a great pleasure to see many prestigious dentists or influencers sharing their research and findings inside the lecture hall. Which also taught me dentists is a career that requires lifelong learning, the clinical techniques or treatment options are constantly evolving and changing therefore must continuously stay up-to-date, and that is the key to become a competent and knowledgeable dentist.