Dental Shadowing Internships

My main role during this internship was to observe, learn, and ask questions about dentistry. I was able to shadow a general dentist, oral surgeon, and prosthodontist at the clinic. Some examples of procedures included general cleanings, crowns/bridges/dentures, implants, root canals, and tooth extractions. I was also able to learn about new technologies within the field, including guided implant placements. Since I do not currently hold any professional dental certification, tasks were not able to be performed on the patients. However, I was able to help out with operatory setup/clean-up, and sterilization. I was able to witness a variety of dental procedures and understand how dentistry in Greece varies slightly from dentistry in Canada. All of this knowledge and experience has helped me to solidify my career aspirations within dentistry. Some specific skills include dental terminology, and interpersonal skills/patient-professional interactions. My favourite memory was being able to witness an abutment placement (for a dental implant). This was the most complicated case I had seen thus far, and my supervisors explained everything and answered questions, while performing this procedure. After completing my internship experience, I now feel on a personal level, more mature and responsible. Travelling on my own in a new country has been an eye-opening and welcome experience. Furthermore, I now feel more confident in my interactions with others. I gained a wealth of knowledge from my two weeks of shadowing and solidified that this path is what I want for my future career.

I enjoyed everything in the internship - it was 100% worth it, I learned a lot and met new people that were amazingly helpful. From day one, I was made to feel like I’d always been part of the team. They taught and helped me in all ways - I honestly cannot find any substandard points to comment on, because this team gave me everything they could. I found that the locals enjoyed each moment by assisting you with happiness, which made my adaptation to the placement easier. I got what I expected from this internship, as it helped me to improve my own skills, while learning new skills that can help in the future. The doctors taught me how to deliver the ideas of the treatment to the patient, how I should communicate with patients, and how to implement a treatment plan (from the first step, through till the final step). This is going to help in my future postgraduate studies, because treatment plans are so important. My favorite memory from the internship was when we helped a patient by replacing his posterior teeth. This memory will stay with me for a long time, because it made a huge impact on the patient’s quality of life.