Shadowing at an Orthodontist office

Last week I did my first shadowing. I am shadowing at an Orthodontist office. I developed an intense interest in dentistry when I became a junior in college. I had arrived at the Doctors office early morning. I was in an excellent form-well dressed. I paused momentarily at the corridor of the building not knowing how the doctor I am shadowing with looked like. It was a quite building. I was just taking precautions not to make mistakes in my first day at this dentist office. There is always something that shatters once self-esteem even though you are as confident as you can be. From no where a vague feeling of uneasiness crept on me. I was afraid how the Doctor would view me as a potential dentist wannabe. This has been a wave of deep depression. I tried to deceive my heart that I am doing something that I have always wanted to do. And that was being a dentist. The journey has just begun. I have an entrance exam to ace and a shadowing experience to accomplish before I set a foot in a dental school. I walked through the main door looking as a sharp as an iron blade. I found the receptions staring at me in a minute. She smiled at me when I came in thinking that may be I am a new patient that needed braces. “How can I help you?” She said. “I am a new student” I spluttered. “But who are you to see here?” She said. “Sorry” I said, a little abashed. I am here to see DR X.



I shall never forget my first sight of patient’s teeth. I was reluctant at first to look into people’s mouth, but I had to bring myself to do it. Perhaps it is because I have never seen or touch other people’s mouth other than occasional girlfriends that have swung my way! Interest grows and grows until they become passion. I was puzzled to witness the Doctor attach the braces to the patients using glues and wires. The Doctor deftly with his hands attached every brace meticulously without damaging the patients gum. I followed the Doctor around. I glanced at the Doctor who was working with excitement. He was a nice guy. Every time I asked a question he responded with the utmost respect and with a nod that was civil. The Image I formed of the young Doctor was an industrious one. It struck me at the moment that human beings are not all the same. Here he was a young American doctor with an eyes as blue as the sky can be, mentoring a young man from the poorest of the nations. I was considerably taken aback by the level of the professionalism this doctor has shown me. I left the dentist office with a satisfied and expressive hope. Such a charming invitation from the doctor made me love the Orthodontist profession. I was as clear as I wished about the direction I am going to take in my life when I left the Dentist office. Wild ideas about how I will study hard for the dental admission test flashed on my face. Now I can yell “open bite with severe crowding, Posterior cross bite, bimaxillary protrusive and non-extraction!!!” in my dreams
.