What to Wear Dental Shadowing
Updated: Aug 24
You've scheduled your first shadowing appointment scheduled! Now, what will you wear?!
Ask the Dentist/Front Office
When scheduling your shadowing, one thing you should ask is what they prefer you to wear to the office. They may give you something specific, or they could simply say "something nice". It can be difficult to interpret this as everyone has their own interpretation of "nice".
Our Recommendations
In nearly every circumstance, we would recommend business casual. You don't need to wear a complete suit & tie or an elegant dress, but you are there
to impress. Remember, you are probably going to ask for a letter of recommendation later! You want to impress not only the dentist, but the staff, patients, and even yourself! The dentist will likely take input from all these sources when writing your letter.
Men
Business casual for men is typically pretty straightforward. We have included some examples with links below. We would recommend the following:
1. A Button-Up Shirt: preferably something more on the conservative side. Some offices may say a polo works fine as well. Make sure it is clean and ironed before you go!
2. Dress Pants: make sure they are clean and pressed as well!
3. A Nice Belt
4. Dress Shoes: it wouldn't hurt if they were shined also!
5. Socks that match your pants
6. Tie (Optional)
Women
We provide more examples and links for each of our following recommendations:
1. A Nice Blouse: similar to the men, something more conservative is usually preferred.
2. Dess Pants: these are usually preferred to skirts to avoid any problems with spills or splatters.
3. Flats-you will be on your feet all day, heels can really take a toll!
4. Stud earrings or no earrings
Other Tips
Keep your makeup conservative. You'll look professional and beautiful!
Avoid perfume/cologne. You may not realize it, but that scent you use might feel overwhelming to someone in the office or a patient. They may even be allergic.
Run a brush through your hair. Nothing fancy here, but we don't want you to look like you just woke up.
Remember to smile! Your smile is the most important thing that you'll be wearing! :)
Overall, do your best to look professional and tidy and you'll be set!
We hope you found this article and examples helpful. Is there something you regret wearing when you were shadowing? What articles of clothing are you not sure about wearing? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
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