Written by Ana Elefterescu
6:00 AM – My Day Begins…
Mornings as a 4th year dental student are a mix of routine and resolve. My alarm blares at 6:00 AM, and for a few moments, I stare at the ceiling, contemplating how different life would be if I ran a cozy little cafe instead of balancing forceps and drills. But then reality kicks in; I’ve come this far, and despite the early starts and long days, I know I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.
7:00 AM – Scrubs On, Coffee In Hand
By 7:00 AM, I’m up and dressed in my scrubs (thankfully I don’t have to spend a stressful hour figuring out what to wear every day), mentally preparing for the day ahead. My morning coffee is more of a ritual than a necessity, with 90% milk and 10% espresso, because as a dental student shaky hands are not an option. Fourth year is when everything comes together; I finally get to put years of theory and practice into real patient care.
8:00 AM – Clinic Begins: Where Skills Meet Confidence
No more plastic teeth. No more redoing a prep five times because “it’s just simulation clinic.” You get to see real people with real problems who really expect you to know what you’re doing. The fact that someone is counting on me gives me a deep sense of responsibility but also an incredible feeling of accomplishment at the end of each appointment.
Before my first patient arrives, I review their chart and prepare. The first case of the day is often a broken tooth that needs saving. This is where problem solving meets creativity; do I go for an extraction, or can I restore it? Every case is like a puzzle, and successfully navigating these challenges is one of the most rewarding parts of clinical practice.
12:30 PM – Lunch Break (Brief but Blissful)
I’m the kind of person whose ability to push through demanding days is directly proportional to my blood glucose levels, so lunch is non-negotiable. Thankfully, my room is only three minutes from the campus student clinic, so I speedwalk back and inhale a tuna toastie. During this quiet hour, I get to recharge and journal about my morning, reflecting on why I love what I do; the privilege of restoring a patient’s smile, working alongside my friends and peers, and the excitement of learning something new every day.
Just as I’m happily daydreaming, I hear the familiar whoosh of incoming emails reminding me that either I have an online pros lecture till 7:30 PM or an ortho quiz the next day. But even with the workload, there’s a certain thrill in mastering new concepts and realising how much I’ve grown since my first year.
1:00 PM – Afternoon Clinic: Teamwork in Dentistry
The afternoon clinic is where things get fun. My main job is now hunting down a million materials, speed wiping every surface in sight, and pretending I have any sense of order, but my favourite part is trying to predict what my clinic partner will say he needs before he asks for it. Having gone through it earlier that day means that I’m warmed up in all things dentistry and get to support my friend as he treats his patients, just as he was there for me.
4:00 PM – Notes, Growth, and Extra Curriculars
Clinic may be over, but the day isn’t. Writing up patient notes is an exercise in discipline, ensuring every detail is documented. I then have about two hours of lectures before I get to spend some time working on the Brace Yourself podcast that I run for the Australian Dental Students Association. It’s a busy life, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
7:00 PM – Balancing Study and Well-being
Some nights, I make it to the gym, reminding myself that holding a mirror for hours doesn’t quite count as upper-body strength training. Other nights, I focus on assignments, meetings, and podcast episodes. It’s a balancing act, but one that teaches time management and perseverance.
10:30 PM – Reflecting on the Journey
As the day winds down, I reflect on the patients I’ve helped, the skills I’ve honed, and the challenges I’ve tackled. Dentistry is demanding, but it’s also deeply fulfilling. Every extraction, every restoration, and every patient interaction reinforces why I chose this path. It’s a career where I can make a real impact, and that’s what keeps me going.
By 11:00 PM, I finally crash, knowing that tomorrow will bring new cases, new lessons, and more opportunities to grow. And despite the long hours, I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything.
Charlie blog is a SSAF funded initiative.
