Do I have what it takes to volunteer/work in a dental office? If not, is there somewhere else that would work?

I am a 16-year-old sophmore in high school and very interested in a career as a dentist. I'm looking to get either some job experience or at least know a little more about the dental profession, so I was thinking about volunteering in a dentist's office. The problem is that I have absolutely no job nor volunteer experience, and obviously wondering if I would be allowed to job shadow/volunteer, or even get on-the-job training as a dental assistant (I live in a state that requires no formal certification). I have a 4.0 gpa, a tremendous interest in science, a CPR/first-aid card, played an instrument for more than ten years, taken Spanish for four academic years, and have gotten my HIV/AIDS card/certification. Do employers or offices even care about things like extra-curricular activities, other languages, or interests? I've gotten mixed signals about to what employers actually pay attention, so I really need clarification on that. If I am too young or lack the experience to volunteer or job shadow with at a dental office, what other kinds of things would I be able to do now, like as a part-time job? I thoroughly enjoy researching and learning about cars, and would like to know about anything along that line. If possible, I would really appreciate it if someone in the dental profession could answer my questions about the job shadowing. Anyway, thanks!
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If I were you I would ask around. You might start with your own dentist. Most professionals are honored when a young student is seriously interested in the profession. I used to work at a veterinary hospital and the vet specializing in reptiles showed a high school student around the hospital on a tour and gave him advice. I remember him warning that there is little to no money in reptiles. Would you be interested in volunteering at a hospital? They often have programs for volunteers and value your time. I was a Candy Striper in my high school years at the local V A hospital. There were dentists working there. I spent all of my time with the patients.
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