Hmmm... where do I begin?
The latter part of my summer vaca was relaxing and yet still productive. I enjoyed the time I spent in my hometown catching up on all of the simple things. :) My son was able to play with his cousins every day and in spite of the heavy class schedule I'm used to, the summer was the perfect solution to end my science course burn-out.
After I completed the first session of summer classes (late June), I contacted a couple of dental offices in an effort to continue building upon my already established "shadowing hours." Now for those who don't know a prospective candidate must complete a certain amount of hours of "Dental observation" during their own personal free time in which they observe a practicing dentist while they are actually working.
Initially I started out shadowing at a health department type of clinical setting for about 6 months and this summer was the first time I was able to shadow at a private practice. For about a month and a half I shadowed a Pediatric Dentist for two days at the beginning of the week, each week and I loved the experience! The knowledge I gained from the Doc will carry me far.
Each time I was there in the office the staff treated me as though they had known me for years and I began to feel this just during the second week of interning. lol The office was very busy each time I was there and there were about 8-9 assistants and one dental hygienist. I was a little sad to leave but all of their genuine well wishes for the upcoming fall semester made the time I spent there worthwhile. Great connections were made and the dentist on his own initiative called a general dentist friend of his to put in a good word for me in order to keep me busy once the school semester begins. Talk about God's favor! :)
A few terms I learned more about:
Prophylaxis- teeth cleaning
Scaling- removal of calculus, plaque, tartar, etc.
Abscessed tooth- an infection that leads to swelling and a build up of pus which affects the nerve of the tooth.
Pulpectomy- removal of all of the material in the pulp chamber and root canal of the tooth
Impacted tooth- a tooth that fails to erupt through the gum within a specific time
Some of my favorite operations:
The cutting of the upper labial frenum, Countless extractions, Countless crowns, Numerous Sealants or "tooth painting" to prevent the permanent teeth from getting cavities, Fillings done with amalgam, Dental impressions for braces, and countless other Orthodontic procedures.
The latter part of my summer vaca was relaxing and yet still productive. I enjoyed the time I spent in my hometown catching up on all of the simple things. :) My son was able to play with his cousins every day and in spite of the heavy class schedule I'm used to, the summer was the perfect solution to end my science course burn-out.
After I completed the first session of summer classes (late June), I contacted a couple of dental offices in an effort to continue building upon my already established "shadowing hours." Now for those who don't know a prospective candidate must complete a certain amount of hours of "Dental observation" during their own personal free time in which they observe a practicing dentist while they are actually working.
Initially I started out shadowing at a health department type of clinical setting for about 6 months and this summer was the first time I was able to shadow at a private practice. For about a month and a half I shadowed a Pediatric Dentist for two days at the beginning of the week, each week and I loved the experience! The knowledge I gained from the Doc will carry me far.
Each time I was there in the office the staff treated me as though they had known me for years and I began to feel this just during the second week of interning. lol The office was very busy each time I was there and there were about 8-9 assistants and one dental hygienist. I was a little sad to leave but all of their genuine well wishes for the upcoming fall semester made the time I spent there worthwhile. Great connections were made and the dentist on his own initiative called a general dentist friend of his to put in a good word for me in order to keep me busy once the school semester begins. Talk about God's favor! :)
A few terms I learned more about:
Prophylaxis- teeth cleaning
Scaling- removal of calculus, plaque, tartar, etc.
Abscessed tooth- an infection that leads to swelling and a build up of pus which affects the nerve of the tooth.
Pulpectomy- removal of all of the material in the pulp chamber and root canal of the tooth
Impacted tooth- a tooth that fails to erupt through the gum within a specific time
Some of my favorite operations:
The cutting of the upper labial frenum, Countless extractions, Countless crowns, Numerous Sealants or "tooth painting" to prevent the permanent teeth from getting cavities, Fillings done with amalgam, Dental impressions for braces, and countless other Orthodontic procedures.