A dental student's journal.
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Haiti 2012
Tomorrow I'll be taking off on my first ever international outreach! Ever since I decided on a career in dentistry, international work has been something that I've wanted to do. We'll be departing from JFK at 9AM and landing in Port-au-Prince early afternoon. I'll be traveling with For Hope International, which is an agency that a friend of mine traveled with last year. Our team consists of 30 volunteers who will be providing medical, dental, optometry and physical therapy services. With the craziness of the holidays, I've learned a bit of Haitian Creole to speak to the natives. I've heard some speak English, and Spanish which is great and I hope I run into them! I'll be keeping something of a journal of the adventure, and plan to bombard blogspot with pictures and stories when I return.
In terms of prophylaxis I've already been equipped with the Hep vaccines, MMR and others from my entrance into dental school, so the only supplement I needed was a typhoid vaccine. I also began Malarone, for malaria prophylaxis yesterday. The pill makes me a bit lethargic but that also could be a side effect from the constant eating of the holiday...nonetheless it's nothing significant.
But for now, back to Christmas festivities, Happy Holidays to all!
In terms of prophylaxis I've already been equipped with the Hep vaccines, MMR and others from my entrance into dental school, so the only supplement I needed was a typhoid vaccine. I also began Malarone, for malaria prophylaxis yesterday. The pill makes me a bit lethargic but that also could be a side effect from the constant eating of the holiday...nonetheless it's nothing significant.
But for now, back to Christmas festivities, Happy Holidays to all!
Monday, December 17, 2012
D2.5
Fall Semester, FINALLY OVER, and it feels incredible. Here's what our Finals Week looked like for any interested parties:
While I still need to do the actual Course Evaluation Surveys, I figured giving my own two cents here would be fun also.
Indirect Restorations I
Super frustrating course for me at first. Crown preparations are extremely specific. We're talking 1/4mm, or a couple degree differences and your restoration fails, specific. And Dr. Kim really drove that point home with the grading as far as I'm concerned. Nonetheless you learn a ton if you seek to. Like most things in dentistry the only way to really improve is a ton of practice. And when it comes to Indirect, not just doing a ton of crown preparations, but also critically evaluating each one afterwards. What really made things clear for me was doing one practice a day, then evaluating each aspect of it according to the criteria sheet given. I was lucky enough to have a tutor and upperclassmen friends who could also take a look and let me know if my self evaluation was correct. Indirect made me realize dentists not only need to have "golden hands" but "golden eyes" as well. Before you can create, you need the vision. I'm not ashamed to say, I definitely came from humble beginnings in that class after the first practical, but after the last practicals and competency I definitely feel competent and able when it comes to crown preparations. We also do some inlay and onlay preps, and go through the whole casting process...but I think we know that's probably never happening outside dental school
Lectures I thought were okay in the beginning, but really interesting toward the end of the semester when we talked about treatment planning and complex prosthodontic cases. Overall, I'm sure there are many complaints about the class, but I think it comes down to how much work you want to put in and the people you trust to help you.
Direct Restorations - Amalgams
The heading pretty much says it all. I personally just love direct restorations. They're quick and fun. There's lots of faculty walking around during lab so help isn't usually far. After the course I'm not really sure if I prefer amalgam over resin, or viceversa. The faculty really make it clear that both have their advantages and indications. I think amalgam is a little more strenuous at first to work with because you really need to condense well, but resin takes work as well. Carving amalgam takes practice. That may have been the only struggle I can think of in this class, but practice and you learn by the end. Direct ruled.
Regional Anesthesia
So this one hour per week class on Friday morning is easily one of the most important in dental school. Dr. Hall is great and stands by his words when he says "he does not lecture, he teaches" and in my case, scares you into learning. Anesthesia is serious business and the complications are potentially fatal if you aren't careful. You also get to give your first injections which is awesome. You receive one as well, which is also..an experience :).
Removable Prosthodontics
I thought this was probably one of the best taught classes we've had. It felt like we learned the same things over and over, but that's really just because Dr. Pusateri really keeps things to the point and makes it clear what's important. The lab periods were really helpful since the faculty again were great, at least in my part of the room. I'd say the one thing that could sneak up on people in this class is the sign off sheet. Since we have graded projects that are due on certain dates you tend to focus on those. But there's also a list of projects you're expected to complete on your own for a sign off. I honestly had some fun making dentures. The afternoon lecture wasn't as well attended as it should have been, but I felt it was useful. You'll probably get burned with wax, or hot instruments, or feel incredibly frustrated setting posterior teeth when you can't get simultaneous bilateral contacts, or passive contacts on the anterior, but you get through, and will look forward to the day you literally create someone's smile.
Oral Sciences
I don't have much to say about this one. Interesting subject matter at points, but I wasn't a huge fan. The long Monday afternoon lectures, then sometimes lab, and sometimes case study after were a little draining. Learned some cool things about the development of teeth though.
Pathology
I liked this class. Dr. Nickerson really cares about the students and finds great lecturers. Dr. Heffner uses case studies a lot to teach diseases so that makes it a little easier to pay attention if you're not a morning person. Not much else to say about this one. The lab section with slide IDing wasn't popular with everyone. I enjoyed it because it was an opportunity to apply what we knew. But in general, just another science course where you study the notes, and memorize everything.
We had a few rotations under "Clinical Dentistry" and "Integrated Dental Practice" and those are usually informative. Some moreso than others. I get the impression UBSDM really wants the students to get as much from their education and time here as they can and I'd say they're doing well. And so goes the Fall Semester, I'll have pictures from the lab up soon. Happy Holidays everyone :)
While I still need to do the actual Course Evaluation Surveys, I figured giving my own two cents here would be fun also.
Indirect Restorations I
Super frustrating course for me at first. Crown preparations are extremely specific. We're talking 1/4mm, or a couple degree differences and your restoration fails, specific. And Dr. Kim really drove that point home with the grading as far as I'm concerned. Nonetheless you learn a ton if you seek to. Like most things in dentistry the only way to really improve is a ton of practice. And when it comes to Indirect, not just doing a ton of crown preparations, but also critically evaluating each one afterwards. What really made things clear for me was doing one practice a day, then evaluating each aspect of it according to the criteria sheet given. I was lucky enough to have a tutor and upperclassmen friends who could also take a look and let me know if my self evaluation was correct. Indirect made me realize dentists not only need to have "golden hands" but "golden eyes" as well. Before you can create, you need the vision. I'm not ashamed to say, I definitely came from humble beginnings in that class after the first practical, but after the last practicals and competency I definitely feel competent and able when it comes to crown preparations. We also do some inlay and onlay preps, and go through the whole casting process...but I think we know that's probably never happening outside dental school
Lectures I thought were okay in the beginning, but really interesting toward the end of the semester when we talked about treatment planning and complex prosthodontic cases. Overall, I'm sure there are many complaints about the class, but I think it comes down to how much work you want to put in and the people you trust to help you.
Direct Restorations - Amalgams
The heading pretty much says it all. I personally just love direct restorations. They're quick and fun. There's lots of faculty walking around during lab so help isn't usually far. After the course I'm not really sure if I prefer amalgam over resin, or viceversa. The faculty really make it clear that both have their advantages and indications. I think amalgam is a little more strenuous at first to work with because you really need to condense well, but resin takes work as well. Carving amalgam takes practice. That may have been the only struggle I can think of in this class, but practice and you learn by the end. Direct ruled.
Regional Anesthesia
So this one hour per week class on Friday morning is easily one of the most important in dental school. Dr. Hall is great and stands by his words when he says "he does not lecture, he teaches" and in my case, scares you into learning. Anesthesia is serious business and the complications are potentially fatal if you aren't careful. You also get to give your first injections which is awesome. You receive one as well, which is also..an experience :).
Removable Prosthodontics
I thought this was probably one of the best taught classes we've had. It felt like we learned the same things over and over, but that's really just because Dr. Pusateri really keeps things to the point and makes it clear what's important. The lab periods were really helpful since the faculty again were great, at least in my part of the room. I'd say the one thing that could sneak up on people in this class is the sign off sheet. Since we have graded projects that are due on certain dates you tend to focus on those. But there's also a list of projects you're expected to complete on your own for a sign off. I honestly had some fun making dentures. The afternoon lecture wasn't as well attended as it should have been, but I felt it was useful. You'll probably get burned with wax, or hot instruments, or feel incredibly frustrated setting posterior teeth when you can't get simultaneous bilateral contacts, or passive contacts on the anterior, but you get through, and will look forward to the day you literally create someone's smile.
Oral Sciences
I don't have much to say about this one. Interesting subject matter at points, but I wasn't a huge fan. The long Monday afternoon lectures, then sometimes lab, and sometimes case study after were a little draining. Learned some cool things about the development of teeth though.
Pathology
I liked this class. Dr. Nickerson really cares about the students and finds great lecturers. Dr. Heffner uses case studies a lot to teach diseases so that makes it a little easier to pay attention if you're not a morning person. Not much else to say about this one. The lab section with slide IDing wasn't popular with everyone. I enjoyed it because it was an opportunity to apply what we knew. But in general, just another science course where you study the notes, and memorize everything.
We had a few rotations under "Clinical Dentistry" and "Integrated Dental Practice" and those are usually informative. Some moreso than others. I get the impression UBSDM really wants the students to get as much from their education and time here as they can and I'd say they're doing well. And so goes the Fall Semester, I'll have pictures from the lab up soon. Happy Holidays everyone :)
Monday, December 3, 2012
West Side Community Center Outreach
Great outreach yesterday at the West Side Community Center in Buffalo! The Center holds health fairs every month or so to help educate, and raise awareness about health issues. Of course, there's some freebies to be had as well, but it's a great way that healthcare community here in Buffalo seek to reach more people. A dental hygenist from the University Pediatric Dentistry Clinic, a few other dental students and myself manned our table in the main room of the center, along with many other groups. There was a large spanish speaking population so it was an awesome opportunity to interact with a unique population. Nadya, the hygenist was conducting oral health screenings for anyone interested, and there was definitely interest. We collectively informed patients about the services we have at the school, and what they can to do maintain superior oral hygiene Of course there were free toothbrushes and floss.
I took some time to walk around and was enlightened by the different groups present. One doing cholesterols, a group of social workers, a kidney health organization and a representative from a smoking cessation group were present, to name a few. I almost always stop by the smoking cessation tables with the hope of learning something new to help future patients and friends quit smoking.
I took some time to walk around and was enlightened by the different groups present. One doing cholesterols, a group of social workers, a kidney health organization and a representative from a smoking cessation group were present, to name a few. I almost always stop by the smoking cessation tables with the hope of learning something new to help future patients and friends quit smoking.
Fluoride-Free Toothpastes
No, no and no! For any patient in the market for a new toothpaste, the only thing that really, REALLY, matters if the product includes Fluoride! There's an increasing population of "green-minded", organic shoppers, which I personally can relate to, but on the issue of oral care, fluoride is essential. Here's why:
Our teeth are comprised of a hard outer coating of enamel, which is chemically made up of calcium and phosphate. When we consume carbohydrates, bacteria on our teeth ferment these carbohydrates, producing an acidic environment, which in turn begins to decay our teeth, creating what dentists call a carious lesion. These days, if carious lesions are caught early, they can be remineralized, naturally, or with the use of fluoride or calcium/phosphate products such as MI paste. So Fluoride not only protects our teeth from caries lesions, but it:
1. Increases the acid resistance of enamel
2. Has antibacterial properties - inhibits bacterial enzymes
On the topic of fluoridated water, this is also an essential for ideal oral health. While we can get fluoride from sources such as marine shellfish, tea and toothbrushing, the concentration of fluoride in water is so low that toxicity is unfathomable. In the United States, fluoridated water is kept at a concentration of 1ppm (part-per-million) or 1mg per 1L. Fluoride is only found to be toxic to humans at concentrations of 1500ppm, or 5mg/kg. At this rate you would need to drink more than 1000L of water to have a potential subacute poisoning! While this will continue to be a controversial topic, dental professionals will continue to advocate the benefits of fluoride in oral health. Nonetheless, the concerns of the public are heard, and if scientific data arose proving against what is currently supported, the tides would change, but for now, fluoride is definitely a mainstay!
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Buffalo-Niagara Dental Meeting
Just got back from the Buffalo-Niagara Dental meeting today and the whole thing just makes me even more excited for the future. New gadgets, ideas, research, and people passionate about their cases and products, even if they're just selling you something, it's great to learn about all these things. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th year students all got today off for the meeting, which is totally worth it. If it were up to me I'd say even the first years should go, although I could understand why the school decides differently.
We were required to attend two talks, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. I was really interested in a number of them, but I ended up deciding on the morning talk by Dr. Carla Cohn on Pediatric dentistry. Dr. Cohn practices in Manitoba, Canada and really had a ton of great things to say, that I was happy I could follow, and see myself using in the future. For instance, her emphasis on prevention, and having a protocol for prevention was an idea we've heard so many times, but it was incredible to see someone take it to the next level. After that talk I think it'd vital to have a formal documentation of the patients diet and eating habits. Education also is huge. Just a few notes I took from her:
- Demineralization on the lingual of primary molars = red flag for future caries
- Use POSITIVEs, rather than all 'donts' when counseling patients on dietary changes - suggest substitutions
- Look into fluoride varnish, trays are a thing of the past for children
- Lap-to-lap exams can increase child's comfort and be as informative as a chair exam
- Brush child's teeth from BEHIND, not in front
- Parents should brush child's teeth until they can tie their shoes, or write their name in script
- Advise patients to use a "rice sized" amount of toothpaste and smear it on the brush, rather than a pea size
- Ease patients into your chair, show and tell to make the experience comfortable
Dr. Cohn's website is Dr.CarlaCohn.com if anyone's interested in more info!
The second speaker for the afternoon was Dr. Howard Pranikoff who is an endodontist practicing in Daytona Beach, Florida. His talk was on Endodontic Headaches, which was a series of complex endodontics cases that he's had over the years. Definitely broadened my perspective on endodontics and definitely deepened my interest in the field. I didn't take as many notes on his talk unfortunately, since it was mainly based on the radiographs he was presenting. He did mention a couple things that are noteworthy for young dentists' success.
1. Single Tooth Anesthesia by Milestone, which is an anesthetic delivery device that patients love and barely feel.
2. Genuinely care for patients
I also had the opportunity of meeting a couple of dentists which was great. I'm headed back tomorrow and hopefully will run into some more people. The whole experience was great and it really reinforces what we're learning and motivates us to learn more. One more little tidbit for the organic naturalists. If anyone's looking for a means of treating early caries naturally, xylitol gum is completely natural but needs to be chewed at least 4 times a day to have an effect. Tomorrows talk I want to attend is on Massage therapy And TMJ Dysfunction. Should be interesting since TMJ is something most dentists don't treat much of, and physicians often write it off as a dental speciality. I was happy to see someone stepping up to help these people who are in dire need.
Cheers!
Monday, September 17, 2012
First Patient!
Friday was big. Not really procedure wise, but career wise, I actually treated my first patient! :). The patients presented for a periodontal recall appointment. They got the whole deal - complete with vitals, extra and intraoral exams, cranial nerve exam, periodontal charting, including pocket depths, mobility, plaque indices, oral health instructions, and a thorough examination of the gingiva levels, and junctional levels. After all that, we were onto scaling, root planing and polishing. Being the awesome novice dental student I am, the appointment took a little less than the entire 3 hours we were given (SKILLS...but not really). I'm sure in practice taking that long would be a quick way to go under fast, but for now, it's great. I'm really happy I got to do this so early on, cause it's like an extra boost of motivation as to why we're learning everything we are, and puts everything in perspective.
The major take-away I got was that being knowledgeable and competent are vital, but equally important is a sincere interest in people and communication. I honestly feel like I could have simply just talked to my patient for so much longer, but I was definitely concerned with completing all the tasks. I need to ensure that explaining procedures before doing them becomes routine. It felt very natural anyway, since dentistry really is a personal encounter. The setting of the dental office does imply some consent and openness to work in someone's oral cavity, but I think people appreciate the added consideration of letting them know what you'll be doing, before touching areas of their head and neck. Probing really isn't my favorite, but after doing it so many times it's becoming pretty routine. I was particularly happy my patient thought I was the gentlest he's had (:D!!). I remember the one thing in the back of my head was something my friend's grandfather told me when I told him I was going to dental school - "You better have golden hands". Thus far I'm probably a bronze, but practice will most definitely make perfect!
Aside from awesome clinical experiences with real people, the semester's moving along nicely with a whole ton of lab work. For removable, we've placed wax rims on the record bases we did to approximate the position of the teeth we'll be mounting next week. We then took a bite record of the wax rims in occlusion to aid with mounting. Placing the rim wasn't bad, but I'm ever grateful for the help of classmates in using the facebow to mount the record bases on our articulators. To do that we had to fix them to the manikins, secure the relationship of the maxillary, then transfer it to the articulator, then mount the maxillary, then the mandibular using the bite record. Its crazy how long a way we've come with the facebows and articulators. From struggling through using it last semester on each other, to now. I really can't wait to actually use them for a real patient.
For indirect we had a great exercise in the second floor simulation clinic where we had to prep #30 for a crown using water, then take an impression. Drilling and not having the tooth turn black and brown was awesome, but the water really does make things tricky visually. Mirrors are flooded, and when you think you're cutting a beautiful chamfer margin, you realize it's actually just water being splashed away by the bur. All in all, really fun working in an operatory setting. Hopefully this becomes a more frequent occasion.
After a nice three day weekend we're diving back in tomorrow starting with amalgams in direct. Pathology Exam 1 on Friday, Oral Sciences Exam Monday. If anyone's ever bored with Pathology, or any studying in general I'd reccommend creating an account on DrBicuspid. They've got great news and case studies that are really interesting. Being bored after hours of Path just now, I came across one that was completely applicable to the neoplasm chapter we had in Path. Being able to actually evaluate histological sections and answer questions makes me feel like an almost doctor :).
And, back to the books!
Cheers.
The major take-away I got was that being knowledgeable and competent are vital, but equally important is a sincere interest in people and communication. I honestly feel like I could have simply just talked to my patient for so much longer, but I was definitely concerned with completing all the tasks. I need to ensure that explaining procedures before doing them becomes routine. It felt very natural anyway, since dentistry really is a personal encounter. The setting of the dental office does imply some consent and openness to work in someone's oral cavity, but I think people appreciate the added consideration of letting them know what you'll be doing, before touching areas of their head and neck. Probing really isn't my favorite, but after doing it so many times it's becoming pretty routine. I was particularly happy my patient thought I was the gentlest he's had (:D!!). I remember the one thing in the back of my head was something my friend's grandfather told me when I told him I was going to dental school - "You better have golden hands". Thus far I'm probably a bronze, but practice will most definitely make perfect!
Aside from awesome clinical experiences with real people, the semester's moving along nicely with a whole ton of lab work. For removable, we've placed wax rims on the record bases we did to approximate the position of the teeth we'll be mounting next week. We then took a bite record of the wax rims in occlusion to aid with mounting. Placing the rim wasn't bad, but I'm ever grateful for the help of classmates in using the facebow to mount the record bases on our articulators. To do that we had to fix them to the manikins, secure the relationship of the maxillary, then transfer it to the articulator, then mount the maxillary, then the mandibular using the bite record. Its crazy how long a way we've come with the facebows and articulators. From struggling through using it last semester on each other, to now. I really can't wait to actually use them for a real patient.
For indirect we had a great exercise in the second floor simulation clinic where we had to prep #30 for a crown using water, then take an impression. Drilling and not having the tooth turn black and brown was awesome, but the water really does make things tricky visually. Mirrors are flooded, and when you think you're cutting a beautiful chamfer margin, you realize it's actually just water being splashed away by the bur. All in all, really fun working in an operatory setting. Hopefully this becomes a more frequent occasion.
After a nice three day weekend we're diving back in tomorrow starting with amalgams in direct. Pathology Exam 1 on Friday, Oral Sciences Exam Monday. If anyone's ever bored with Pathology, or any studying in general I'd reccommend creating an account on DrBicuspid. They've got great news and case studies that are really interesting. Being bored after hours of Path just now, I came across one that was completely applicable to the neoplasm chapter we had in Path. Being able to actually evaluate histological sections and answer questions makes me feel like an almost doctor :).
And, back to the books!
Cheers.
Monday, September 3, 2012
B28: A Second Home
So to all the first years out there feeling like they're basically medical students, except for a class in dental anatomy, set your gaze upon second year, where you'll truly feel like a dental student. A couple weeks in, I definitely love it. We've been busy going through the motions of making dentures in removable prosthodontics, doing more difficult restorations in direct, and taking a step-by-step approach to making a crown for #30. Really need to get back into the lab and practice that crown prep again cause I get the feeling those are going to be really important later on. After watching Dr. Levy do a ton I'd be ashamed of myself if I wasn't preparing proper crown preps.
I heard before that removable would be the killer class and I guess there's some truth to it, but if you really love what you do, it's a great time. The hardest part I'd say was getting the feel for the materials since you work with so many different ones, with different handling characteristics, and there's a bit of a learning curve to everything. Ivolen is definitely my LEAST favorite thing ever. It's a putty like substance we work under a hood with to fabricate a custom tray. The working time is fairly limited, so you need to be quick with the mixing of the powder and liquid, and precise with the trimming so it fits the patient (or cast in our case) properly. Thankfully I got those signed off, so now it's onto the impression, then beading and boxing before pouring up the cast :).
This week we've got a ton of things due, and a practical exam - preparation/restoration of #12, #5 DO. Originally an MOD but switched to DO because Sabatini fully understands our pain. The month off from working with handpieces really took a toll but after a weekend in the lab it shouldn't be so bad tomorrow. Record bases for our dentures are due and Triad custom trays with wax rims both being submitted for grades. Wax rims...not fun until maybe the 5th one you make, when you become one with the wax. I'm sure the faculty's intentions are good in assigning us exact measurements for every dimension of these wax rims, but they have been quite troublesome. I had a little better luck with the record bases after going through many packs of pink Triad material, and shellac (gutta percha). Triad I really didn't mind, but shellac definitely took some time. At this point I can say I almost enjoy working with the shellac because once you get a sense of how much heat the material can take before burning, it's really adaptable and somewhat fun (unless you get burned...which is kind of inevitable in the early stages).
For our crown preps we took an impression and poured up some jade stone casts which are totally cool. The impression looked deceptively simple, but took me 4 hours to get it right. However, I wouldn't trade the fulfillment of finally getting it right for anything else. To take the impression your assistant fills the custom tray with purple heavy body impression material while you carefully cover the prep, adjacent teeth and occlusal surfaces of the arch with blue light body to capture the detail. Then, the custom tray needs to be carefully placed on the arch, pushed down to capture the vestibule, but in a way that you don't get bubbles. Far, far easier said than done.
So dental school really feels like dental school now and it's fantastic. I'm going to try to get some pictures up here cause I'm really loving the way some of my trays came out! Quiz and a practical tomorrow so its about time for some sleep!
Sunday, August 12, 2012
In a little over 12 hours dental school will be in full swing, complete with a packed schedule, lab work, clinical rotations and of course, exams. After thoroughly feeding off the 1st years energy and orientation, it's about time to get back to reality. I've gotten a little back into things with a few preparations and restorations the past couple of days, but today I just took for myself.
Checked out the progress on our new capoeira space on Utica, Solrise Farm and Cultural Arts Center. The place is nothing less than incredible and I'm really excited to see us grow. They've got a ton of tomatoes, corn, plants that looked like mini squash, and a ton of other things. There's a flower we ate that I forget the name but I really need to find out what it was. Bright orange, and had a spicy kick. I'm beyond jealous of Emily and Corazel who live on the upper floor and maintain everything. The studio floors were just being coated with polyurethane so we had practice at LaSalle Park on the west side overlooking Lake Erie. Had a roda for the entire time and it was great seeing everyone again and catching up.
After some grocery shopping, and general hanging out all day, I decided to treat myself to a "last supper" of sorts - Lobster stuffed salmon (courtesy Wegmans), over a spring greens salad with avocado and tomatoes.
Looking forward I think this year's going to be a little different than last. I've discovered my interests, in and outside of school and where I really want to place my efforts. Coming in first year, I think it was natural to be riding the hype of dental school, and see yourself giving your life to it. Dr. Comfort, the speaker at the white coat ceremony said it best in that dental school isn't who you are, it's just something we do. As dental students we have the opportunities to reach so many people, and really make an impact. At the same time, as dental students in Buffalo, we have limitless opportunities to grow as individuals.
And so it goes.
Checked out the progress on our new capoeira space on Utica, Solrise Farm and Cultural Arts Center. The place is nothing less than incredible and I'm really excited to see us grow. They've got a ton of tomatoes, corn, plants that looked like mini squash, and a ton of other things. There's a flower we ate that I forget the name but I really need to find out what it was. Bright orange, and had a spicy kick. I'm beyond jealous of Emily and Corazel who live on the upper floor and maintain everything. The studio floors were just being coated with polyurethane so we had practice at LaSalle Park on the west side overlooking Lake Erie. Had a roda for the entire time and it was great seeing everyone again and catching up.
After some grocery shopping, and general hanging out all day, I decided to treat myself to a "last supper" of sorts - Lobster stuffed salmon (courtesy Wegmans), over a spring greens salad with avocado and tomatoes.
Looking forward I think this year's going to be a little different than last. I've discovered my interests, in and outside of school and where I really want to place my efforts. Coming in first year, I think it was natural to be riding the hype of dental school, and see yourself giving your life to it. Dr. Comfort, the speaker at the white coat ceremony said it best in that dental school isn't who you are, it's just something we do. As dental students we have the opportunities to reach so many people, and really make an impact. At the same time, as dental students in Buffalo, we have limitless opportunities to grow as individuals.
And so it goes.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Back for More- D2
Been back in Buffalo since the 3rd, but tomorrow the pace will definitely start to pick up. Jam packed day of Picasso training, supply distribution, computer updates and more. Looking forward to the Big/Little lunch though, after meeting a good amount of the first years I'm again amazed at the admission committee's ability to select students. While 2015 has it's own dynamic personality and atmosphere to it, 2016 definitely has some interesting flavor. Its awesome feeding off of their excitement also, because this time last year I was ecstatic. This year I'm just looking forward to getting back into the swing. Maybe it's the olympics inspiring me, but I think this year has limitless potential and I want to realize as much of it as possible.
Had a little bit of an organizationfest today. Upcoming events include:
1. Meeting with James Harris Friday 8/10 to discuss moving the Burmese outreach project forward. After getting involved with For Hope International this summer my heart for dental missions and serving the underserved expanded. Before now I never gave much thought to dental careers with non-profits, but so far it seems like an exciting path. I really want to see this happen.
2. Direct Quiz next tuesday 8/14. Haven't opened VitalSource in quite some time...
3. Perio Practical Practice 8/17
4. Toronto Tough Mudder 8/19. THIS IS GOING TO BE EPIC :D
5. Direct Midterm 8/21. Word from the grapevine is that it's going to be tricky. There are a lot of details from the readings and going through everything again is going to take some time. Should be all right in the end.
6. Perio Practical Exam 8/24
I think that's everything, for August at least. Schedule this semester's pretty intense but I really want to keep up with the Capoeira group downtown, especially since we've got our own studio now. Also, started a pretty interesting book - Everything is Marketing: The Ultimate Dental Practice Growth Strategy by Fred Joyal. I was a little reluctant to buy it since it seemed to be just another lame dental business book, but he's got some clinical tidbits here and there that I'd like to integrate into practice.More on that in the future.
Had a little bit of an organizationfest today. Upcoming events include:
1. Meeting with James Harris Friday 8/10 to discuss moving the Burmese outreach project forward. After getting involved with For Hope International this summer my heart for dental missions and serving the underserved expanded. Before now I never gave much thought to dental careers with non-profits, but so far it seems like an exciting path. I really want to see this happen.
2. Direct Quiz next tuesday 8/14. Haven't opened VitalSource in quite some time...
3. Perio Practical Practice 8/17
4. Toronto Tough Mudder 8/19. THIS IS GOING TO BE EPIC :D
5. Direct Midterm 8/21. Word from the grapevine is that it's going to be tricky. There are a lot of details from the readings and going through everything again is going to take some time. Should be all right in the end.
6. Perio Practical Exam 8/24
I think that's everything, for August at least. Schedule this semester's pretty intense but I really want to keep up with the Capoeira group downtown, especially since we've got our own studio now. Also, started a pretty interesting book - Everything is Marketing: The Ultimate Dental Practice Growth Strategy by Fred Joyal. I was a little reluctant to buy it since it seemed to be just another lame dental business book, but he's got some clinical tidbits here and there that I'd like to integrate into practice.More on that in the future.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Summer2012
Spring Extension (Early Fall) came and went in an instant, but I'd be kidding myself to say this is the first free moment I've had. Reflecting back now it's easy to see how most people say that will be the best time of dental school, but I prefer the optimistic approach thinking the best is yet to come.
Direct Restorations and Perio are continuing into the Fall and I'm pretty pumped to get back into it. I brought home some waxing supplies for the summer, but have yet to do much with them. I figure I at least want to try out another #8 and a molar. It's strange to think this is supposed to be out "last" summer, since boards are next summer, and summer of third year I'd hope to go on a mission trip of some sort. Speaking of which, being home and catching up with friends and family has brought up some awesome opportunities, one of which I've been saving for this summer. A family friend mentioned a group she's part of who goes to Haiti around the December holidays, and I'm REALLY hoping I get to go.
In other news, summer 2012 is frickin' fantastic. This marks my 8th summer of lifeguarding at the Valley Stream Pool, and may very well be the last, since next summer I'll be searching for something more dental related to do. Aside from arranging some shadowing and such, this may as well be just another summer of undergrad. Getting a head start on the Perio exam coming up would be wise though, since summer really is an incredible about of free time that we won't see again for a while.
I was just thinking the other day how late August is taking on a new meaning as a time of always doing something pretty crazy. Around that time last year I had the DAT, and this year I've just registered for the Toronto Tough Mudder with some med friends. Along with classes, helping out with orientation and that race, Fall is really going to require hitting the group running. Until then :)
Direct Restorations and Perio are continuing into the Fall and I'm pretty pumped to get back into it. I brought home some waxing supplies for the summer, but have yet to do much with them. I figure I at least want to try out another #8 and a molar. It's strange to think this is supposed to be out "last" summer, since boards are next summer, and summer of third year I'd hope to go on a mission trip of some sort. Speaking of which, being home and catching up with friends and family has brought up some awesome opportunities, one of which I've been saving for this summer. A family friend mentioned a group she's part of who goes to Haiti around the December holidays, and I'm REALLY hoping I get to go.
In other news, summer 2012 is frickin' fantastic. This marks my 8th summer of lifeguarding at the Valley Stream Pool, and may very well be the last, since next summer I'll be searching for something more dental related to do. Aside from arranging some shadowing and such, this may as well be just another summer of undergrad. Getting a head start on the Perio exam coming up would be wise though, since summer really is an incredible about of free time that we won't see again for a while.
I was just thinking the other day how late August is taking on a new meaning as a time of always doing something pretty crazy. Around that time last year I had the DAT, and this year I've just registered for the Toronto Tough Mudder with some med friends. Along with classes, helping out with orientation and that race, Fall is really going to require hitting the group running. Until then :)
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
D2 Begins
Today was the official start of second year and it's got a good feel to it so far. D1 ended with a bang all around I think, since for the most part our averages were really high throughout. Definitely a needed "break" after the shock treatment of first semester.
Here's a snapshot of the ever changing spring extension schedule courtesy Tricia Hackett-Swanson from class. Physical Assessment is about 2 weeks so that'll be out soon. The class was divided into 4 groups, so that we have our final examinations at different times. I totally lucked out making into the group getting tested last.
I spent most of today practicing putting a rubber dam on my typodont. Since we'll have to use one for every operative procedure in class, and in the clinic I figured this is something I should be pretty efficient with. Those things are much trickier than they appear, and from spending some time in the clinic with upperclassmen, I already knew they were tricky. Although Dr. Sabatini taught us to place the ring around the tooth first, then place the rubbed dam over the ring and tooth, I found it much easier to place the ring through the dam before placing the ring in the patient's mouth. I shadowed an endodontist who I remember placed rubber dams with ease this way. Still need to work on not tearing the dam while placing it through contact areas. A friend suggested using a piece of a spare dam to push the dam through the contact area, which I'll need to try. Floss can also be used but it might cut the rubber. As with many things in dentistry - "whatever works best for you".
All we've got is Nutrition tomorrow, but given the 14 chapters we have to read for Physical Assessment, that time is anything but free. All in all I can see myself spending hours on end in B28 since I'm really loving this stuff so far. Placing and removing a dam for 4 hours was actually pretty fun and I'm sure most everyone's going to love when we start restorations. Here's to second year!
Here's a snapshot of the ever changing spring extension schedule courtesy Tricia Hackett-Swanson from class. Physical Assessment is about 2 weeks so that'll be out soon. The class was divided into 4 groups, so that we have our final examinations at different times. I totally lucked out making into the group getting tested last.
I spent most of today practicing putting a rubber dam on my typodont. Since we'll have to use one for every operative procedure in class, and in the clinic I figured this is something I should be pretty efficient with. Those things are much trickier than they appear, and from spending some time in the clinic with upperclassmen, I already knew they were tricky. Although Dr. Sabatini taught us to place the ring around the tooth first, then place the rubbed dam over the ring and tooth, I found it much easier to place the ring through the dam before placing the ring in the patient's mouth. I shadowed an endodontist who I remember placed rubber dams with ease this way. Still need to work on not tearing the dam while placing it through contact areas. A friend suggested using a piece of a spare dam to push the dam through the contact area, which I'll need to try. Floss can also be used but it might cut the rubber. As with many things in dentistry - "whatever works best for you".
All we've got is Nutrition tomorrow, but given the 14 chapters we have to read for Physical Assessment, that time is anything but free. All in all I can see myself spending hours on end in B28 since I'm really loving this stuff so far. Placing and removing a dam for 4 hours was actually pretty fun and I'm sure most everyone's going to love when we start restorations. Here's to second year!
Friday, March 30, 2012
Friday Afternoon Endo
When I see the "C" for Clincal Rotation on our Integrated Dental Practice schedule I'm never sure how to feel. The last clinical rotation I had was spent talking to a fourth year friend for a few hours about impressions, casts, dentures, patients and dental school in general. All very, very useful stuff, but while in clinic it'd be great to do something clinical which is exactly what I got this time around
I had the privilege of working with an awesome third year, named Joy whose name perfectly fits her personality. Our patient was an elderly woman in need of RCT on tooth #11. She had many other dental problems, however the canal in this tooth had been previously treated and needed to be completed. Joy began with a few anesthetic injections before removing the IRM (temporary filling -Immediate Restorative Material), while I manned the suction. Once cleared she then cleaned the canal with the slow-speed and filed and shaped it with different files. Despite some trouble we ran into with excess saliva, and placing the rubber dam, the patient was amazingly patient and understanding. Looking back, I think that situation was exactly what Dr. Goldberg in Orofacial Neurobiology was talking about. Our patients will react to our demeanor and attitude. While competence is vital, compassion and empathy for our patients is also critical.
Once we had a clear canal, the next step involved cleaning the canal with a bleach solution, measuring the correct gutta percha length and filling. While the bleach rinse was fairly painless, measuring the correct length of gutta percha can be tedious. Once measured the apex could then be filled and checked via radiograph to ensure that the apex really was filled. I familiarized myself with the digital radiography program and developer the clinic uses and some protocols for the x-ray room which was nice. Once the apex was filled we could then fill the remainder of the canal then finish it off with more IRM since this patient would need another appointment to crown off the tooth since so much of it was lost to decay.
This was the first appointment I got to assist in entirety at UB's clinic and I can say I completely understand how 3 hour appointments can fly by, how amazingly helpful the professors and assistants are and how great our patients can be. Next week we've got an Orofacial Neurobiology Midterm on Tuesday and Microbiology on Thursday. Group presentations for Community Dentistry are also coming up fast. On a more fun note, I've been keeping up with the weekly Capoeria classes and it feels like I'm getting the hang of it. There's also a couple of bike rides for Diabetes and Cancer that I'm getting excited for. Never a dull moment!
Friday, March 23, 2012
Post Spring Break
It's been a week since we got back from Spring Break and it seems like Spring just decided to descend on Buffalo. We've had basically 4 days of consecutive 80 degree weather which is uncharacteristic of Buffalo for this time of the year. It's supposed to cool down a bit, but before it does, some classmates and I have been taking full advantage of the weather. Being super bogged down in work all the time, its hard to find time to explore the other campus at UB North, however we got to the other day which was great. It almost makes you feel like UB South is the somewhat neglected campus.
Aside from the fabulous weather, there has been work. Third Micro Test was challenging, different from the past though since the material was divided up between a bunch of professors. And questions from the longest lecture (81 slides on Staphylococcus) were left off. Thankfully I saved that lecture for last :). Physiology is the next exam coming up next Wednesday, where we'll be evaluated on our knowledge of the lungs and respiratory system. The book work continues...
Integrated dental practice though has proven to be an awesome experience. On Monday we took our first alginate impressions on one another, and poured up casts. Our overseeing faculty had sympathy on us since they realized how long this would take, and our group had one hour less than the other groups would have, since we lost an hour to lecture. Even with that sympathy, and the added stress of the Microbiology exam the next day, the process took hours. Taking impressions is probably something we'll do many, many times in our careers, and we've probably seen dentists do flawlessly, without hesitation. Learning the procedure on the other hand is another story. First you need to measure out the powder, and water. They both then need to be combined and mixed throughly in a mixing bowl with a spatula, and within that same minute that it is mixed the impression material must be placed in a tray, and into the patient's mouth properly. Spend too much time mixing and your material polymerizes and you'll have to start all over. Spend too little time mixing and the material won't set correctly and you risk gagging your patient with dripping alginate down their throat(which I may have experienced lol). Once the mandibular and maxillary impressions are taken, it is rinsed, sprayed with Cavicide, wrapped in a wet paper towel and stored in a sealed plastic bag.
The next step, which is normally done in the same day, is to make the cast out of castone. This involves mixing water, and the stone powder, then filling the impression carefully. Once full the rest of the castone is neatly placed on a paper towel which becomes your base. The impression tray is then placed on top of this and set to dry, which takes about an hour. Once dry you can then remove the stone from the tray, trim the model and be set to go.
The whole process took a couple of days since none of us really wanted to wait around for an hour when there was a 10 lecture exam the next day. This made removing the stone a little more difficult than it should have been, but removing the stone from the alginate in a pool of water made things a little easier. All in all, a great experience to have! I'd hope to do it again sometime, before having to be evaluated, but I'm not sure if we'll get that opportunity.
Aside from the fabulous weather, there has been work. Third Micro Test was challenging, different from the past though since the material was divided up between a bunch of professors. And questions from the longest lecture (81 slides on Staphylococcus) were left off. Thankfully I saved that lecture for last :). Physiology is the next exam coming up next Wednesday, where we'll be evaluated on our knowledge of the lungs and respiratory system. The book work continues...
Integrated dental practice though has proven to be an awesome experience. On Monday we took our first alginate impressions on one another, and poured up casts. Our overseeing faculty had sympathy on us since they realized how long this would take, and our group had one hour less than the other groups would have, since we lost an hour to lecture. Even with that sympathy, and the added stress of the Microbiology exam the next day, the process took hours. Taking impressions is probably something we'll do many, many times in our careers, and we've probably seen dentists do flawlessly, without hesitation. Learning the procedure on the other hand is another story. First you need to measure out the powder, and water. They both then need to be combined and mixed throughly in a mixing bowl with a spatula, and within that same minute that it is mixed the impression material must be placed in a tray, and into the patient's mouth properly. Spend too much time mixing and your material polymerizes and you'll have to start all over. Spend too little time mixing and the material won't set correctly and you risk gagging your patient with dripping alginate down their throat(which I may have experienced lol). Once the mandibular and maxillary impressions are taken, it is rinsed, sprayed with Cavicide, wrapped in a wet paper towel and stored in a sealed plastic bag.
The next step, which is normally done in the same day, is to make the cast out of castone. This involves mixing water, and the stone powder, then filling the impression carefully. Once full the rest of the castone is neatly placed on a paper towel which becomes your base. The impression tray is then placed on top of this and set to dry, which takes about an hour. Once dry you can then remove the stone from the tray, trim the model and be set to go.
The whole process took a couple of days since none of us really wanted to wait around for an hour when there was a 10 lecture exam the next day. This made removing the stone a little more difficult than it should have been, but removing the stone from the alginate in a pool of water made things a little easier. All in all, a great experience to have! I'd hope to do it again sometime, before having to be evaluated, but I'm not sure if we'll get that opportunity.
Monday, March 5, 2012
D1 Spring Semester Post Midterm Update
The semester's just about halfway through and despite not having any lab work this semester, it's busy as ever. Just last week I finished up 6 tests in a matter of a week and a half. Neuroanatomy ended and Orofacial Neurobiology has taken it's place. Not much to say about this class yet but from the Pre-test it seems interesting. We're given the option of testing out of the class if you can score high enough on the pretest given on the first day of class. While taking it it seemed like the kind of thing you could study and totally test out of, but according to those who actually did study, they didn't find any detail in the readings on some of the questions. Case studies II has also began which is just a continuation of last semester.
One achievement I'm particularly proud of is being the first dental student to take courses in the medical school! At my interview for Buffalo I asked a question that I thought blew my interview right there -"Are there any opportunities to take courses outside the dental school? I'm really interested in spanish and would love to learn and become a bilingual practitioner." The professor interviewing me responded asking me if I had any idea how much work dental school was, to which I answered "Couldn't hurt to be ambitious." The class has been going great so far and it's really nice to interact with some other students, and learn something outside of the sciences for a couple hours a week. This Wednesday I'll be heading out to a clinic to speak with spanish speaking patients and take a patient history. It should be a great time:).
Although we have no lab classes this semester, we do have one class that puts us in the Clinic a couple of times a week. This semester is the first time the school has introduced Integrated Dental Practice into the curriculum. The purpose of the class is to get us more comfortable in the clinic and introduce basic dental procedures so that we are more competent when the time comes for us to treat patients. Thus far we've done exercises in infection control, fixed prosthodontics where we poured jadestone models, removable prosthodontics and a few others. The best yet have been clinical exercises where we learned how to do comprehensive oral exams, tooth charting and placed and cured our first composites on one another. Since it's a class in the making there are plenty of issues being worked through but kudos to Buffalo for taking the initiative to provide a dynamic curriculum.
Spring break starts this Friday and I think we're all ready for a week off. That's all for now.
One achievement I'm particularly proud of is being the first dental student to take courses in the medical school! At my interview for Buffalo I asked a question that I thought blew my interview right there -"Are there any opportunities to take courses outside the dental school? I'm really interested in spanish and would love to learn and become a bilingual practitioner." The professor interviewing me responded asking me if I had any idea how much work dental school was, to which I answered "Couldn't hurt to be ambitious." The class has been going great so far and it's really nice to interact with some other students, and learn something outside of the sciences for a couple hours a week. This Wednesday I'll be heading out to a clinic to speak with spanish speaking patients and take a patient history. It should be a great time:).
Although we have no lab classes this semester, we do have one class that puts us in the Clinic a couple of times a week. This semester is the first time the school has introduced Integrated Dental Practice into the curriculum. The purpose of the class is to get us more comfortable in the clinic and introduce basic dental procedures so that we are more competent when the time comes for us to treat patients. Thus far we've done exercises in infection control, fixed prosthodontics where we poured jadestone models, removable prosthodontics and a few others. The best yet have been clinical exercises where we learned how to do comprehensive oral exams, tooth charting and placed and cured our first composites on one another. Since it's a class in the making there are plenty of issues being worked through but kudos to Buffalo for taking the initiative to provide a dynamic curriculum.
Spring break starts this Friday and I think we're all ready for a week off. That's all for now.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Lawnchair Denstistry - Good Neighbors Clinic Outreach
Today began at 6:50AM with an alarm that might induce a heart-attack in someone not as accustomed to vibrating mechanisms under their pillow. 6:50AM isn't a time most dental students see on Saturdays, but I was lucky enough to be selected to volunteer at my first REAL dental outreach!
On Jefferson Ave in downtown Buffalo, the Good Neighbors Clinic provides free dental, optometric, chiropractic and medical services to the area on designated days. Today was a purely dental day. Along with a handful of local area dentists, twelve dental students and staff of the clinic we provided care to upwards of 30 patients in the span of 8 hours! Of the twelve students, first and second years were assigned to assist third and fourth year students who would perform procedures. Upon arriving there at 8AM was already a line of patients waiting outside in the snow. Much work had to be done to set up operatories with the necessary instruments, personal protective equipment and more. Rooms designated for surgery were equipped with reclinable lawn chairs, forceps, gauze, elevators, syringes, carpules of anesthetic and dental bibs. Once a triage system and front desk were set up we were on our way.
I was assigned to a third year student, who was overseen by a dentist. The three of us were placed in room designated for extractions, where I assisted in the extraction of some three or 4 molars. I quickly learned that during outreach events, conditions are far from ideal. Watching my third year (Susie), who is a few inches taller than me, extract upper and lower molars from incredibly uncomfortable positions was amazing. Even moreso was the fluidity and confidence of Dr. Hattin, the designated oral surgeon of the crew. Upon being presented a case he deemed "very difficult" to all onlookers, he would proceed to remove bone around the tooth with the surgical drill and in minutes the tooth that we had struggled with for much longer would be out - next patient.
Not everyone had this much luck, as I witnessed others with more difficult patients. It was through their experiences I learned that patients may sometimes require anesthesia prior to having x-rays due to sensitivity or anxiety. Nonetheless, even though some extra time was needed, quality care was achieved.
When I wasn't showing patients to their rooms, bibbing them, dabbing blood from teeth, collecting freshly extracted ones from Susie and Tom, or bringing supplies back and forth from the sterilization/x-ray room, I spent most of my time learning about taking and developing Panorex X-rays. A dental hygenist who basically ran that room was a great help to me with this. Today I took one periapical and 3 Panorex X-rays - solo! The procedure for pans was:
- Prep the X- Ray machine with a small plastic wrapper that goes over where the patients teeth contact the machine
- Retrive patient from waiting room, walk to the X-ray room.
- Explain to them what the X-ray machine does, since pans are not your average x-ray and the machine can be somewhat intimidating and complex
- Have patient remove all jewelry from their head and mouth, and jackets if they may get in the way
- Place the lead apron on the patient and have them step forward into the machine
- Have the patient bite onto the peg, with their chin comfortably seated and forehead forward against the headplate.
- Ensure proper tooth positioning on the biting peg by having the patient smile slightly and observing the peg reach back about to the canine
- Have the patient place their hands on the handles and ensure the machine will not be obstructed by the patient's shoulders when it moves.
- Once you let the patient know to remain completely still, you're set!
Lucky for me all of my patients were calm, collected and sociable. I loved sharing stories about my own tooth extraction and my first panorex x-ray that I saved in my room for months since it made a nice window decoration. Not sure what they thought of me after that but at least it made them smile.
I also learned to develop films and pans. The pans were a little more involved in that the room needed to be closed, the machine off and lights off. The film is kept in a cartridge which needs to be opened, then the film must be placed in the developer. Chris helped me reload the cartridge and place the unexposed films back in their package before the lights were turned back on.
For a first time assisting and actually serving in a clinic I feel like I learned a ton. The day flew by and before I knew it, it was 3:00PM and we were cleaning up. While technical skills are important and necessary, the most important lessons of the day were those in patient communication, as well as colleague interaction. Providing care is always, always, 100% focused on the patient. In my mind it's a privilege to treat any patient, since they could have gone to anyone else. In this case, these patients needed any care they could get, but I was still gracious to have interacted with them since they could have ended up in other student's operatories. Every effort should be made to create a positive experience for the patient (which reminds me for future outreach events to definitely bring a radio!) Additionally, patients are people and people love to socialize, especially when they're nervous and need to feel more comfortable. I learned more about patient's children in college, struggles with drugs, favorite movies, hometowns and more than about dentistry today and recalling all that would be an accomplishment. The take away is that the patients are what makes it all so rewarding.
One patient's husband who was a minister told me something that stuck with me. When I expressed an interest in his preaching and mentioned the name of the pastor of my church in Binghamton, he recognized the name and shared that he was actually from there. He then told me it sounds like I have a calling on my life and wished me blessings. Despite the conflicts it's caused, I'm happy that faith still brings us closer together.
On Jefferson Ave in downtown Buffalo, the Good Neighbors Clinic provides free dental, optometric, chiropractic and medical services to the area on designated days. Today was a purely dental day. Along with a handful of local area dentists, twelve dental students and staff of the clinic we provided care to upwards of 30 patients in the span of 8 hours! Of the twelve students, first and second years were assigned to assist third and fourth year students who would perform procedures. Upon arriving there at 8AM was already a line of patients waiting outside in the snow. Much work had to be done to set up operatories with the necessary instruments, personal protective equipment and more. Rooms designated for surgery were equipped with reclinable lawn chairs, forceps, gauze, elevators, syringes, carpules of anesthetic and dental bibs. Once a triage system and front desk were set up we were on our way.
I was assigned to a third year student, who was overseen by a dentist. The three of us were placed in room designated for extractions, where I assisted in the extraction of some three or 4 molars. I quickly learned that during outreach events, conditions are far from ideal. Watching my third year (Susie), who is a few inches taller than me, extract upper and lower molars from incredibly uncomfortable positions was amazing. Even moreso was the fluidity and confidence of Dr. Hattin, the designated oral surgeon of the crew. Upon being presented a case he deemed "very difficult" to all onlookers, he would proceed to remove bone around the tooth with the surgical drill and in minutes the tooth that we had struggled with for much longer would be out - next patient.
Not everyone had this much luck, as I witnessed others with more difficult patients. It was through their experiences I learned that patients may sometimes require anesthesia prior to having x-rays due to sensitivity or anxiety. Nonetheless, even though some extra time was needed, quality care was achieved.
When I wasn't showing patients to their rooms, bibbing them, dabbing blood from teeth, collecting freshly extracted ones from Susie and Tom, or bringing supplies back and forth from the sterilization/x-ray room, I spent most of my time learning about taking and developing Panorex X-rays. A dental hygenist who basically ran that room was a great help to me with this. Today I took one periapical and 3 Panorex X-rays - solo! The procedure for pans was:
- Prep the X- Ray machine with a small plastic wrapper that goes over where the patients teeth contact the machine
- Retrive patient from waiting room, walk to the X-ray room.
- Explain to them what the X-ray machine does, since pans are not your average x-ray and the machine can be somewhat intimidating and complex
- Have patient remove all jewelry from their head and mouth, and jackets if they may get in the way
- Place the lead apron on the patient and have them step forward into the machine
- Have the patient bite onto the peg, with their chin comfortably seated and forehead forward against the headplate.
- Ensure proper tooth positioning on the biting peg by having the patient smile slightly and observing the peg reach back about to the canine
- Have the patient place their hands on the handles and ensure the machine will not be obstructed by the patient's shoulders when it moves.
- Once you let the patient know to remain completely still, you're set!
Lucky for me all of my patients were calm, collected and sociable. I loved sharing stories about my own tooth extraction and my first panorex x-ray that I saved in my room for months since it made a nice window decoration. Not sure what they thought of me after that but at least it made them smile.
I also learned to develop films and pans. The pans were a little more involved in that the room needed to be closed, the machine off and lights off. The film is kept in a cartridge which needs to be opened, then the film must be placed in the developer. Chris helped me reload the cartridge and place the unexposed films back in their package before the lights were turned back on.
For a first time assisting and actually serving in a clinic I feel like I learned a ton. The day flew by and before I knew it, it was 3:00PM and we were cleaning up. While technical skills are important and necessary, the most important lessons of the day were those in patient communication, as well as colleague interaction. Providing care is always, always, 100% focused on the patient. In my mind it's a privilege to treat any patient, since they could have gone to anyone else. In this case, these patients needed any care they could get, but I was still gracious to have interacted with them since they could have ended up in other student's operatories. Every effort should be made to create a positive experience for the patient (which reminds me for future outreach events to definitely bring a radio!) Additionally, patients are people and people love to socialize, especially when they're nervous and need to feel more comfortable. I learned more about patient's children in college, struggles with drugs, favorite movies, hometowns and more than about dentistry today and recalling all that would be an accomplishment. The take away is that the patients are what makes it all so rewarding.
One patient's husband who was a minister told me something that stuck with me. When I expressed an interest in his preaching and mentioned the name of the pastor of my church in Binghamton, he recognized the name and shared that he was actually from there. He then told me it sounds like I have a calling on my life and wished me blessings. Despite the conflicts it's caused, I'm happy that faith still brings us closer together.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Alpha Omega - Ellicottville Trip
Ever since starting dental school I've picked up a ton of new hobbies and this past weekend I just added another to the list - snowboarding. While my body sufficiently ached from falling countless times, the weekend was a blast.
Alpha Omega is the dental fraternity I joined last semester in an effort to get involved early on. This weekend was one of the first trips that I've attended and it was a trip to Ellicotville, a small skiing town an hour and a half south of Buffalo. We were lucky enough to stay with Dr. Stern, a generous alumni, at his winter home, which included beds, lots of food, drinks and fun. We arrived on Saturday evening, and went tubing at the Holiday Valley Tubing Company, which was my first tubing experience and I'd say it was nothing short of thrilling. Accelerating down an ice and snow chute for 900 feet is something that doesn't get old too quickly. That night we went out to eat at a restaurant called Kabob, which was also not bad. Dr. Stern's place was prime location, being walking distance to the bar scene, and restaurants. It was also no more than a 10 minute drive to the tubing location and to the ski slopes. After an awesome dinner we proceeded to have a night out, where we danced the night away, despite having to wake up early the next morning to hit the slopes.
We got the the Holiday Valley Slope around 11:00AM, decked out in my new snowpants, sunglasses, hat and layers of clothing. I rented my first snowboard, and spent the first 3 hours or so mastering the bunny hill. After flying down a few times, Laura and I progressed to our first green slope. To our dismay, or more so mine than hers, I ended up sliding down the slope on my back,arm, butt, rather than snowboarding down it. Control is the main thing I need to work on which will definitely be the focus next time! Nonetheless, the day was awesome I'm totally going back again.
Alpha Omega is the dental fraternity I joined last semester in an effort to get involved early on. This weekend was one of the first trips that I've attended and it was a trip to Ellicotville, a small skiing town an hour and a half south of Buffalo. We were lucky enough to stay with Dr. Stern, a generous alumni, at his winter home, which included beds, lots of food, drinks and fun. We arrived on Saturday evening, and went tubing at the Holiday Valley Tubing Company, which was my first tubing experience and I'd say it was nothing short of thrilling. Accelerating down an ice and snow chute for 900 feet is something that doesn't get old too quickly. That night we went out to eat at a restaurant called Kabob, which was also not bad. Dr. Stern's place was prime location, being walking distance to the bar scene, and restaurants. It was also no more than a 10 minute drive to the tubing location and to the ski slopes. After an awesome dinner we proceeded to have a night out, where we danced the night away, despite having to wake up early the next morning to hit the slopes.
We got the the Holiday Valley Slope around 11:00AM, decked out in my new snowpants, sunglasses, hat and layers of clothing. I rented my first snowboard, and spent the first 3 hours or so mastering the bunny hill. After flying down a few times, Laura and I progressed to our first green slope. To our dismay, or more so mine than hers, I ended up sliding down the slope on my back,arm, butt, rather than snowboarding down it. Control is the main thing I need to work on which will definitely be the focus next time! Nonetheless, the day was awesome I'm totally going back again.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Spring Semester: The Start of Something New
Been back for a little less than a week, and things are already in full swing. This semester's schedule is MUCH easier than last, since nothing can really compare to the workload of Gross. Here's a look at the start:
Integrated Dental Practice will be added Mondays and Fridays from 1-4PM on the 31st and a couple other changes will happen as well. For now things are totally manageable and it seems like there's a general sense of optimism in the class. I'm personally a little bummed that we have absolutely no dental lab courses this semester after just starting waxing and using our handpieces last semester. I'm toying with the idea of bringing home my supplies and waxing on occasion since hand skills are vital. Nonetheless, classes are still interesting.
Next week we have our first outreach trip for Practice, Profession and Community Dentistry. We'll be talking to middle school aged children about oral health and mentoring them later on. Buffalo was apparently the first to implement this type of program into their dental curriculum and since then a few schools have followed. Opportunities such as these are what made Buffalo so appealing. I really hope to take away new perspectives and a deeper comfort with people from this class.
Physiology is nothing spectacular, I'm thinking about it as just another biology class. Surprisingly, much of the material we are covering in the first unit on action potentials, is material I spent hours on in Autonomous Agents, in my fourth year of Bioengineering.
Neuroanatomy, while another biology class, I find really interesting after the first lecture. The professor appears extremely knowledgable and teaches clearly and emphatically. High hopes for this one. Microbio, another bio class also is great thus far. Great professor, interesting material, also should be good.
The much feared Occlusion class being one of the few actual dental classes we have this semester has gotten off to a good start. I can definitely see spending a ton of time memorizing definitions. Not sure how a class this important could end up getting only one credit hour.
Oral Radiology, another important class also potentially could be somewhat time consuming, not only material wise but due to the interest level. I'm hoping we go into so much depth that we really are competent radiograph readers by the end of the semester.
I think the most anticipated class for me this semester will be Integrated dental practice, where we'll be assisting third year students in the clinic. This is another new implementation for Buffalo so hopefully all goes well and it sticks for the future.
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