Mentor Log #3

So I forgot to blog about my last two mentor days because I've been so busy! So I decided to just combine those two days together.

On Tuesday, March 12, the office wasn't that busy so there wasn't that much to do that day. Most of the patients during the time I came were only getting cleanings. I watched one patient receive a deep cleaning. A deep cleaning, in Dr. Yamat's words, is just like a regular cleaning but they dig much deeper in the gum line so they can get rid of the bacteria. The words only make the procedure sound more painful than it really is. Of course she numbed the patient with novocaine (the numbing drug) so she wouldn't feel a thing. She kept asking her if she was alright and offered her some more of the drug if she ever starts  to feel uncomfortable. When I was watching, I couldn't stop cringing because it really did look painful. There were times when the patient's gum would bleed which made the experience even more horrifying. The dentist says that the gums bleed due to lack of flossing since there is a lot of bacteria that build up there if left uncleaned. After watching this, I found that this procedure was disgusting, yet intriguing at the same time. As much as I didn't want to  look, I was curious and just wanted to see more. After, she asked me if I just wanted to help at the front desk. I helped sort papers and organized some files on the computer. It seems so simple, but the task is so boring. I came to a conclusion that I can never work in an office.

The following Tuesday, March 19, I went to the dentist office again hoping that I was going to witness something cool that day. To my luck, Dr. Yamat asked me if I wanted to try x-raying one side of a patient's teeth. At first, I hesitated because obviously, I didn't know a clue about the machine. But she told me the basics of how to properly position it. It seemed so simple but after seeing the results the x-ray was totally off. Dr. Yamat told me to try it again but it was only worse. I was getting frustrated so I told her to just take it from there. I hate how they make it look so easy, but I mean, they're trained professionals so it shouldn't be a surprised. After a failed attempt at x-raying, I just watched another teeth cleaning. I finally asked her what that paste they used to polish teeth. She told me it's called prophylaxis paste. This paste is sort of like toothpaste and is used to make teeth shiny. She told me that they don't sell those in stores because using too much can damage the enamel After, she applied some fluoride foam which lasted for about 30 seconds. She said that this helps strengthen the teeth.

I think I found this whole experience more interesting once I learned about some of the different products they used. I'm hoping I will be able to learn more about more tools and different procedures next time.

Tuesday, March 12: 3.5 hours
Tuesday, March 19: 3 hours
Total: 6 hours

Running total: 12 hours