Hours for March 20, 2013: 2 hours
Running total: 19 hours
Today was a bit slow, within the two hours I was there, there weren't many patients to watch. To start off with, I watched Dr. Legaspi perform a cavity filling and a deep cleaning procedure. The woman seemed a bit uneasy, but I've seen worse. She got through the procedure without making a single groan! I was then taught how to fill out the envelopes for the sterilizing machine to check if everything is working okay. One of the assistants was showing me how to put the which instruments in the bags for sterilizing. Who knew there was a whole color coordination process for sterilizing tools? I didn't! I learned that all the colors on the instruments meant that they were used for different procedures. While watching her, I got a bit confused because there were so many different colors and instruments going in different bags. I know if I became an assistant it would take a long while to memorize all the things she knows.
They then showed me how to do the x-rays for the patients, and I learned that if you don't get the x-ray at the right angle, you'll have to do the whole thing over again.
A younger girl then came in for a cleaning and I observed that she took very good care of her teeth. I saw her x-rays and how her baby teeth were coming out to make room for her new permanent teeth. Dr.Legaspi said that if her loose teeth were bothering her, they could extract it, but for now they should just wait for it to come out. She seemed happy that she got to keep her teeth! I feel happy when I see the patients smile because it means that they're happy to be there. For next time, I hope to see more smiling patients with new procedures!
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Capstone Log 7
Hours for March 19, 2013: 2 hours
Running total: 17 hours
It amazes me how some gums can bleed so much. Today, an older woman came in to get a temporary crown. I've watched this procedure a few times before, but this one seemed a bit different. The woman seemed very uneasy and in pain for most of the procedure. From seeing Dr. Legaspi inject her with the anesthetic, to watching the her gums bleed, I felt my stomach turn a little like it did last time. The assistant told me that it takes a while to get used to, but I can't imagine a time where I won't feel a bit sick from seeing someone's gums bleed over and over again. Continuing to watch the procedure was a bit hard, but the rest was simple. Later, a man came in to bleach his teeth which took about a little over an hour. When applying the solution, the patient has to keep his/her mouth open for more than an hour with the application of the solution every 10-15 minutes. The patient has done this before, so he wasn't as restless as I would have expected any other person to be. Seeing the issues some patients have makes me realize that now is the time to take care of my teeth so I won't have to spend hours in a chair with my mouth wide open.
Running total: 17 hours
It amazes me how some gums can bleed so much. Today, an older woman came in to get a temporary crown. I've watched this procedure a few times before, but this one seemed a bit different. The woman seemed very uneasy and in pain for most of the procedure. From seeing Dr. Legaspi inject her with the anesthetic, to watching the her gums bleed, I felt my stomach turn a little like it did last time. The assistant told me that it takes a while to get used to, but I can't imagine a time where I won't feel a bit sick from seeing someone's gums bleed over and over again. Continuing to watch the procedure was a bit hard, but the rest was simple. Later, a man came in to bleach his teeth which took about a little over an hour. When applying the solution, the patient has to keep his/her mouth open for more than an hour with the application of the solution every 10-15 minutes. The patient has done this before, so he wasn't as restless as I would have expected any other person to be. Seeing the issues some patients have makes me realize that now is the time to take care of my teeth so I won't have to spend hours in a chair with my mouth wide open.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Capstone Log 6
Hours for March 7, 2013: 3 hours
Running Total: 15 hours
Cavities? Of course I've had a few! Most people have experienced what it's like
to have a cavity filled, but not many know how the actual process is done. Today, I watched Dr. Legaspi perform 3 cavity composite fillings for two patients. The process took a while, but it was pretty interesting to watch. They showed me the different components that combine to make the composite filling and all the pre-procedure steps that are taken before the filling is put in. It took a while for Dr. Legaspi to get the filling to fit just right, but in the end they used a machine to solidify the gel that became the filling. After watching the fillings, a patient came in and explained how some of the teeth on bottom are very sensitive whenever she eats hot or cold food. The doctor showed me her teeth and explained that her teeth showed signs that she grinds her teeth. The enamel of the sensitive teeth were practically gone, so the doctor said that they could do a basic filling to protect the teeth. Once the enamel of your teeth is gone, it can't come back, so it wears down your inner tooth which can cause certain diseases. The Dr. Legaspi told the patient to stay away from acidic fruits and juices to help keep the remaining enamel in tact. Next, I learned how to get a station ready for the doctor for the cleaning procedure. They showed me how to set up the station for what each patient needed so the doctor doesn't have to worry about it. Next time, I would like to observe a procedure that I haven't seen yet.
Running Total: 15 hours
Cavities? Of course I've had a few! Most people have experienced what it's like
to have a cavity filled, but not many know how the actual process is done. Today, I watched Dr. Legaspi perform 3 cavity composite fillings for two patients. The process took a while, but it was pretty interesting to watch. They showed me the different components that combine to make the composite filling and all the pre-procedure steps that are taken before the filling is put in. It took a while for Dr. Legaspi to get the filling to fit just right, but in the end they used a machine to solidify the gel that became the filling. After watching the fillings, a patient came in and explained how some of the teeth on bottom are very sensitive whenever she eats hot or cold food. The doctor showed me her teeth and explained that her teeth showed signs that she grinds her teeth. The enamel of the sensitive teeth were practically gone, so the doctor said that they could do a basic filling to protect the teeth. Once the enamel of your teeth is gone, it can't come back, so it wears down your inner tooth which can cause certain diseases. The Dr. Legaspi told the patient to stay away from acidic fruits and juices to help keep the remaining enamel in tact. Next, I learned how to get a station ready for the doctor for the cleaning procedure. They showed me how to set up the station for what each patient needed so the doctor doesn't have to worry about it. Next time, I would like to observe a procedure that I haven't seen yet.
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Capstone Log 5
Hours for March 1, 2013: 2 hours
Running Total: 12 hours
Although it was a sunny Friday, I spent a few hours at the dentist. Today, a family came in and they all needed their teeth checked, cleaned and polished. Their son needed fillings and an extraction so Dr. Legaspi filled a cavity, worked on the two parents, then made the extraction from the son. After I watched the filling, I watched Dr. Legaspi clean the moms teeth and it was interesting because she had dentures. The process is a little different because the doctor takes out the dentures to clean them and also has to treat her remaining weak teeth. The mom was telling me that I should always take care of my teeth so my teeth won't end up like hers. Also, the father had braces so the cleaning process was a bit different too. The doctor used a flossed tool to floss, and it also took longer to clean and polish his teeth because of the brackets. Brandon, the son, then had his extraction which went pretty well. While Dr. Legaspi was pulling out the tooth, we could hear the roots break off from the gums which kind of scared me because of all of the blood that was coming out. After the family left, I watched Ray Ann, a dental assistant create a temporary crown like what I saw the last time. It was interesting again because a lot of teeth were infected with the decay and so the process took much longer. For the next time, I look forward to learning about more procedures.
Running Total: 12 hours
Although it was a sunny Friday, I spent a few hours at the dentist. Today, a family came in and they all needed their teeth checked, cleaned and polished. Their son needed fillings and an extraction so Dr. Legaspi filled a cavity, worked on the two parents, then made the extraction from the son. After I watched the filling, I watched Dr. Legaspi clean the moms teeth and it was interesting because she had dentures. The process is a little different because the doctor takes out the dentures to clean them and also has to treat her remaining weak teeth. The mom was telling me that I should always take care of my teeth so my teeth won't end up like hers. Also, the father had braces so the cleaning process was a bit different too. The doctor used a flossed tool to floss, and it also took longer to clean and polish his teeth because of the brackets. Brandon, the son, then had his extraction which went pretty well. While Dr. Legaspi was pulling out the tooth, we could hear the roots break off from the gums which kind of scared me because of all of the blood that was coming out. After the family left, I watched Ray Ann, a dental assistant create a temporary crown like what I saw the last time. It was interesting again because a lot of teeth were infected with the decay and so the process took much longer. For the next time, I look forward to learning about more procedures.
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