Capstone Log 11

Hours for May 8, 2013: 2 hours

Running total: 24 hours

Are you a young adult with minor tooth aches? Well, I am. I was telling Dr. Legaspi how recently every time I ate, it would hurt the teeth in the back of my mouth. She kindly walked me through how to take x-rays as she took my own. Since there was a patient waiting with an actually appointment, she told me that she would look at my X-rays and get back to me tomorrow. As she got the patient settled in, I filed some folders and pulled folders for tomorrow's patients. Filing folders isn't what I really want to do, but I'm happy to help them sonce they're helping me. Since I've seen Dr. Legaspi perform cleaning, I decided to read a textbook that one of the assistants brought for me to read. She was explaining to me the different types of dentists such as endodontists, orthodontists, and oral surgeons. The book she gave me elaborated on each of the jobs. I didn't know there were so many jobs for each type of doctor, so learning about the jobs was interesting. After reading for a while, a man came in who was a new patient. He filled out a few forms, then I helped the assistant take his x-rays. I could tell that the man hasn't been to the dentist in a while because the appearance of his teeth. Soon enough, Dr. Legaspi told him that he had two major cavities that couldn't be filled because they were so deep that it was near the root. The option he chose was to get a root canal, so doctor had to refer him to an oral surgeon. I felt bad for the man because he barely spoke English and he seemed so lost during the whole process. Over all, I felt like today was a good way to spend an afternoon! For my next hour, I would like to see the results of my x-rays, and to see procedures I have yet to see. 

Capstone Log 10

Hours for May 7, 2013: 2 hours

Running total: 22 hours 

Today I started off my hours by doing some filing and a bit of office work. After I was done, I got to watch a man with dentures get an impression so he can get new ones. Since he only had a few real teeth left, they had to match the new dentures to the color of the real teeth that were showing. It was pretty unfortunate that the teeth he had left were very yellow and looked unhealthy. I could barely understand what he was telling me because the dentures made it difficult to understand. It saddens me to see people who are in situations like his,because if they only took care of their teeth, life would be easier. After the patient left, I observed the steps in making the mold for the new dentures which should be ready in two weeks.The process seemed pretty easy, but there were many steps to memorize. Memorization skills are much needed to be a dentist, and I wonder how they can memorize so many steps for different procedures. I personally would have a difficult time memorizing so many steps. After the mold another patient came in for a cleaning and he asked Dr. Legaspi if she could hurry because he had a baseball game. Dr. Legaspi did her best to rush, but he was still a little late which made him upset. Seeing a patient act this way made me a little disappointed, but Dr. Legaspi told me that it was okay and not all patients would be happy with her service. I then watched Dr.Legaspi fill a cavity to a woman who rarely went to the dentist. Her last cleaning appointment was two years ago, but she only had one cavity. It taught me that the way you take care of your teeth is very effective even if you don't go to the dentist. For next time, which will be my last time, I hope to see more patients with different operations. 

Capstone Log 9

Hours for Friday, April 19, 2013 :1 hour
Running Total: 20 hours

I haven't been in the office in a while, but because of the star testing schedule I took the opportunity to get in an hour! This morning, I helped the doctor and assistant prepare for a teeth cleaning, and also got the folders ready for the patients that were coming in today. I observed the procedure where a woman got her teeth polished and cleaned. Although I have seen this procedure done many times, it was still interesting to see how the woman reacted to the instruments since her gums were very sensitive. I felt sorry for her because her age also contributed to her sensitive gums, and it wasn't only due to poor care.

Capstone Log 8

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!

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.

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.

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.