A bit of Bon Jovi?

Wasn't there a Bon Jovi song about "the more things change, the more they stay the same?" Am I dating myself? Actually, my dental school years were before the big hair of Bon Jovi, and  more Loggins and Messina, James Taylor, and Eric Clapton.

We didn't have fancy mannequins with water and suction on which to do our practice drilling. In the days before OSHA regulations about infection control, we used actual extracted teeth mounted on to plaster.  We had to beg for these teeth from our own dentists and oral surgeons. If we were asked to perform a certain type of filling, on a certain type of tooth, we'd have to dig into our saved jars of teeth. We'd search like miners panning for gold, looking for the perfect bicuspid or molar, then carefully place that tooth into a bed of wet plaster, wait for it to dry, and then drill away.

Are there similarities between 1980 and 2010 dental school learning? Absolutely. Students at UNLV might have the luxury of premounted teeth, water and suction. However, the meticulous exactness required to excavate a very tiny space hasn't changed. Students today must learn how to use indirect vision, working with a small mirror, just as their elder counterparts did thirty years ago. Treating one's first "live" patient, no matter how small the cavity in their tooth, is still exciting.

Trading In those Treats from KOLO news 8

Trading In those Treats

Dental School In the Middle

  Being in dental school has quickly become an exhilarating, yet exhausting ride. I'm in my third year out of four at UNLV and this semester has been amazing. The first two years were spent in the classroom and now we're seeing patients every day. Dental school has changed since 1987, but a lot has stayed the same. In a class of 75 there are only 20 female students, we still rely on patients in order to pass our clinic sessions, and dentistry is still an exciting profession..Technology has transformed the profession and the student experience. All of our textbooks are on our computers and assignments can be submitted electronically. We have simulated mannequins that we use the first two years to practice drilling on plastic teeth. Yes, plastic teeth and mannequins connected with suction that allow us to create a semi real life experience.
 Fortunately, I am out of the sim lab and in the clinic 9-5 most days. I find myself mimicking both of my parents while talking to patients and how I approach dental procedures. They have been extraordinary mentors throughout my life and I look forward to joining their profession.