Week 10, final week!

For my final week I went to an orthadontist in Naas!

Date: 5/12/2012

Start time: 8:00

Finishing time: 2:00

I left for work at 7:30 to go to my placement i an orthadontist in Naas, this is a dentist who speacialises in making braces. I arrived around 8:00 t work and the first patient came in around 8:10, the work that he does is so much different to that in Ann-Marie's. The appointments are a lot more quick and there are more patients seen to each day.

At the orthadontist, they also make retainers and mouthguards to fit patient's mouths, so to learn how to make a mouthguard impressions were taken of my own mouth and I learned how to make a mouthguard to fit my mouth and keep it myslef! I was shown how to make this mouthguard, it is purple an white and I will be able to use it for sports from now on!

During my day at the orthadontist I saw how braces are put on, and I now know how braces work. The metal that is used in braces is made so that it wants to return back to it's original shape (the shape your teeth should be), this is how braces work!

Today was also different as there was much more people working in the place, there were 5 people in total including me working. This took some getting used to!

People I was working with: Una (receptionist), Paul (orthadontist), Pam (assistant), Claire(assistant) and Patricia (Lab worker)

I really enjoyed this first placement of work experience and I think I have learnt a lot from this experience. I now have a much better idea of what is involved in a career of dentistry.

Week 9

This week was really busy at Rathcoole dental surgery! It was probably one of my best weeks so far. I was aloud take all phone calls and make/change appointments, this was something I was not able to do before. I had to take the phone calls throughout the day.

I also had to make up 'take home' packs this week for patients who have had extractions done. These packs contain 3 buds of cotton gauze and instructions on how to clean the area your tooth has been extracted from. Once these packs are made they are put away onto the shelves and are later given out to people after their extractions.

 I had to make up the protective glasses the patient wears during their appointment. These glasses protect the patient from any harmful materials. The glasses are made up by sliding a clear sterilised plastic sheet onto another sterilised frame, they are then also placed onto shelves to be later used for patients!

I was pulling files this week aswell, I needed to look at the list of patients and then find their files in all the filing cabinets.

Week 8

This week i was unable to attend my work experience placement as I had a family funeral.

Week 7

Date: 14/11/2012

Start Time: 7:30

Finish Time: 1:00

Duties performed:

This week i continued to work with and help Ann-Marie, but I also did some office work.

I pulled files for the next day's patients and I also took my first phone call for the surgery! On the phone you must talk formally and professionally, it was a bit different to how i'm used to speaking but I think I handled it well! I also had to sign for an order this week.

An order of about 4 boxes came into the surgery, I had to sign for this and show the delivery man where to put the boxes. I then had to help Marrion unpack the delivery and tidy everything away.

Who I was working with:

I was working with Ann-Marie and Marrion (Ann-Marie's assistant) this week.

Week 6

Date: 7/11/2012

Start time: 7:30

Finish Time: 1:00

Duties performed:

I was working with Ann-Marie and Marrion (Ann-Marie's assistant) this week.

When I first arrived in to the dental clinic, I changed into my white dental tunic I have been given, I then start to get the dental room ready for Ann-Marie's first patient. I have to prepare the mouthwash for after the patient's treatment, this is done by placing a disinfectant dental moutwash tablet into a plastic disposable cup and filling it with distilled water. I had to make about 15 of these mouthwash cups.

This week at work experience some of the same things as last week. This week however i also learned how to work the appointments list in the office. The system in the dentist is very high-tech but it's really easy to use and is useful for the dentist there.

For the first part of my day, before my 10:00 break, I was working with the dentist, watching what she was doing and assisting her with small tasks. I helped to prepare the rooms before and after each patient comes in.

After break, I started to learn how to use the 'Apple' appointments system there and Marrion showed me how to speak on the phone and interact with customers. Marrion also showed me how to take appointment bookings.

Who I was working with:

I was working with Ann-Marie and Marrion (Ann-Marie's assistant) this week.

Week 5

Date: 24/10/2012

Start Time: 7:30

Finish Time: 2:00

Duties performed:

I was working with Ann-Marie and Marrion (Ann-Marie's assistant) this week.

When I first arrived in to the dental clinic, got the dental room ready for Ann-Marie's first patient. I had to prepare the mouthwash for after the patient's treatment like I had the week before.

This week there was a patient was having a tooth extracted. This was the first time I had seen an extraction and I must say it turned me off the idea of dentistry a bit! The patient's mouth was numbed before the extraction, the Ann-Marie used this look-alike plyers to pull the tooth out of the man's mouth! She had to rock the tooth from side to side before it would come out. Then, while the tooth was almost out, it cracked under the force pulling on it! This caused a bit of difficulty but Ann-Marie managed the situation really well and was very calm about it all.

Who I was working with:

I was working with Ann-Marie and Marrion (Ann-Marie's assistant) this week.

Week 4

Date: 17/10/2012

Start Time: 7:30

Finish Time: 2:00

Duties performed:

When I first arrived in to the dental clinic, I changed into my white dental tunic I have been given, I then start to get the dental room ready for Ann-Marie's first patient. I have to prepare the mouthwash for after the patient's treatment, this is done by placing a disinfectant dental moutwash tablet into a plastic disposable cup and filling it with distilled water. I had to make about 15 of these mouthwash cups.

Later on, i was given the task of doing the post and buying stamps. I had to go down to the local shop and send off important letters & packages , i also bought stamps for the clinic so that other letters could be sent. When it came time for our morning break I was given money to go across the road to buy coffees for Ann-Marie and Marrion. I had to make sure to be careful with this money and remember twhat they wanted!

This week I was also given the responsilbility of letting patients in to the surgery, there is an intercom that the patients have to ring to be let in and I had to answer this. The first time I did this i forgot to aks ofr the patient's name but I remembered to this the next time.

Who I was working with:

I was working with Ann-Marie and Marrion (Ann-Marie's assistant) this week.

Week 3

Date: 10/10/2012

Start Time: 7:30

Finsih Time: 12:00

I started work at 7:30 and finished up around 12:00 this week as I had a hockey match to go to in the school.

Duties performed and observations:

When I first arrived in to the dental clinic, I changed into my white dental tunic I have been given, I then start to get the dental room ready for Ann-Marie's first patient. I have to prepare the mouthwash for after the patient's treatment, this is done by placing a disinfectant dental moutwash tablet into a plastic disposable cup and filling it with distilled water. I had to make about 15 of these mouthwash cups.

I was shown how to work the x-ray machine this week and how to read x-rays. I learnt how to see where there is decay in the tooth from reading an X-ray. 

I didn't encounter any difficulties this week, although I did have to ask once or twice where things were located in the surgery.

I observed all the work that happens in the dental clinic. I was based mostly in the surgery room with Ann-Marie. As we looked at different patients, Ann-Marie explained anything that she was doing (any procedures) and also what check ups she was doing.

Who I was working with:

I was working with Ann-Marie and Marrion, another dentist who also acts as the receptionist, this week.

Placement 1 of work experience!

For my first work placement I am working at a dental clinic. So far all the work has been great!
Before each patient comes in I have to prepare the room and clean everything, everything must be kept very clean in the clinic.
The first week there I learnt how to make 'impressions' of people's mouths. This is where we take a mould of a person's mouth so that retainers/dentures/etc can be made to fit someone's mouth perfectly! I wasn't aloud to actually practice on a person (I'm pretty sure if I was aloud, the patient would have ended up swallowing the mould or something), so instead I practiced on a model mouth.
This week I observed the dentist doing her work and she showed me all the different types of treatments they do there, she also showed me how to look at x-rays and know where decay is taking place in the tooth.
I'm really enjoying my work here so far, all the staff are so friendly and I feel that I am being included in the work at the clinic. I hope this will continue for the rest of placement here! So far so good anyway!