Reflection On Dental Experience

In elementary school, one of my favorite days in grade school would be when my mom came in for her oral hygiene lessons. Even though my mom could have easily demonstrated proper techniques on how to brush and floss teeth with a dental model for my classes, she knew how excited I would always get when she called on me to personally demonstrate. I would brush in confidence those tooth surfaces, at a 45 degree angle and with small circular strokes. Promptly in the lesson, I would put the toothbrush vertically for those inside surfaces of my front teeth. My mom would end the brushing technique with a friendly reminder to brush for a full two minutes, twice a day. She also told the kids to think of triangles and to floss along the mesial and distal surfaces of their teeth, rather than straight down and cutting their gums. With every upcoming yearly demonstration, I honed that routine of mine, ensuring to my classmates the best way to keep the plague out. Even to this day, I have still got my middle school sketchbook in my desk drawer, where I had illustrated the cover as, “Dr. Pham, DDS”. Starting in my high school summer, I had my first shot to assist my parents with what I have always known to be as, “The Office.” In the day-to-day, I strove to follow my dad’s office procedures. Imagine, my young, impressionable self holding onto the large suction and water syringe as a patient’s wisdom were extracted; gums cut, that red blood flowing throughout the procedure.

My whole life, it has been apparent to those around me that I would be a dentist. I am highly inquisitive, passionate, compassionate, experienced, and I love teeth. I remember getting so excited to have my teeth cleaned as a child because my trips to the dentist were so much fun! At a young age, my mother instilled the importance of oral hygiene care. To this day, I wonder if it was the dentist, dental hygienist, or just the dental office ambiance that had me engaged as a young child. Almost immediately after graduating high school, I went to school to become a registered dental assistant and at that point, I figured out that I possess good manual dexterity, which is a fundamental skill to be efficient in the dental field. At the same time, I unlocked the key to my calling, passion. Six years later, I realized I had the potential to

This class relate to my major in the way that as a Dental Assistant, I need to have the knowledge to used instruments to make my job easier and precise, just like in this class we used tools to make our sculptures faster and dynamic. When filling in a tooth I need to have the skills to reshape the teeth back to its natural shape, like in art I need to be able to use my skills to shape clay to a sculpture. In a dental office before starting a procedure, I need to be able to explain the patient what they will go through. In class, I need to present my sculpture and explain why I created it. This class and my major also require people skills and acceptance of different cultures and opinions.

Before this school year started, me and my group members had little knowledge on dental specialties, but now we’ve become experts on the topic. This project has helped us become acquainted with the structure and appearance of dental offices, and it will help us educate the community through our models and presentation. Not only did this experience inform us, it opened our eyes as to what we want to pursue. I’ve become more interested in the orthodontic field and I know my group mate is thinking about going into pedodontics. Our project took a lot of time and effort and we hope it will expand the way the public sees the dental

My life has truly been transformed by Dentistry; it has boosted my confidence and aligned me with the career path of my dreams. Early on in life, every aspect of Dentistry captured my heart. Learning to cope with my embarrassing smile inspired me to want to help others by giving them what they always dreamed of. Knowing I have the power to make someone's dreams come to life is the reason I wake up each morning with a drive and desire to achieve my goals. While striving with a strong focus, packaged with confidence and sincerity, I will pursue my passion through demanding training. I not only plan to be a hardworking, determined and ambitious student, but with my skills as an orthodontist, it will further my ability to be an active member in

Idelina Almanzar graduated with honors with an Associate of Applied Science in Dental Hygiene from New York City College of Technology. She is currently working as a full time Registered Dental Hygienist in a family Dental Practice in New York City. As a compassionate, yet focused, Dental Hygienist, she loves using her professional expertise to help patients keep or find their beautiful smiles. She also enjoys sharing this vision with individuals who work efficiently and accurately as a dynamic team of dental professionals. Her love and passion for Dentistry has inspired her in continuing her education to become a Doctor in Dental Medicine. Currently, Idelina is pursuing a Bachelors degree in Health Service Administration with the purpose of

Deciding what you want to do for the rest of your life is never easy; in part because you never know what the future has in store. Furthermore, there are endless possibilities to take into consideration. A desire to help others has always been a passion of mine and I envision myself in a service oriented career path. With a great deal of time, soul searching, research and careful consideration, I have come to realize that pursuing a degree in dental hygiene will help me reach my goals and fulfill my dreams. Dental Hygienists are patient, understanding, detail-oriented and passionate about oral hygiene. They possess leadership skills and enjoy daily interaction with patients. I embody these character traits and look forward to educating

This year has went by so fast! However, it was much more stressful with board exams vastly approaching, it was also easier now that I was in the swing of things. I don’t’ think twice when picking up a gracey, muscle memory just knows what to do! Although I am not perfect, I believe I am a safe beginner to practice in a dental office. This brings me great joy! As I have been waiting for this day to come for a long time. I’m so thankful to have had this experience, although it was not an easy one. I feel incredibly blessed to have been taught by the best, in such a well-organized clinic. I’m in awe with the patience the instructors have had with me, and my classmates as we learned what to prioritize and made personal improvements. In a strange way I will miss the pressure of school.

Over the past two years since I started working as a dental assistant at Kidwell and Albus Dentistry, watching and learning from the doctors, hygienists and assistants as well as helping them. I have realized that there is a lot of joy, and satisfaction when I help the patients improve their dental hygiene and provide the best service possible along with my coworkers. I have gained a lot of experience about what the job entails, the benefits, drawbacks, and ultimately concluded that dental hygienist is the career path that I want to pursuit at this moment in my life, mainly because of three reasons which are professional fulfillment, financial stability, and time flexibility.

Regardless of your political stance, dental care is a service that all people should have access to, privately, or publicly. In the United States alone, millions of Native Americans on reservations are stifled from receiving the much needed dental care they require, the consequences are harmful to their health and prosperity.

I appreciated the opportunity to volunteer at my local dentist office and was fond of helping the hygienist prepare her tools, suctioning patients’ mouths, helping with periodontal charting, and sterilizing tools along with the equipment after each patient. I also took joy in communicating with the patients about my schooling and how I hope to become a dental hygienist. Many of the patients were generous and wished me luck in my future. The dentist of the clinic, Paul A. Sensor, enjoyed having me and said to update him about my future endeavors. After job shadowing Stephanie Korth and learning more about being a dental hygienist, it changed the way I viewed going to the dentist. She was a great example for me and she ensured me that this was the job for me. When I came to the Iowa Central Dental Hygiene Clinic, I found myself asking the student hygienist questions about the process of the examination that I wouldn’t have known about before. I see this profession in my future knowing I want to impact people’s health in a positive way. I also want a job that is going to challenge me to reach my full

As per usual, I volunteered in the operatory of the Allen Saxe Dental Clinic. Today, I was the only dental assistant working. We had a moderate patient flow, but we seemed to get everybody out in good time. I interacted with the front desk receptionist, hygienists, and the dentists. Usually I would interact with the other pre-dental students volunteering, but today no one but me was there. My favorite dentist was in the office today. She was so happy to see me and she requested that I work with her, even though I was actually initially placed with another doctor. My interactions with the hygienists were no more than just a simple hello and good morning.

Dental practitioner appraisals are astounding wellsprings of data and they will help you pick a dental supplier you can trust. There are numerous dental practitioners around, however they are not all the same. Picking a dental specialist ought not be an arbitrary choice. You ought to pick your dental supplier as painstakingly as could reasonably be expected. Take some an opportunity to investigate your choices and look at dental specialist appraisals online so you can settle on the right choice.

Many of my hobbies require proficient manual dexterity. For example, I hand-make bracelets made out of string; this requires consistency to maintain the pattern. I am also certified to build and fit below and above knee prosthetics in Vietnam. The building process requires a lot of hands on work using tools (screw drivers, jig-saws, ) and the fitting process requires adjustments to the prosthetic to make it comfortable for the patient. The process behind building and fitting prosthetics for amputees is similar to the process of building and fitting oral prosthetics for dental

From a very early age, I had a natural affinity for teeth. I wanted to know how they form, and differ in other individuals. As a toddler, I would grab hold of the staff’s teeth at my local daycare and attempt my own version of a dental inspection. It came quite apparent to my mother that either I had a serious fetish or I was finding a passion for a future profession. Even though my mother loved my curious personality, she wanted me to understand that there are boundaries that I must adhere too. Over time, I stopped playing with stranger’s mouths and started using my hands for more important duties. On Saturdays, after soccer practice, my father would drive us to food banks to volunteer our time. During my time as a volunteer, I did such activities such as feeding the homeless, packing boxes of food for families in need, and assisting the building of homes with habitat humanity. Thankfully, I could continue my development as a community leader throughout college and adulthood.