Three Trimesters Into Dental School!
Our third trimester of dental school has been the most stressful trimester to date. Here are some dental-related highlights from our first 4 weeks of the trimester:
Assisting for WREBs: The Western Regional Exam Board (WREBs) is a dental licensure examination that dental students take at the end of their fourth year. Passing this exam allows the individual to practice in states that recognize the WREBs. The exam consists of various different procedures, including two operative procedures (Posterior Class II Amalgam, Posterior Class II Composite, Anterior Class III Composite, or Posterior Class II Cast Gold Restoration), endodontic treatment on two extracted teeth, and scaling/root planing. Dental assistants and first/second year dental students can serve as assistants, which gives us a good insight into the WREBs process.
Equilibrating typodonts: Our first project of third trimester was to equilibrate two typodonts to achieve three posterior teeth mylar holds on each side as well as anterior teeth mylar "drag". In addition, we had to take impressions and pour two casts of each equilibrated typodont. It was our most pain-in-the-ass project to date and the whole process took over 12 hours. It didn't help that the typodont would become dis-equilibrated after you take an alginate impression. As a result, you have to spend another hour or two re-equilibrating the typodont...
The Beginning of Sophomore Perio Block: This summer, we started sophomore perio block. So far, we've learned how to probe and explore using the 3A and 11/12 explorer. Measuring pocket depths, looking for furcations, and finding subgingival calculus. If there's one specialty that I have absolutely no interest in, it is probably perio.
Indirect Restorations: This class is our most time-consuming class for the summer. At the moment, we are learning how to prep teeth for inlays, complete veneer crowns (CVC), and porcelain fused to metal (PFM) crowns.
Inlay prep on the typodont.
Making a tooth block - we will be doing a PFM prep on the tooth in the middle.
