Disappointed

No acceptances on December 3rd. I was too hopeful and thus equally disappointed in myself. I don't know what to say or exactly what to do. I have been thinking about it a lot this past week, but I don't want to spend the time writing about it when I should actually be DOING. So here I go...

One Month Away...

November 3rd marks one official month until December 3rd. Many hopeful applicants will get acceptance letters, denial letters, and wait-list letters. Time continues to pass, and many of us wonder if we secured ourselves a spot in a dental school, somewhere. It's a scary thought -- December 3rd will determine our path for the next four years or send us on a new path. Regardless, all of us will have to make tough decisions, whether it is deciding which school to go to or whether this is all worth another try...

Too many emotions, I'm not sure what to think of it. I'm glad it's getting closer, but scared at the same time...

December 3rd.

59 days. 

Just short of two months and many hopeful applicants will get acceptance letters, denial letters, and wait-list letters. Time continues to pass, and many of us wonder if we secured ourselves a spot in a dental school, somewhere. It's a scary thought -- December 3rd could either determine our path for the next four years or send us on a new path. Regardless, all of us will have to make tough decisions, whether it is deciding which school to go to or whether this is all worth another try...

University Y Interview Invite!

God answered my wish, and surprised me with a better answer than I had hoped for. I know I am not stellar and asked for just one more interview, I had a school in mind, but he proceeded to give me an opportunity at one of my top choices! God works wonders!

I was invited after Labor Day, but in the midst of all my craziness working at two dental offices, I forgot that I even had a blog to post on!

I have a feeling this interview will be a bit tougher, but hopefully I will be able to persevere and show the adcom that I am passionate about dentistry.

P.S. I visited the dentist today and no cavities.....Yay!

Interview at University X

So I had one interview and have fallen in love with University X. It's close enough to home yet, far enough to focus and experience school for the first time. The only problem is getting accepted. I can't tell if the interview went well or not, it's definitely hard to tell with these people who interview and select people for a living. Basically 100 days until December 1st!

At the same time, I also got a "no interview" e-mail from another school this week. Which, in turn, I am guessing means that I am rejected. This has me panicked. I am crossing my fingers and praying that I hear back from at least one more school. I know I'm being a bit greedy, but I don't know what else I'm going to do if I'm off for another year...

BEST WEEKEND EVER.

I spent the weekend at our state's Mission of Mercy. Let me tell you that it was one of the best experiences I have ever had in my life. Not only did I get to complete my first ever road trip alone, but I met the best people, served my community, and experienced so many new things. Since I am still recovering from the weekend, I will bullet point my highlights:

• The D4 student who I met as we were both trying to find the concert that was free for all volunteers to attend. I am SO GRATEFUL to him for so many reasons. For being open and honest with his experiences, trying to introduce me to his classmates, professors, and anyone else he knew. I can't thank him enough for his efforts and his encouragements, which is why he comes first in this post. Thank you soon-to-be-Dr.G.S.!
• Drs. P.W. and P.S. for inviting me to dinner when I was basically went down to dinner with no one to eat with. For opening up to me and sharing their time with me. For opening their hearts to me and even saying hi whenever they say me throughout the second day of our activities.
• Thank you to the other D4 students, who I met through D4 G.S, for all being so kind and honest with their experiences. 
• To all the dentists that I worked with over the course of two days. Drs. S.H., R.P., and T.L. 

It was an EXCITING experience to be apart of. I was hesitant to go down by myself, but it ended up being one of the best decisions I ever made in my life. Even with all the obstacles I went through to get down there. I'm already excited for next year!

SO HAPPY.

(I THINK*) I JUST GOT INVITED FOR MY FIRST EVER DENTAL SCHOOL INTERVIEW!

It's been a grueling year trying to improve my status as a dental school applicant. I have worked hard to do as much as I could and am more confident that I know this is what I want to do. I hope it is paying off. I have so many people to thank for this opportunity, so many people who have helped me through to this point.

I know this is only the beginning, but I cannot be any happier than I am right now.

*I read on Student Doctor Network recently that some schools missent their dental school invites and took back some invites, which is what makes me nervous. I will call on Monday morning, hoping for the best!

Two months into AADSAS...

It's already almost August and already two months have passed since the AADSAS opened! I've been paying schools application fees left and right, spending money like it was water. I'm also drowning trying to come up with new ways to write the exact same things and make them sound more interesting for my supplemental applications. I am so sick of writing the same thing over and over, and just once more over again. It's quite sickening and makes me want to barf. 

Hopefully it'll all be worth it...

In the mean time, I just got hired full-time at a dental office! Cheers to that!

Nervous.

I feel like I'm a better candidate this year, except now I don't feel as good.
The dentists I know and have networked with seem to think I would be a good candidate for dental school...The admissions committees might think otherwise. The orthodontist I shadowed said I'm definitely more personable than some of the other people who have shadowed him and the dental resident I just e-mailed told me that "I've definitely shown serious interest and that the schools will recognize that."

Why was I such an idiot in college? If only I would've wanted dentistry then as I do now. But growth is all apart of this, is it not?

And I wish my two other letter writers would submit! Or at least get back to me! #goinginsane #panicking

And a plug for this AWESOME, HILARIOUS DENTAL TUMBLR that my friend introduced me to a few days ago: http://whatshouldwecalldental.tumblr.com/ Don't pee in your pants!

AADSAS!

So the 2013 cycle begins...

Let's go, go, go!

Shadowing Dr.double-S, part deux

I got the opportunity to shadow Dr.double-S, who will be Dr. S for the rest of this entry. I was supposed to shadow Dr.K but her patients didn't show up and Dr. S came to the office and asked if I'd like to see an extraction, which was a coincidentally great opportunity for me. The patient was really eager to have be see his extraction and learn, pulling me closer with his hands and telling me to get a good look in his mouth and stuff. One of the best patients ever to shadow, even though he spoke very little English and had a translator there.

While I was watching, I saw a familiar little card in Dr. S's operating room, which I recognized a few seconds later was from me! It was nice to know that my thank you cards actually get to the dentists, I always wonder if they arrive and what happens to them when they do.

Oh, and I saw the handsome Dr. LM again. He was dressed up, not in the usual scrubs that everyone in the office wears. Dr. S said that I was missing out on the "handsome doctor AN" when I shadowed the first time because he was in Indiana doing some house searching, but I think otherwise after seeing Dr. AN today. And just before lunch, I saw Dr. LM and the attending dentist go somewhere, probably somewhere important.

Another super interesting thing I saw today was a woman that had an extra tooth, literally in the palette of her mouth behind her two front teeth. I asked Dr. S if it was just a tooth that had come in wrong or maybe a baby tooth, but no it was an extra tooth. CRAZY COOL, well not for the patient. And Dr. S definitely kept me on my feet quizzing me to see if I knew the routine of a new patient exam...Medical history, X-rays (if necessary), Hard tissue analysis, Perio analysis (gum tissue check and tooth mobility), and Prognosis/How to proceed from exam.

Note to self: Dr. S is going to endondontic school in St. Louis, Missouri after he completes his residency in late June.

Shadowing Dr.double-S

I completely forgot that I had this blog when I shadowed last Friday. This was a pretty awesome experience, shadowing dental residents who had all graduated within the last year. The group of five dentists was a pretty selective group and were undergoing some rigorous training in order to become the best dentists they could be. The group had come from all over the country, NYU, UOP, Creighton, and the U of M -- I was surprised by the variety.

Here, I saw a variety of cases yet again, but different from that of the community clinic. These cases were more specialized and specifically geared to face cases that were referred to by the hospital. The attending dentist told me that this was an initiative to have dentistry compliment physicians more and vice versa, since there had always been this lingering gap of care for patients. Upon the initiative of a few people, a program was started to have dental residents take on cases from the overseeing hospital and allowed them to have the credibility of having a vast variety of experience collected within a year of residency.

The dentist I shadowed, maybe because he understands what it's like to be a pre-dental student or that he's a recent grad who is extremely modest, but he and the other residents were extremely kind and generous of their time and sharing information. I was really grateful towards all of them. (Not to mention some were very handsome...*gushes*)

After shadowing on Friday, it is something I definitely would like to pursue, should I get into dental school over the next year.

Dreams and shadowing Dr.C.R

I woke up from this amazing dream this morning where I got a call from the director of a program that I'm waiting to hear back from and that I was accepted. Unfortunately, it was only a dream and now it's been almost three weeks since I've heard back about the program since I first heard the results would be provided. It stinks to know that I lack the ability to make surefire plans when it comes to things related to my future or career.

Anyways, I shadowed at the Native American Community Clinic today for a third time. As always, the cases seen there were very interesting and it was great to be able to meet more D4 students. This time there was a different group rotating, one of the students even happened to be a Kaplan course instructor. He called my Kaplan instructor his protege and when I told my instructor about it after he responded to me about my personal statement, he said that the D4 student was actually his DAT instructor. Small world.

I came across my first experience where the patient did not want to be observing while he was undergoing a crown prep procedure today. Though during the pre-day huddle I had heard that he was a sensitive patient, I had no idea that he would object to observations. And when I saw him leave, the D4 student stuck out his hand and said, "Thanks." The patient threw his hands back and said, "I don't shake hands."

But due to the previous patient, I met this wonderful gentleman today, he had been diagnosed with a myriad of health problems yet his outlook on life was simply one of the most positive ones I'd ever seen in my life. When I was just about to step out while the D4 student went to go grab Dr.C.R. he asked me where I was from. I told him and he said, "I thought you might be, see, I like to meet as many people as I can from all over the world." I told him that it was nice and that usually people don't guess right. He said, "The world has too many wars and too much hate. Little actions of help -- just holding the door open, a smile, or helping a stranger -- would make the world a better place. Turning the hate into love, but I guess that's just me. I told him it was a great philosophy to have and I was just struck by his optimism even amongst all the ways he could hate the world due to his condition. It was apparent that he was far more healthy, mentally, than any of us.

Shadowing oral surgeon Dr.B.D.C.

This was quite a different experience. The more I shadow dental specialties, the more I like them. However, I am fully aware that in order to be in these specialties you have to be near the top of your class and study for a couple of extra years.

I was able to shadow this oral surgeon because one of the dental assistants at the dental office where I work part-time used to work for this oral surgeon. This situation was unique in that I was required to wear scrubs (and I couldn't help thinking how nice it would be to not have to worry about what to wear all the time). It was a completely different approach to extracting teeth and I really enjoyed the atmosphere of oral surgery just as I did orthodontics. It was interesting to see "the other side" of anesthesia -- because now I finally knew what went on when the patient was passed out and the oral surgeon and his dental assistants got work done.

I'm sure I can't say much more, so I'll just leave with this note. Please, remember to brush your tongue folks.

Cavities from the perspective of a young girl

Yesterday, a young girl who couldn't be older than eight checked out at the front desk because she had a cavity. The mother, without asking for an estimate for the composite and amalgam options, chose to have her daughter have a composite, or white, filling. Hearing this, the daughter immediately whines, "I want a silver filling! I don't want a white one." Several dental assistants are at the front desk waiting for their next patients and tell the girl that the white ones are better (more expensive and more appealing, aesthetically). However, the older brother shows his younger sister his silver filling and asks if it's cool. The little girl, this time almost in tears, says that she wants a silver filling. In the end, the scheduling manager scheduled a "silver" filling...

Shadowing Dr. C.R at the Public Community Clinic

What an experience. It's always nice to go to this clinic, particularly because I get to be around D4 students whom I feel I am most able to relate to, at this point in time. Also, I get to see a lot of things I don't see at most dental clinics because the patients are of an entirely different demographic.

I saw what I learned is called an "immediate denture" as opposed to the "conventional denture" that was put in place immediately after seven teeth were extracted from this mid-30's aged male. It was really unfortunate to see such a younger person have to get rid of his teeth at such a young age.

In addition, I also witnessed one patient that was somewhat rude and difficult to work with because the students were not catering to her wants with the limited time they had scheduled with her. She wanted to have all the work she had delayed getting in the hour time slot she was given, however, it would be impossible to do so. As a result, the patient repeatedly mentioned that she didn't want to hear any more explanations and just wanted them to complete whatever needed the most work and also that she would not be returning.

I can't imagine how the faculty instructor at this clinic manages all the stress that is applied to her situation on a regular basis. I mean the dental students, of course, feel stress, but they are done after a certain period of rotations. But the faculty members are always there. Yikes.

Yet, another good experience. Now if only the oral surgeon I've contacted would call me back....

Handsome dentist

Even four months after the handsome dentist, or as the other people in the office had apparently called him at his send-off party -- "hot dentist", people are STILL looking for him, asking where he has gone. It's unbelievable. I wish I could be as physically attractive, it definitely has to play a factor in patient retrieval. But he was pretty gorgeous...Too bad before I started shadowing and before I worked more Saturdays with him...Hehehe

And I FOUND THE PURPLE NOTEBOOK! SO HAPPY!

Shadowing Dr.K.S.

Best thing I've heard in a while, "I think you would make a good dentist." This is from a dental assistant who has worked in the field for over 35 years. It has got to have some kind of significance to it, right? It meant a lot to me just to hear those words. Especially after this stressful year of trying to get into dental school.

Shadowing Dr.K.S today was pretty much a typical day at the office with crown seats and preps, hygiene exams, and fillings. That is, other than the cutest and most patient little four year-old getting two amalgam fillings and an older emergency patient getting three tooth roots pulled out because of an infection.

Case I:
The person that had to get three tooth roots pulled out was quite a sight to see. These are three teeth that had root canals done to them and had probably chipped off because the dead teeth were brittle and fragile. So all that really remained of the teeth were the roots, which were causing his upper cheek and gums to become inflammed. Watching them get extracted was pretty cool as well as the sutures.

Case II:
The four year-old was the most patient patient I've ever seen in my life. He didn't even flinch at the pinch of the novocaine injection and was cooperative during the whole process of the two amalgam fillings. It's rare to see even adults not squirm at the injection of an anesthetic. The mom even mentioned, "I can't believe he didn't even squirm, his sixteen year-old sister couldn't even handle it. I even flinch at the injection of novocaine."

Just two asides, I was on my feet for seven hours straight shadowing today. My feet? KILLING ME. Other than that, I CANNOT, for the life of me, find the little pocket notebook that I use when I'm shadowing and it is bothering the heck out of me. I know I had it last Monday when I shadowed the orthodontist, but I haven't been able to track it since then.

Shadowing orthodontist R, part II

I shadowed Dr. S.R. again today. There wasn't as much going on today, but it was, as always, awesome to see all the progression of the cases and the completion of some of the dental work. Oh, the beauty that braces can produce. Hideous placement of teeth can turn into works of art.

What did I learn today? Well, to start, I learned that the permanent tooth kind of eats away at a baby tooth which is why they sometimes worry that the permanent tooth is not doing its job if it doesn't come out after a certain period of time when the tooth is expected. In addition, the reason they remove baby teeth once the period for the permanent tooth to arrive has passed is that the tooth must not be placed behind the baby tooth, causing concern. Thus, they pull the baby tooth in hopes that the permanent tooth will find the empty path and try to fill it.

Interesting fact of the day? Braces will not proceed to move your teeth any faster if you start with the strongest wire. They will actually do the reverse. The undifferentiated cells around the root of the tooth will just die and not help the process of completing that braces would complete if done in the regular fashion.

But gotta study for the DAT, not enough time put in today. Sayanara!

Full Moon Superstition...

I don't know if this is something the practice where I work at believes in or if it is a known superstition amongst dental professionals, but it is something I am beginning to believe the more I continue to work as a Saturday receptionist at the dental clinic.

The phones can get crazy with emergency case calls on Saturdays, but especially more after a Full Moon. The scheduling managers and receptionists, even dentists, blame the Full Moon for odd emergency case calls and unusual patients coming in. Yesterday, as soon as the first set of pedo kids came in, at least 4-5 calls came in with emergencies within the next half hour. The phones almost were off the hook until an hour before lunch.

Sure enough, when they looked at the calendar, there was a Full Moon Thursday night. Odd, isn't it?

Then, the elevator that had been out of order all week when I was shadowing was ready to go on Saturday morning when I arrived. So, I took it up just fine. On the way out, I of course took the elevator down to the LL from 2nd. But when it got down to the LL, it wouldn't open. I pressed "Door Open" several times and in the midst of doing this, it started going up all by itself. Luckily, one of the other dental assistants was on her way down. I told her what had happened, and as we went down, the same exact thing happened! It freaked us out a little bit so we decided to take the stairs afterwards.

Crazy Full Moon.

Shadowing Dr.S.O

I thought today would be a fun-filled day with lots of emergency cases before the weekend, as I hear a lot about the crazy cases that occur before the end of the day on Friday when I come into work on Saturdays. However, to my disappointment, this wasn't the case. Nonetheless, I saw some interesting things and even got the new dentist, who was recently hired after graduating this past spring, to talk to me first.

Dentist S.O. works part-time so didn't have as packed of a schedule as the other dentists do, or maybe it was they way her schedule was designed. Anyways, she had an interesting extraction where the patient had been coming in one by one as the pain was getting to her, although it was recommended that she remove all her lower teeth and get dentures. Unfortunately, it seemed that she didn't have the means to afford this kind of treatment and seemed to have opted for coming in when she couldn't bear the pain, which is sad because she couldn't be older than 35.

Another patient hadn't come into the dentist for three years, but had something in her mouth chip yesterday. She came in with her adorable little granddaughter. The granddaughter came in with a baby carrier with her little pig, Pinky, and two toy dog carrying cases with all of her toys in them. However, it was very hard to understand this little girl. Grandma tells me, while the dental assistant is running x-rays of the tooth area, that the little girl has speech problems -- didn't start speaking until she was three and is currently in speech classes.   The little girl and her dad had moved in with grams and gramps after her parents split, you could tell she was spoiled, but that she got a lot of love and attention. But back to grandma, grandma turned out to need another filling and possibly require a crown down the road. Grandma joked, "All my teeth have cavities. I tell my granddaughter, when she doesn't want to brush her teeth, 'Want your teeth to look like grandma's?'"

Mellow day, but nice to see the different styles of practice, treatment, and personal skills of the different dentists where I work. It has also given me the opportunity to actually talk to the dentists and their assistants. When I'm working the receptionist desk on Saturdays, I usually keep to myself doing what I am required to do.

So, there goes another 5 hours of completed shadowing and off to work tomorrow at the dental office. Bright and early at 7 AM.

Coming soon....Second shadowing experience with Orthodontist Dr.S.R.

A day at the office shadowing Dr.J.C.

Today I shadowed Dr.J.C. Now, having shadowed at this same office for the third time, I've gotten pretty used to seeing the same things...crown seats and preps, extractions, fillings, root canals, and hygiene exams. Today was no different, but it was kind of cool to actually be able to see while I was peering over the dentist's shoulder, a wisdom tooth extraction and the root canal of a visible near-front tooth.

Things about the dentists at this clinic, particularly Dr.C & Dr.S, whom I shadowed today and Tuesday, respectively? They work super fast, their dental assistants know it too.What's interesting about Dr.C is that she drills with just one hand and lets her left just kind of hang there while she drills. Insane.

The thing that gets to me, every time I hear it, is "That's it? I'm done?" after an extraction of a tooth that had been bothering them. They hear all these nightmarish stories about horror stories of tooth extractions and when a tooth is extracted in less than ten minutes after the miserable injection of lidocaine, more commonly known as Novocaine, they are just in utter shock. I've heard it each time I've shadowed at this particular office and it amuses me every time. It's not the most pleasant thing to see, with the bulky and tool-shop worthy instruments in someone's mouth, but it's a sight to see when the tooth just casually slips itself out...

Anyways, back for a final time this week tomorrow. Well, that is, besides working there on Saturday. I would type more, but right now I'm super exhausted and need to rest up before another 5-6 hours on my feet tomorrow tagging behind Dr.O.

'Till I get there!

Shadowing Dr. M.D.S.

Tonight, I shadowed Dr. M.D.S., whom I thought was totally intimidating until today. His personality requires some getting used to and also getting to know. My first impression of him was that he was a cocky doctor, the way he came in and sat slouched back when I was interviewing for a weekend receptionist position at this office. He told me he had two questions but would only ask me one, "Was I reliable". Of course I answered yes and was luckily given the position on the spot.

But he taught me quite a few things that I had not known about dentistry and also words of wisdom of dentistry, words that could only come from someone who's experienced it first hand. I saw him in a new light, one that was entirely deserving of his title and entitled to his position as a caregiver. I was impressed and discovered a new found respect for Dr.S.

"Doing good work is important....But a lot of dentistry is getting people's expectations in line"

People come to the dentist with certain expectations, things like expecting a treatment to last a lifetime or that a treatment will not result in any post-operative pain. Dr.S warned that it's important to let the patient be aware of the potential outcomes of a treatment and possibilities down the road. Otherwise, it will come right back to you because you are the doctor and you suggested this treatment. Thus, he emphasized a point that I had never considered. Dentistry is always about thinking ahead, whether it be preventative or post-operative.

"Every treatment is definitive -- the end of the road for a tooth."

When providing a patient with a treatment, you have to think of this treatment as a the final and last treatment for the tooth. You don't want the patient to have to go through more than they should, nor should they have to pay more for treatment. It saves both you and the patient, in the end. If you're given options, you want to choose one that will last the longest, the one that will keep the integrity of the tooth.

"When you think about life in the big scheme of things, a crown is a small hurdle...If people are educated and motivated enough, they'll find a way."

Commenting on the option of crowns and treatment options, he mentioned that if people really want the treatment, they'll find a way to pay for it. For one thing, they need it to survive and will wager the cause and effect of having treatment or holding off on it. For instance, one patient came in and wanted to hold off on having a crown put in place until next year, when she could afford it. In the meantime, Dr.S. put in a temporary crown, which would hopefully last until she was ready to afford and have the treatment.

Overall, I felt like this was a very successful shadowing experience where I learned a lot, a lot more than I had expected to.

All I can do now is wait.

Marquette Summer Program App Status: Submitted & Received.

Now all I can do is wait. Until April, according to a friend who already went through the program a few years ago. I hope someone in the heavens is rootin' for me.

Hoping for the best....

Community Health Clinic Shadowing

Friday was my first visit ever to a community health clinic. It was quite different than what I had ever seen in private dental clinics. Beginning with the location, things were different. The demographics of the people, the treatments needed. They were all completely contradictory of what was I was used to. Even policies were different. There was a sign at each chair that stated that if patients did not confirm their appointments within 24 hours of their appointment date and time, that their appointment could be handed off to the next patient who needed care. Something unheard of in private clinics.

Nonetheless, doctors treated patients equally, maybe even gave them more attention and made them more aware of their post-treatment care and explained steps in more detail. Then again, it could be because they were students, D4s. But I would like to think that their personality for care is innate and they truly do care for each patient's well-being. I was surprised and excited to hear that one of the D4 students was an alumnus of my university.

While it was a smaller clinic, it was busier than some that I had previously seen. They accommodated for as much as they could and adjusted their treatment plans accordingly. With any clinic you have to have a lot of patience and really like your job, but with clinics like these, you have to be even more patient, which is what I saw at this particular clinic.

Something interesting I saw from shadowing that I hadn't seen before. Extraction of teeth standing up! I had no idea that this was a method of extracting teeth! So cool!

Shadowing orthodontist R

So while I said I would post about my shadowing experience at an orthodontist office, I failed to do so. I've been so busy with other things. Anyways, before I forget about my experience, I'd better post, post, post!

I was introduced to this orthodontist's dental assistant when I was volunteering for "Give Kids A Smile Day" at the dental office where I work. I have heard his name several times since I have started working at the dental office where I work because our dentists refer patients to him. However, I could never find his name on the internet because I only knew of his last name and it was not spelled the way I thought it was.

Of course, as anyone who works in a dental office, they want to know what the heck this younger looking person is doing in a dental office. I explained myself and told her what my deal was. She was the sweetest dental assistant I had ever met. I brought up how I'm trying to improve my shadowing and volunteering hours and she offered to get in touch with me about shadowing with her orthodontist boss. Well, to my surprise, she actually really remembered to get in touch with me before I had even thought to contact her.

Anyways, long story short, a few weeks later I was at his office ready to shadow, but had never met him. I guess you can say that I went in with very few expectations. From my experiences being in the chair opposite the orthodontist for many years, frankly, I thought orthodontics was a quite boring field. However, this orthodontist showed be otherwise. He was the nicest dental professional I had ever met in my life, explaining things every chance he got and also invited me to join him in consultation meetings and toured his clinic.

His approach to orthodontics was quite unique. He often left the final decision to the patient and the guardians versus forcing an idea or opinion about which option he would like to implement. He described all the options,  shared the potential costs, and left the final decision up to the person who'd have to deal with the metal pieces for the next few months. This orthodontist even shared that a cheaper option, if money was an issue, was going down to the local university, where you could get the cheapest braces in the state.

It was amazing the work he has done. He showed me some images of past cases, and it is amazing how the face structure changes as well as the teeth. What a difference a few months of restructuring your teeth and jaws could do. Simply amazing. Also, I was impressed with his use of technology and the design of his office. His incentives and reward systems would not benefit him one bit, but he still used them to encourage his patients to practice good habits. He often stated throughout the day, "I don't want you to pay me to twiddle my thumbs," in reference to waiting until more teeth came in or practice good habits so that the patient could get their braces out earlier and get a refund for the abbreviated length of the initial suggested outlook of the treatment plan. He had monthly drawings where if a patient practiced good brushing habits, every visit the patients name would be put in a drawing for $100.

I was blown away. I fell in love instantly with the specialty of orthodontics, even though I know it's highly unlikely that I could ever become one seeing that you have to be in the TOP TEN percent of your DENTAL CLASS to study those extra two years to become a dentist. Anyways, orthodontists, gotta love 'em!

Introductory Blog!

I decided to start this blog for three main reasons:

1. to track my progress as I apply to dental school a second time around
2. to reflect on my experiences and encounters with dentistry
3. IF I become a dentist, to share how I am making an impact as professional of dentistry

So, essentially, I'm doing two things at this point in time. Now, I guess I can't say I've been completely been disregarded as a candidate for dental school for the 2012 school year, but I'm not going to count on my status right now. Thus, I decided in January to prepare to re-apply. I think I'm on the right track so far, mentally and physically. 

It won't be easy to make myself into a better and improved candidate by June 4, 2012, but I'm going to give it I have got until then. If that means giving up my friends, my hobbies, and being plain lazy -- then I must do it. My future rides on this. An orthodontist asked me today, "Do you have a plan B?". This struck me by surprise because aside from the fact that it is an uncommon question asked by a dental professional, my plans B, C, and D are so far behind my plan A that I keep myself as distant as I can from plans that don't start with A. (More on my shadowing experience tomorrow....)

What am I doing now to show my dedication to dental school? Volunteering once a week, shadowing a bit more, thinking about taking the DAT again, applied to a summer enrichment program, and working once a week as a receptionist at a dental office. 

Anyways, tomorrow is Friday. Hopefully I won't get any mail for I fear Friday snail mail, it only means one thing. R-E-J-E-C-T-I-O-N.