Advice for struggling D3s?

[Springs01]

I feel like I'm struggling as a D3. Patients can be difficult to work with, and I feel like I'm not getting much work/learning experience. I've done a few restorations here and there, and mostly prophys and exams. I still feel like I'm not good at giving IAN blocks, since i've only given a few. I feel like I'm becoming rusty and losing my hand skills, which is a shame because I worked so hard in D2 to hone them.

So my major concerns right now are giving IAN blocks, hand skills, and of course meeting requirements, and I'm doing less than desirable in all 3 areas. Any advice?

Also I'm very slow at procedures!

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[free99]

Unfortunately you can only work with what your school gives you in terms of hand on experience. Try to volunteer and do outreach to get more hands ob experience. If those opportunities don't exist at your school my suggestion is to be as reflective as you can after your appointments - what worked, what didn't, how will you communicate differently next time, how can you eliminate wasted time and be efficient in clinic, etc. You will improve, just keep putting in the effort and give it time.

 

[ncide]

Ask your OMFS department to allow you to give local anesthesia to their patients for extra practice.

 

[LFA20]

I feel like I'm struggling as a D3. Patients can be difficult to work with, and I feel like I'm not getting much work/learning experience. I've done a few restorations here and there, and mostly prophys and exams. I still feel like I'm not good at giving IAN blocks, since i've only given a few. I feel like I'm becoming rusty and losing my hand skills, which is a shame because I worked so hard in D2 to hone them.

So my major concerns right now are giving IAN blocks, hand skills, and of course meeting requirements, and I'm doing less than desirable in all 3 areas. Any advice?

Also I'm very slow at procedures!

It's very common to miss IAN block. My advice is to inject a little higher and posterior.

 

[Saddleshoes]

I feel like I'm struggling as a D3. Patients can be difficult to work with, and I feel like I'm not getting much work/learning experience. I've done a few restorations here and there, and mostly prophys and exams. I still feel like I'm not good at giving IAN blocks, since i've only given a few. I feel like I'm becoming rusty and losing my hand skills, which is a shame because I worked so hard in D2 to hone them.

So my major concerns right now are giving IAN blocks, hand skills, and of course meeting requirements, and I'm doing less than desirable in all 3 areas. Any advice?

Also I'm very slow at procedures!

Well, that sounds like the exact concerns I had at this point as a D3!
I think you and your concerns are 100% normal.

 

[Greyangel6]

I agree with @free99, look for any dental clinics in town where you can volunteer, or go on many mission trips, or ask to assist in the surgical centers (or where hospital dentistry exists, etc.) My school has many programs that allow D3 and D4 to participate outside regular school clinic hours (like Sat and Sun off-campus clinics,etc.).

 

[Springs01]

Thanks, you guys are amazing. I like all of these ideas for improvement!

 

[FlowerGirll35]

You should have thought of that before you applied. Do everyone a favor and find something else to do, it will help with the "saturation" problem.

 

[O Gaúcho]

You should have thought of that before you applied. Do everyone a favor and find something else to do, it will help with the "saturation" problem.

Do the whole community a favor and don't matriculate in dental school ever

 

[FlowerGirll35]

Do the whole community and don't matriculate in dental school ever

Awwwww!!

 

[setdoc7]

Talk to your group practice director about your concerns. Letting faculty know about concerns now will allow them to give you extra experience in areas you wish to become better at. Believe it or not, they are concerned about producing good clinicians. Also, at this stage you are not supposed to be perfect at everything, or anything for that matter. Hang in there.