Class II advice?

[whoaaitzkyle]

hi everyone, I have a competency test and am doing a MO on #30 on thurs and was wondering if I could get some advice/tips on what works best for you. Unfortunately we've only been allowed to practice doing it on two teeth so far so I don't feel very prepared ...any tips?

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[lotexigeus]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=706183

 

[Vicviper]

I've actually got the same tooth to do a practical on in a few weeks - my professor's suggestion to avoid failure: place a folded matrix band between 30 and 29 so you don't ding the next tooth. I realize you shouldn't be hitting anyways, but no sense risking total failure when you're that nervous. Also, I find that the eggshell approach, where you cut almost all the way to the mesial, but leave just a tiny shell of tooth structure left, which you can break of with a hatchet when you're just about to be done, is a great way to do it. I use a 254 or a 330 usually.

PS. And you're saying they don't let you buy extra teeth to practice on?

 

[whoaaitzkyle]

I've actually got the same tooth to do a practical on in a few weeks - my professor's suggestion to avoid failure: place a folded matrix band between 30 and 29 so you don't ding the next tooth. I realize you shouldn't be hitting anyways, but no sense risking total failure when you're that nervous. Also, I find that the eggshell approach, where you cut almost all the way to the mesial, but leave just a tiny shell of tooth structure left, which you can break of with a hatchet when you're just about to be done, is a great way to do it. I use a 254 or a 330 usually.

PS. And you're saying they don't let you buy extra teeth to practice on?

it's not that we can't buy teeth, the sim clinic is only open when we have class which really make it hard to practice and get good at drilling. is other sim clinics open during off school hours? I feel since we don't get much time to practice that these "competency tests" are more a test of who's feeling lucky that day instead of a true measure of your skill....at this point in the game at least. too bad it's worth 20% of my grade

 

[Vicviper]

it's not that we can't buy teeth, the sim clinic is only open when we have class which really make it hard to practice and get good at drilling. is other sim clinics open during off school hours? I feel since we don't get much time to practice that these "competency tests" are more a test of who's feeling lucky that day instead of a true measure of your skill....at this point in the game at least. too bad it's worth 20% of my grade

Oh man, yeah, that sucks! I can't believe they don't give you time to practice! Our labs are open until 9 most nights, and then a few hours on the weekends as well. You guys should talk to the administration about that - at Pitt they hire students to come in and open the labs at the off hours.

 

[whoaaitzkyle]

Oh man, yeah, that sucks! I can't believe they don't give you time to practice! Our labs are open until 9 most nights, and then a few hours on the weekends as well. You guys should talk to the administration about that - at Pitt they hire students to come in and open the labs at the off hours.

yeah I had a feeling it wasn't the norm to feel completely unprepared for a class II...that's a great idea..I'll bring that up at our next town hall meeting. Does the student open the lab and have regular hours or is it dependent on if people come into lab to practice? out of curiosity, how many hours do you think you spend in the sim clinic outside of class practicing your prep/fillings alone?

 

[Vicviper]

yeah I had a feeling it wasn't the norm to feel completely unprepared for a class II...that's a great idea..I'll bring that up at our next town hall meeting. Does the student open the lab and have regular hours or is it dependent on if people come into lab to practice? out of curiosity, how many hours do you think you spend in the sim clinic outside of class practicing your prep/fillings alone?

The hours are pretty regular - from 4:30-9 like everyday after school, and certain set hours on weekends which were chosen by popular demand I think. For example, this semester there were requests for the lab to be open on Sundays instead of just Saturday, so they hired another person or two and now it's open a few hours on Sunday. Though, for the Sunday one, I think it's at the student's choice to leave early if no one shows up.

As far as hours outside of class, every week we get an assignment on Monday that we have to finish before Friday in class, so I usually go in one day after school for like three hours or so every week. I've got that practical next friday, so I'll probably goi in 3-4 days in the next week or so.

 

[tony72]

Only use the 330 on the high speed and low speed, never use the low speed in the contact(boxing area). good luck

 

[mamelons]

That's crazy. Our sim labs are open 24/7 via card access. We always had time to practice whenever we wanted to.

 

[Maka]

I second the matrix band to protect the neighboring tooth...also don't be afraid to go to down with the hatchet when you're breaking that contact if you're scared you're going to mess it up with the drill. I also like using the 556 to clean it up.

 

[efficient]

I agree with using the matrix band to protect the adjacent tooth. Why risk it? You can even use a wedge to hold the band in place. Also I recommend using the eggshell method, I think it takes practice though. Sometimes I use both when the prep is graded. I know a little excessive. I like using the 330 to do my class one and extend the prep mesially then use 245 to drop the box like it's hot! Good luck!