Curious but Weird Question

[friend]

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Hi, I was just wondering if you guys could please help me out regarding advice. I was wondering if any of you guys in dental school were ever afraid of looking at nasty teeth or blood or teeth pulling? and did you guys ever get used to all this ? I just got accepted into dental school for 2006, and I'm just kind of thinking about my whole future and all. I was wondering if you guys were ever at all afraid at looking at all the blood, or at mouths with terrible terrible dental problems, and if you guys ever got over your fears when you entered dental school?

Thank you very much for your advices. I really appreciate it very much. 🙂

 

[JavadiCavity]

Not scared but certainly the initial shock of seeing some dental condtions can be a lot. I'd say my biggest fear is being able to do a really good job. I don't want to feel like my work is inadequate or shoddy.

 

[Tzips]

Yeah, I've occassionally been shocked and/or nauseated by particularly bad abcesses and the drainage thereof (if your mandibular left second and third molars are impacted, infected, and causing your face to swell to an alarming degree, do NOT leave it alone for several weeks in the hope that it will go away. It won't. ), but mostly I'm just afraid I won't be able to do everything properly. As long as you're not usually traumatised by the sight of blood or saliva, you should be ok.

 

[Sprgrover]

No. I've been told that it is not so much the sight that takes getting used to as the odor of some of those patients. Vicks Rub, anyone?

 

[aphistis]

No. I've been told that it is not so much the sight that takes getting used to as the odor of some of those patients. Vicks Rub, anyone?

Not a patient sits in my chair that doesn't get a mouthful of Scope before I so much as take a look.

 

[Tzips]

No. I've been told that it is not so much the sight that takes getting used to as the odor of some of those patients. Vicks Rub, anyone?

I figure if I can get through gross anatomy without keeling over from the fumes, I'm good to go. Not sure if this is a correct assumption, though, and moreover I'm not sure I will get through gross... anyone have any ideas besides cotton balls up the nostrils?

 

[JavadiCavity]

I haven't had the pleasure of sniffing some yet, but I've heard that draining a swollen and infected space full of exudate is pretty foul smelling....if not the most foul smelling substance on the planet.

 

[Tzips]

I haven't had the pleasure of sniffing some yet, but I've heard that draining a swollen and infected space full of exudate is pretty foul smelling....if not the most foul smelling substance on the planet.

Rotting tissue, fun fun fun...

 

[DrJeff]

No. I've been told that it is not so much the sight that takes getting used to as the odor of some of those patients. Vicks Rub, anyone?

MMMMMMM, nothing beats the smell of advanced periodontal disease and all its fetid anaerobic odor first thing in the morning! 😱 😉

The real pathetic thing is that WHEN you encounter one of these "lovely" odors that tends to linger in your mind(if not in your clothing), is 1st thing in the morning, when after you dismiss the patient all you want to do is go and take a shower 😡 😱 My hygenists have a thing that they do when we get someone in with this perio breath, when they come to get either myself or my partner, they toss us the jar of vicks that we keep in our sterilization area. It's kind of their not so subtle way of gearing us up to give the "perio lecture" to the patient.

I can say that after 10+ years of encountering these lovely oral malodors I can tolerate them, but definately don't enjoy them! BTW, if you think their bad, just imagine what their spouse/significant other goes through during a big juicy wet session of "tonsil hockey" 😱 😀

 

[ItsGavinC]

BTW, if you think their bad, just imagine what their spouse/significant other goes through during a big juicy wet session of "tonsil hockey" 😱 😀

That's what is unbelievable. Whenever anybody pokes fun that I've chosen to spend my time in mouths all day, I feel like telling them that they probably have no idea what THEY are kissing on a daily basis.

 

[duh?]

Not a patient sits in my chair that doesn't get a mouthful of Scope before I so much as take a look.

Nice Idea. May I ask, how do you get them to take it without offending them? 🙂 Do you just say, here Mrs X swish this around for a minute.

 

[aphistis]

Nice Idea. May I ask, how do you get them to take it without offending them? 🙂 Do you just say, here Mrs X swish this around for a minute.

Pretty much. Just mention that it's something you do for everyone to make your life easier, and that it's not an insinuation about their individual hygiene. If you don't make a big production out of it, they won't either.

 

[aphistis]

MMMMMMM, nothing beats the smell of advanced periodontal disease and all its fetid anaerobic odor first thing in the morning! 😱 😉

The real pathetic thing is that WHEN you encounter one of these "lovely" odors that tends to linger in your mind(if not in your clothing), is 1st thing in the morning, when after you dismiss the patient all you want to do is go and take a shower 😡 😱 My hygenists have a thing that they do when we get someone in with this perio breath, when they come to get either myself or my partner, they toss us the jar of vicks that we keep in our sterilization area. It's kind of their not so subtle way of gearing us up to give the "perio lecture" to the patient.

I can say that after 10+ years of encountering these lovely oral malodors I can tolerate them, but definately don't enjoy them! BTW, if you think their bad, just imagine what their spouse/significant other goes through during a big juicy wet session of "tonsil hockey" 😱 😀

Nice new avatar, DrJeff. Surely you haven't given up on the Patriots for the year? 😉

 

[OMFS2B]

Hi, I was just wondering if you guys could please help me out regarding advice. I was wondering if any of you guys in dental school were ever afraid of looking at nasty teeth or blood or teeth pulling? and did you guys ever get used to all this ? I just got accepted into dental school for 2006, and I'm just kind of thinking about my whole future and all. I was wondering if you guys were ever at all afraid at looking at all the blood, or at mouths with terrible terrible dental problems, and if you guys ever got over your fears when you entered dental school?

Thank you very much for your advices. I really appreciate it very much. 🙂

You become acclimated real fast. Before I started dental school the sight of blood made me faint, literally. Now, I am in the middle of my oral surgery residency... go figure.

 

[toofache32]

Blood is an acquired taste. Nobody likes it the first time they see it...if you do, then something's wrong.

Even though it smells bad, there are few things as rewarding as hitting the sweet spot and seeing all that pus pour out.

 

[I'mFillingFine]

Not a patient sits in my chair that doesn't get a mouthful of Scope before I so much as take a look.

Yeah, same question here. It's a great idea, I'd just never heard of it! Is this a common thing, or something you like to do? The instructors don't care, right?

 

[LuckyDogInc]

This may sound weird but I can't wait to get to school and deal with all the bloody gory stuff. I agree that blood is an acquired taste and you say if you like to see blood it's kinda strange but I just graduated my undergrad this past spring and I am currently working as an Orthopaedic Consultant. I wear scrubs and go in on surgeries every single day and facilitate and make sure everything goes as planned for total knee/hip replacements and also trauma procedures. It's nothing for me to get splashes of blood on my clothes and observe a procedure where we're replacing a hip and splitting someone open from her hip to the isthmus of the femur to be able to put plates, screws, cables, etc. to reduce open fractures. The surgeon commented on the hip we did today and her incision was over 12 inches long down her thigh, the Doc commented how it looked like a "shark bite". I think that stuff is fascinating and my job is very very cool but the QOL sucks when you have to cater to Orthopaedic Surgeons at 8 different hospitals.

Dentistry offers me the opportunity to help all those people who are in need moreso than my current job, have a better QOL, do missionary work and work with many people on a daily basis. Now that's cool.

P.S. It helps when I'm in the middle of a surgery with an Orthopaedic surgeon and someone is split open and he's talking me out of going into medical school and recommends that I go to dental school like his two boys...lol.

P.S.S., Friend, you'll get used to the blood and guts in no time...

LD

 

[I'mFillingFine]

This may sound weird but I can't wait to get to school and deal with all the bloody gory stuff. I agree that blood is an acquired taste and you say if you like to see blood it's kinda strange but I just graduated my undergrad this past spring and I am currently working as an Orthopaedic Consultant. I wear scrubs and go in on surgeries every single day and facilitate and make sure everything goes as planned for total knee/hip replacements and also trauma procedures. It's nothing for me to get splashes of blood on my clothes and observe a procedure where we're replacing a hip and splitting someone open from her hip to the isthmus of the femur to be able to put plates, screws, cables, etc. to reduce open fractures. The surgeon commented on the hip we did today and her incision was over 12 inches long down her thigh, the Doc commented how it looked like a "shark bite". I think that stuff is fascinating and my job is very very cool but the QOL sucks when you have to cater to Orthopaedic Surgeons at 8 different hospitals.

Dentistry offers me the opportunity to help all those people who are in need moreso than my current job, have a better QOL, do missionary work and work with many people on a daily basis. Now that's cool.

P.S. It helps when I'm in the middle of a surgery with an Orthopaedic surgeon and someone is split open and he's talking me out of going into medical school and recommends that I go to dental school like his two boys...lol.

P.S.S., Friend, you'll get used to the blood and guts in no time...

LD

Hear hear.....I love all the stuff, too 😀 I'd just never admit it!

 

[groundhog]

MMMMMMM, nothing beats the smell of advanced periodontal disease and all its fetid anaerobic odor first thing in the morning! 😱 😉

The real pathetic thing is that WHEN you encounter one of these "lovely" odors that tends to linger in your mind(if not in your clothing), is 1st thing in the morning, when after you dismiss the patient all you want to do is go and take a shower 😡 😱 My hygenists have a thing that they do when we get someone in with this perio breath, when they come to get either myself or my partner, they toss us the jar of vicks that we keep in our sterilization area. It's kind of their not so subtle way of gearing us up to give the "perio lecture" to the patient.

I can say that after 10+ years of encountering these lovely oral malodors I can tolerate them, but definately don't enjoy them! BTW, if you think their bad, just imagine what their spouse/significant other goes through during a big juicy wet session of "tonsil hockey" 😱 😀

If you are of Europeon descent like me (except maybe for our Scandanavian peers), think back a few hundred years ago when bathing was widely considered sinful and/or bad for one's health. Could make a person wonder how we even came to exist today except that the reproductive drive must be strong indeed. One would at least think that our olfactory senses would have been dumbed down a bit over the course of time by natural selection. 🙂

 

[vasco]

I like the nasty stuff. It means that I get to do some cool work. But I'll agree with everyone else...the smell is something that I'd rather not deal with. Some times the masks don't do their job.

 

[HermeytheElf]

Blood is an acquired taste. Nobody likes it the first time they see it...if you do, then something's wrong.

Even though it smells bad, there are few things as rewarding as hitting the sweet spot and seeing all that pus pour out.

That statement made me laugh...vampires + dentists-its like the most perfect idea for a horror movie ever. Seriously though, I agree...the blood is a big unsettling the first couple times but after that you dont even think about it any more. As for the smell...I'm going to agree with sprgrover on that one-a little vaporub under each nostril fixes the problem nicely if you ever have an especially bad smelling patient.

 

[tinker bell]

I have pt who significant other forces to go get a SC/RP. She doesn't like any of those deep clean that much, but she has to come see me on time, just bc the boss at home says so. Oh, and you guys better believe it when you hear the other partner have to say about his gf periodontal condition. Sometimes I'm wondering why is he still in, if that how he feels. 😳 😳 🙁 😛

 

[Darksunshine]

MMMMMMM, nothing beats the smell of advanced periodontal disease and all its fetid anaerobic odor first thing in the morning! 😱 😉

The real pathetic thing is that WHEN you encounter one of these "lovely" odors that tends to linger in your mind(if not in your clothing), is 1st thing in the morning, when after you dismiss the patient all you want to do is go and take a shower 😡 😱 My hygenists have a thing that they do when we get someone in with this perio breath, when they come to get either myself or my partner, they toss us the jar of vicks that we keep in our sterilization area. It's kind of their not so subtle way of gearing us up to give the "perio lecture" to the patient.

I can say that after 10+ years of encountering these lovely oral malodors I can tolerate them, but definately don't enjoy them! BTW, if you think their bad, just imagine what their spouse/significant other goes through during a big juicy wet session of "tonsil hockey" 😱 😀

I totally agree with this post, having been a hygienist for 6 years, and now a dental student. Good idea with the heads up that warns you you are in for the "perio" speech.

 

[aphistis]

I have pt who significant other forces to go get a SC/RP. She doesn't like any of those deep clean that much, but she has to come see me on time, just bc the boss at home says so. Oh, and you guys better believe it when you hear the other partner have to say about his gf periodontal condition. Sometimes I'm wondering why is he still in, if that how he feels. 😳 😳 🙁 😛

If I get that kind of vibe from a perio patient the first time I see them, I usually don't even accept the chart. Perio treatment is 99% home-based, and if the patient doesn't even believe a problem exists, the odds of obtaining a favorable outcome are right up there with the Ron Artest getting back in the Pacers starting lineup this weekend. Imagine trying to tow an ocean liner, in a rowboat, against a current, and you'll be on the right track.

 

[tinker bell]

the good thing is: the boss at home in charge of flossing, brushing. Imagine you are being watched by your bf every minute you brush? 🙁 🙁

 

[OMFSCardsFan]

I haven't had the pleasure of sniffing some yet, but I've heard that draining a swollen and infected space full of exudate is pretty foul smelling....if not the most foul smelling substance on the planet.

I hope that you never have to spend any time in a diabetic foot clinic. You'll be looking for some pus to spread on your upper lip...

 

[Buckyball]

to the first poster.... I ask how many holes there are in the body, and which one would you rather be checking?

just a thought!