Got Drillz?

[CatsLover]

I'm currently a freshman and I'm getting a bit discouraged since I found out that I CANNOT drill crapz. I think I have a decent manual dexterity and I do pretty well at waxing....can't say the same for drilling. The freaking mirror is my number 1 enemy right now and all the professor does when he comes over to look at my work is to tell me my prep looks horrible. Sigh...tell me it's gonna get better (I heard some people never will), let me in on some tips, will ya? Sorry to whine so much about drilling but I am getting frustrated. Just needed to vent!!!!!

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[S Files]

I'm currently a freshman and I'm getting a bit discouraged since I found out that I CANNOT drill crapz. I think I have a decent manual dexterity and I do pretty well at waxing....can't say the same for drilling. The freaking mirror is my number 1 enemy right now and all the professor does when he comes over to look at my work is to tell me my prep looks horrible. Sigh...tell me it's gonna get better (I heard some people never will), let me in on some tips, will ya? Sorry to whine so much about drilling but I am getting frustrated. Just needed to vent!!!!!

you cannot drill crapz?

 

[SuperC]

Work on your typing skillz first.

 

[dinesh]

Practice.

 

[ivorinedust]

A few things:

1. Maintain finger rests.

2. Use a very light touch.

3. Don't floor the foot pedal.

4. If you don't see, don't cut.

5. Don't fix your eyes on the bur...look at the structures adjacent to it too. Watch for bur tilt.

6. Use small, slow and intent movements of the handpiece head instead of noodling it around your prep.

7. Frequently clean your prep as you go. Debris will effectively cover your line angles, margins and other features of your prep, so always dust it off. Windex works wonders in removing debris.

8. Get a prepped tooth and screw it in your typodont. Then mount the typodont on its rod. Take your handpiece and figure out how the hell those planes were cut by aligning and angulating the bur/s to the planes/cavity prep. For this excercise you only need the handpiece and bur, and a mouth mirror if needed. No air, no foot control. You just want to know where to position your burs and yourself.

9. After a couple of hundred ivorine teeth you should get the hang of it.

Ivorinedust

"Apolonia, relieve my toothache!"

 

[1992Corolla]

Slow and steady wins the race.

Get your bearings, make a small cut, clean, bearings, cut, clean, repeat.

We have done ivorine and real extracted teeth and real teeth are the 'crapz' you want to be drilling into, they are so much easier.

 

[ou_jay]

You will get better with practice, but it will take lots of hard work. Ivorine dust gave excellent advice.

As far as your prof telling you your work sucks. That will probably get worse as pre-clinic continues. There are not enough dental profs. They don't have time to give you much one on one help. Your are not going to be good at things when you first do them, and they will tell you. You have to learn to take this criticism without taking it personally and realizing that you can improve with effort.