How important is 3D perceptual skills in dental school?

[GravityxZero35]

I have terrible visualizing skills. I cant imaging 3D things in my head. So I was wondering how important are these skills in dental school and later on as a dentist? I dont want this insufficiency to precent me from becoming a dentist

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[Ionz]

It's important. But don't think of it as a god-given gift from birth. It can be acquired with much training and practice, one of the things that the 4 years of dental school is for!

 

[RespectDent]

We as under grad students do not have the authority to givee an all knowing answer to your question. However, from my own personal experience I have found that it is a huge part of the dental field. Just think every time you look at an x ray. it is flipped backward- right side of face on the left side of the image and so forth. Daunting at first- special awareness- but it just takes practice! Stick to it

 

[V3NOM]

Take a online graphic calculator. Type some weird equations with cos and sine. Start messing with the mouse to see how things look 3D, challenge yourself to imagine how the next equation is going to look in from all the point of views. Sounds stupid but helped me a lot.

 

[NMC2010]

If you're saying this because of the PAT, from what I've heard it isn't all that fantastic of an indicator of how good your perceptual skills are. You'll learn in dental school, don't worry.

 

[dantemac]

I would say both an artistic sense of what the completed project looks like (i.e. can you envision what you are doing and the area you're working in) and manual dexterity is needed. You will gain both in dental school.

A lot of people came into school thinking that because they played the guitar or played some video games that operative dentistry would come easy. That wasn't the case. The guitar just creates sound waves and video games just creates light on a TV. Dentistry is working in a small, 3D space + using your hands. It was new to most everyone. Don't worry about skill, it will be learned.

 

[GravityxZero35]

Thanks for your responses. I know progress varies depending on the person but have dental students dropped out because they couldnt become sufficient with those skills? So essentially in that area, dentistry is alot like a sculpting class right?

 

[Bis-GMA111]

all you have to do is get prescription 3d glasses for your loupes and you'll be fine.

 

[SicEm]

Thanks for your responses. I know progress varies depending on the person but have dental students dropped out because they couldnt become sufficient with those skills? So essentially in that area, dentistry is alot like a sculpting class right?

Both of the dentists I shadowed mentioned that they had a few classmates drop out because they couldn't get their hand skills down. It's probably rare and if you work hard I'm sure you can get the hang of it. And yes, I think it is probably a lot like a sculpting class. Maybe you could take a sculpting and/or ceramics class at a community college.

 

[Koalafied]

all you have to do is get prescription 3d glasses for your loupes and you'll be fine.

Nah... Go to your local Cinemark and scavenge through those bins where the 3D glasses are in, then pop out the lens and make a switcheroo. It's a lot cheaper that way.

 

[Bis-GMA111]

Nah... Go to your local Cinemark and scavenge through those bins where the 3D glasses are in, then pop out the lens and make a switcheroo. It's a lot cheaper that way.

wouldn't that take away the 3D feature?

 

[Koalafied]

wouldn't that take away the 3D feature?

Keep the lens that is.

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