Somewhat silly question

[akstylish]

What are you supposed to do if you are about to treat a patient but forget how to do the procedure?

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[supraman]

What are you supposed to do if you are about to treat a patient but forget how to do the procedure?

go to google.com !

 

[dr.rex]

how about you worry about getting into and through school for now....lol

 

[akstylish]

This is a serious question! I tend to forget things quickly and I'm afraid that my patient will sue me for that.

 

[Streetwolf]

Get a good lawyer.

 

[Chrono1984]

This is a serious question! I tend to forget things quickly and I'm afraid that my patient will sue me for that.

Dentistry may not be in the cards. You have the credentials to make a great politician though.

Good luck!

 

[BodybldgDoc]

fake a heart attack.

 

[akdental]

fake a heart attack.

haha...that sounds like a great plan..

 

[fancymylotus]

call daddy for help

 

[Drill2Fill]

So true.

 

[ehrehck]

i would have a computer handy
ask your assistant to do something like have him rinse a couple times
then quickly go to google.com or wikihow and learn
but thats just me.

 

[Simiam]

Tell them you think they have hemophilia and tell them it would be wise to postpone the surgery until after you run some tests. Otherwise you might accidently cause serious injury.

 

[tooth decay]

This is a serious question! I tend to forget things quickly and I'm afraid that my patient will sue me for that.

Until you are thoroughly familiar with the procedure, you should probably review your patients and their procedures prior to their visit. Get a good text with many illustrations as to remind you what the procedure entails. Do it a number of times, and your brain will place it into your long term memory. Actually, as you learn new techniques, you should continue to review them in your mind. As a caveat, know your anatomy and the signs and treatment of procedural complications.

 

[gryffindor]

You fake it.

Well sorta. But it's not as much of a crisis as you might think.

Scenario 1: Patient sits down, I look at the chart and realize I have forgotten the details of how to do the procedure he needs. I give the patient the injection, and while the patient's tooth is getting numb, I leave the room and go look up how to do it. If I'm looking online, Dentaltown is a much better place to look than google or wikipedia .

Scenario 2: Walk into treatment room. Start making small talk with patient as you look at their chart. You realize the procedure to be done is one you are not too familiar with. You finish the small talk and say "I'll be right back" and leave to go look it up.

 

[1992Corolla]

why don't you learn now to retain information rather than wait until you are about to look like an idiot/malpractice someone. (yes malpractice is used as a verb here)

 

[pmantz]

Idea before your patient arives look in their chart.