Gaining an Edge for Dental School

For my project I decided to learn a few dental lab techniques. I work as a dental assistant, and my main goal was to further my skills. I decided I would learn a few basic skills like taking impressions of patient’s mouths, pouring up impressions with dental plaster, and making bleach trays. I began by practicing taking impressions on other dental assistants, and on friends and family. I am now quite proficient at taking impressions, and I am able to take them on patients regularly. I have also learned to pour up dental impressions using dental plaster. These plaster molds can be used to make bleach trays in our office, or sent to our lab for multiple dental appliances.

The other main area I focused on was using a CEREC CAD/CAM system for dental crowns. This system is used in place of taking a general impression, and using a lab to design and build a crown. After a patient’s tooth has been prepared for a crown, a scanning unit with a camera is used to image the patient’s mouth. Using this digital impression, a crown is then designed that is specific for the tooth. This crown is then milled in office in a small milling unit. This is done from a small block of porcelain. This crown is then placed in a firing oven that cures the porcelain. As part of my project I learned to scan patients’ mouths using this system. I also learned to design crowns on the computer, and finish and polish them. I am now able to begin with scanning the patient’s mouth, and completely design and finish the crown.

This project was ideal for me as I am planning on going to dental school. I am always looking to further my skills, and this project has helped me to be a better dental assistant. As long as I have worked as an assistant I have loved the hands-on part of my job. This project has given me the skills to work closer with patients, and to be a bigger part of the treatment process.

The learning of these techniques took me longer than I anticipated. To get down a proper impression for example was quite difficult. The next process of pouring up impressions using plaster is actually harder than it sounds. I found I was getting air bubbles in the plaster, and it was a frustrating process to overcome. When I began practicing with the CEREC system, it was very difficult to scan in a patient’s mouth. I learned that you had to hold the camera at just the right angle, and the lighting had to be just right. I had to put more hours that I thought into learning these very technical skills.

This project has really helped to benefit the patients we treat at the dental office. I am able to finish up the process of scanning and designing the crown. This allows the dentist to have more time to move onto the next patient. This for one eliminates the waiting time of other patients. All of the techniques that I learned really help to benefit the patient’s I am treating.

This project has been very beneficial to me. As I am preparing to apply for dental school, this project has helped me get an edge on other pre-dental students. I have learned some of the cutting-edge techniques used in the dental field. I know that this experience will really help diversify me on my applications. I also know that this has again helped me to be a better dental assistant.

“Pouring of impressions was much harder than I thought it would be.”

“I am so grateful for this project as it has given me a much deeper understanding of the work that goes into making dental products just right for the patient.”