Abstract
I used my work environment to learn dental lab techniques. I work as a dental assistant, and I am planning on going to dental school. At the dental office I work, I put in extra time during work and after hours to learn dental lab techniques. I specifically learned how to take impressions of patient’s mouths, how to pour up impressions in dental plaster, make some dental appliances such as bleach trays, scan prepped teeth with a CEREC CAD/CAM crown machine, and how to make and polish crowns from start to finish. I was trained by the dentists I work under, and also other dental assistants that had learned these techniques. This was done onsite where I work, Brown Dental Office, in our own dental lab. We have a CEREC crown machine that we use in the office. I was able to learn the skills to properly take a digital impression using this system. It took a lot of creativity and skill to learn how to properly design and make a crown, and it was a fun and challenging experience.
This was chosen for my edge project to really challenge myself. I have always loved learning new things, and the process of dental lab techniques has always interested me as I have worked as a dental assistant. This was not a requirement for my job, and it was a way for me to push myself beyond my general job description. This has helped me to be a better dental assistant. I have expanded my knowledge of the dental field, and I know it will benefit me greatly in my dental school interviews, and once I get to dental school. I see this benefiting me greatly in my future as a dentist now that I already have experience especially with the CEREC system.
For my EDGE Project, I learned dental lab techniques allowing me to take alginate impressions, pour up dental plaster molds, make bleach trays, and scan and design dental crowns.
1. As I have learned these procedures I have become a better dental assistant.
2. I better understand the specific dental procedures.
3. I have gained a greater advantage as I apply for dental school.
I will provide a video of my learning to scan a model of teeth, and a video of me scanning a patient’s mouth. I will also provide a portfolio of pictures of me scanning patients, designing crowns, polishing crowns, taking impressions, and pouring up impressions in plaster.