Co-op

Co-op First week. 

Co-op second week. 

May 19th - May23rd

This second week of co-op has been a lot more eventful than the first. Now that I have a better idea of how things work in the office, I get to be more independent. This past week, I helped with crown preps, more cleanings, taking X-rays, placing crowns, and even assisted with extracting three teeth. I think the most interesting thing I got to do this week was help with the tooth extractions.

Since I want to go into nursing, this gave me real experience—one of my first involving something related to surgery. I’ve even met some patients who are nurses, and they’ve given me great insight. At first, I didn’t know how to feel about the procedure and was stressed out for the patient. But once they had received enough numbing shots and couldn’t feel anything, I felt more comfortable helping.

I now know the procedure for what to do when one patient is done and the next is ready to come in. I’m also getting better at prepping different trays for the doctor to use. At first, I only knew how to prep for regular cleanings. However, now I know how to prep for things like whitenings, crown preps, and a few other procedures.

This week, I also had my first experience with a very young patient. It was interesting to see how Dr. Tsai dealt with the child, and it taught me a lot. Overall, this past week went very well and taught me a lot about how to work with different types of patients.

May 27th - May29th

This third week of co-op has been pretty average. There wasn’t anything that really stood out to me. I helped with a lot of cleanings and making trays. I also started to talk more with patients, which made the experience more fun. I got to talk to so many different people, and some of them had been nurses or went to nursing school. I enjoyed those conversations a bit more because I want to go into the nursing field myself. I took the short amount of time I had and just listened to what they had to say about their experiences. It was interesting to hear their perspectives and advice.

A lot of people ask me if I plan to go to dental school after I graduate. Before, I would’ve said I was thinking about it. But after experiencing what it’s really like, I don’t think it’s for me. Even though I can see how much the doctor enjoys her work, nothing about it really stands out to me. I’m grateful for the experience, but it helped me realize what my true interest is. I am excited for next week because I get to see how dental implants work!

June 2nd - June 4th

This fourth week of co-op has been fun and full of experiences. I’m starting to feel more confident around the office and with the different tasks I’m given. I’ve gotten better at preparing trays and keeping things clean without being told. I also still really enjoy talking to the patients, especially when they open up about their lives or careers. Some of them are so kind and encouraging, which always makes the day better.

 I used to think dentistry might be something I’d want to do in the future. But now that I’ve seen more of the work up close, I’m realizing it might not be the right fit for me. I like being in the office and helping out, but I don’t feel super excited about the procedures themselves and I just dont envision doing this or studying this in the future. That doesn’t mean I regret doing this internship at all it’s actually helped me learn a lot about what I like and don’t like. I also found that I enjoyed it more than my internship I did in junior year because that was overwhelming in my opinion. I’m glad I got to see the behind the scenes part of dentistry because now I can cross it off my list in a positive way. Looking back on all the weeks so far, I’ve grown a lot in how I communicate, how I handle responsibility, and how I think about my future. This co-op has made me even more sure that I want to go into nursing, and I am grateful for all the experiences it has given me.