Internship - Conclusion

My internship was a great experience. I could not have asked for better co-workers and a better mentor. I learned a lot during my internship, but I also learned more about myself as well. An internship is an excellent experience for anyone my age because it gives insight on a career they might have an interest. I am glad I decided to go through with doing an internship and staying with SPARC. Overall I had a good experience.

Last Day on the Job

The Internship has rushed by way faster than I expected. In the beginning I thought that 60+ hours was going to feel like an eternity but it didn't and it didn't for one reason. I enjoyed interning at Dr. Augers. There was so much going on throughout the I worked that time flew by. Sure of course there were times when it a little boring but it never lasted long because those were times when there wasn't any patients in at the moment. eventually I said my goodbyes, got my papers signed, and left.

Doing a Mold on an Actual Person!

I was very skeptical about this but the staff encouraged me. They wanted me to do an actual mold on a real person. I was so nervous simply because I didn't want to choke the poor soul. I started to mic the mold compound and that went surprisingly well which was surprising. Then came to putting it in the patients mouth. I was concentrating as hard as I could to not mess up. But in the end I did an ok job and the assistants were impressed so I felt  good about myself for that so I treated myself to a McFlurry. 

power chain method

While interning I have learned many techniques of teeth manipulation but one simple one that happened to me as well is the power chain method. This is when the rubber bands that cover brackets that are normally separate, are one piece and it looks like a chain this is used to help teeth move closer together. this is a very common method because odds are if you have braces not all all of your teeth are in the right spot. Like almost any adjustment to braces, this causes pain and discomfort. I know this first hand. the power chains come in a variety of colors that the patient can choose from so they look their best while in pain.

Toothbrush Salesman

This particular day was just another day at the office until lunchtime rolled around that is when this day wasn't ordinary. A salesman representing Oral-B stopped by trying to market their new toothbrush line made specifically for people with braces. He bought everyone including me lunch from California Pizza kitchen so that was definitely a plus. Being at this sales pitch made me feel like I was really apart of the Auger Orthodontic team. And I got some free, expensive, two step toothpaste out of it as well so that was cool. the guy must have been a pretty good salesman because Dr. Auger hopped on the new toothbrush plan for his new patients pretty easily. 

The Tool Sterilizer

During the course of my internship I have become very familiar with the sterilization process. It is something that I do daily and it is a necessity for the office to run smoothly. when I sterilize I sterilize tool sets and individual tools. When sterilizing I wait until the tool holder is full before I put it in the solution.. once sterilized I take it out and let the sterilizer solution drain out of the tool holder. After that I rinse any excess fluid out of the tool holder in the sink. After that I put it in this white solution called surgical milk. I am not sure what it does but I do know it its necessary to the process. After the tools are somewhat dry I put them in pouches to be sterilized in this oven like thing. after that I put them away and the tools are ready to be used.

Small things I Have Noticed While Interning

While interning I have noticed and seen some pretty cool things. In the parking lot there tends to be a pretty cool car every now and then. One time I saw a Maserati and A brand new Porche in one day! Also braces aren't just for teens and children because adults come and get them too. the oldest person that came in for an appointment was about 70 years old. I guess that it is never too late too have good teeth. Also some people that know have come in for appointments. This internship has been teaching me patience for sure.