No. 22 - Take A Photo A Day For 30 Days (24/30)

This is my cotton roll dispenser in my surgery. The cotton rolls are packed in and you open the drawer at the bottom with tweezers and take the cotton rolls out.

I love it. So much so, it practically makes my day.

It's the little things that make me continue on in dentistry.

White Nights

People often comment that a career in dentistry is awesome and I'm so lucky to have a job with such flexible hours and pays well.

That's all true - but it is also true that it's an extremely stressful job. After all, dental treatment is expensive. Which means patients expect a near if not absolutely perfect job.

As a result, every few weeks I get a white night due to dentistry related worries. To be fair, perhaps to a certain extent it's my personality that makes it harder.

I dislike not delivering a perfect result, even when I know it was impossible anyway.

I take it pretty hard when a patient doesn't like me. Even if it's through no fault of my own and they're just being unreasonable, I still feel bad about it.

Am I happy here?

I am not unhappy, but I wouldn't say I'm happy either. I do it because it's what I have been trained to do, and it has bought me the lifestyle that I live now. And occasionally I still get some pleasure out of it. But most of the time I'm stressed due to the amount of responsibility I have to bear.

So this is what real life as an adult is like. Sometimes I feel like I'm just struggling to keep my head above water. Cannot imagine what it's like for people who have children.

Favourite moments in dentistry:

1. The feeling of PDLs ripping coupled with the knowledge that the tooth is coming out.

2. Patients telling you that it was almost as if you did the filling without even touching them.

3. A beautifully perfectly contoured and contacted posterior composite.

4. Finding canals in less than 3 minutes.

5. Polishing stained anterior fillings, making them look like new again.

No. 51 - Write Down 3 Things I'm Grateful For Daily

In 2007 and 2008 I was in the excellent habit of writing down 3 things that I was grateful for each day. Then somehow I fell off the band wagon. Very annoyed that I let it slide to that point but oh well, what's done's done.

Anyway, in order to attempt to at least do something with No. 51 of my 101 in 1001 list, I have decided to try to pick it up again.

So. Today. Let's see.

1. I'm grateful for all the lemons that we have gotten for free from all the generous givers. They have been used in various recipes.

2. I'm grateful to the person who invented the triple-tray technique for taking crown and bridge impressions. Best. Idea. Ever. Saves. So. Much. Time. And. Effort.

3. I'm grateful for the people in my life - the ones who are there through thick and thin. Always nice to know you're loved.

I only have 1 wisdom tooth. And it had been happily sitting in its bony crypt for the past few years, not giving me and trouble.

Just a couple of days ago I felt some tenderness behind my 17 and realized the awful truth - I could feel a swelling where the 18 is probably just hovering under the gum, trying to erupt.

So here comes the irony. When a patient comes to me with this problem I write a OPG referral and a specialist referral to see an oral surgeon to get it out. And I warn them that if they leave it any longer and let it get worse and they're stuck on a ridiculously long waiting list things are not going to turn out well.

Well. Here I am sitting around not wanting to write a referral for myself to see said oral surgeon.

I don't wanna!!

Hmm...

Attended a surgical extraction course and the first thing I noticed on our tables was this:



What are they up to?

You know how they say that money is hard earned through blood, sweat and tears? It is absolutely literal in the world of dentistry.

Escaping into my happy place.

It's Friday tomorrow. I love Fridays, because it means the weekend is finally coming.

Fully intending to try out a few new recipes and kick back and relax. If Milton is lucky, I might even muster up the energy and motivation to take him on a big walk.

This week has been extremely exhausting. Made massive headway into my 101 list, but it comes at a price. Should learn how to pace myself instead of doing too many things at the same time. I guess I felt I was on a roll and decided to just kill as many birds with one stone as possible.

Dental Girl's Bur Kit

I have not made many posts about my life as a dentist. Indeed, much less now than what I used to do as a dental student.

The reason is obvious - I can't talk about my patients to the wide world without the potential of being you know... sued or something. Plus, I can't tell any funny stories about what happened at work because... well, funny stories are usually funny for bad reasons.

What I will talk about today however, is something nice and vaguely interesting. Maybe. My set of burs.



This bur kit was custom set up especially for me. My boss has his own set too. I have to admit it makes me feel loved to have my very own set. Although really - it's a pretty standard set up.

What's my favourite bur? Hmm....

After much thought, I've decided I like the 3rd from the left the most - the 'flame'. It's a polishing bur. Why is it my favourite? It gets rid of all the sharp corners and produces a really nice smooth flat surface. Also, it's the last bur I use before doing my final fine polishing - which means when I pick it up the filling is almost finished!! :)

Okay. I think this is one of my stupidest blog posts ever. But I'm putting it up anyway.

Am going to be on leave for 2 weeks at the end of June and early July. Not really because I want to but because they just can't find a nurse to assist me and since I definitely need assistance I have no choice but to go on holiday.

It's not too bad I guess - will be going down to Melbourne and probably Sydney to visit friends and enjoy life away from work. Will still have a week leftover though - will probably just hang around Benalla and catch up on a huge buildup of housework and just plain enjoying life.

Looking forward to it.

Patient: I hardly ever watch tv. I just don't have the time!

Me: Hmm, me too. But I watch Simpsons at 6pm every night. And then I watch Masterchef. And I like Grand Designs. And Merlin.

Patient: You watch the Simpsons and Merlin? You're so... young.Gosh, I've got to tell my daughter that her dentist watches the same things she does! Do you like My Little Pony too??

Me: No...not My Little Pony.... but I read Enid Blyton a lot. And lots of other children's storybooks.

Patient: ....*speechless*

I'm just creating rapport with my younger clientele!!

Some days you go into the surgery and you just know you're in for a bad day.

It's usually something little - you drop a cotton roll. Or the curing light switch hasn't been turned on. Or the triplex tip leaks. Something.

Then you end up coming home, sitting in front of the television, eating a whole bag of chips like a crazed lunatic and wish there was something better in life.

In passing, was thinking of cutting my hair short. Can't decide if it's a wise move or not though. But seeing that I'll be stuck in Benalla for the weekend I thought I'd seek some excitement by cutting my hair and perhaps crying over it.

Hmmm...

I hate patients who don't show up. Even more when they don't show up after calling the Emergency Number, forcing me to drag myself down to the practice on Sunday morning, only to have them not show up.

Seething.

Is It All Worth It?

So here I am all alone in a small country town on a rainy weekend with a sore throat, a headache, a very active, pessimistic imagination and a 7 month old puppy who decided it would be a good idea to chew through my AUD120 laptop charger. Super start to the weekend, no?

I'm tired of having to do everything myself. Tired of being a single mom to my dog. Tired of having to be a responsible adult. Tired of having to go to work even though I'm feeling so unwell I can hardly get out of bed. In short, tired of being grown up. And since Milton is such a handsome little boy I'm sure some family out there somewhere would be more than happy to welcome him into their home, where there will be numerous people to take care of him - not just Me, Myself and I.

"We told you so!" Many people are probably crowing at me right now. "We told you a dog was nothing but a burden and you couldn't handle it, didn't we? Refused to listen to us, didn't you? Well, it's all your doing, Dental Girl. *smirk*"

The only thing stopping me from selling him right here and right now is the fear that one day my situation will change and I will have more time and energy for a dog and realize he's gone. And I'll regret not persevering just that little bit more. Even now, just thinking about the possibility of it is already making me cry.

So Milton gets to stay. Again.

Many times I've been awake at night wondering what the hell am I even doing here.

"Making a living," I tell myself firmly in the dark. "Because that's what adults do, Dental Girl. They do what they don't want to do, be where they don't want to be and pay bills. So get over yourself and go to sleep because tomorrow you have patients to see, dentures to fit and teeth to extract."

Story of my current life.

17 MO

Finished work on Wednesday and felt a twinge in my 17.

Reflected that I have not had a checkup recently and was a bit worried. After all, I do eat snakes (of the confectionery variety, not actual snakes) in between patients to keep my energy and sugar levels up.

Got home and got my housemate (also a dentist) to have a look.

She: You have a stained fissure. Looks carious. Probably needs a filling.
Me: ...You're kidding?!!
She: Nope. Definitely something going on there.

Got into work today and asked my boss to please please please have a look at it. Took a set of bitewings and got an exam.

No caries - only a hypomineralized mesial pit on my 17.

Now that I know that there's no decay, I'm going back to my high sugar diet.

Woohoo!!

Had the worst work day ever today.

5 minutes lunch, 7 extractions, 1 crown prep, 5 fissure sealants, 2 restorations, 3 consultations.

Going to pass out now.

Keeping Cool

Was just about to leave the surgery on a Friday when someone rang up to ask if we were still open - his son had just smashed his front tooth in and it was now in the wrong position.

Had the joy of seeing my first trauma patient, repositioning the laterally luxated tooth and splinting them all up. Dad on the other hand was not so pleased.

The bill shocks patients most of the time, but it rarely shocks me. After all, I'm the one who lists down the things to charge.

Well, today's one did.

I have a feeling that boy isn't going to be so careless next time.

Superstar?

So a young patient comes in and says he needs a couple of fillings done.

My nurse gets excited and asks him if he would give her his autograph. I sat there puzzled - who is this guy?

Turns out he's part of some extreme motorcycling team or something like that and he's close to becoming an international superstar in that arena.

Now, if only Rafael Nadal would stop by...

Ankylosis

Met a girl today who looks like the cheerleader from Heroes - exactly the same smile.

Anyway, she said two of her teeth were 'sinking'. Turns out she had ankylosed lower deciduous teeth.

Having only heard of it in fabled lectures I was naturally rather excited. Cheerfully went to tap on the teeth to see if they really did make a more 'metallic' sound compared to non-ankylosed teeth.

Well, guess what? It did.

Made my day.

Paycheck

Got my first paycheck.

Thought it would be a little bit more exhilarating than what it would be.

However, fact of life is that tax exists and my boss had already done me the favour of taking it out to save me the pain later.

Whyyyyyyy.