Bountiful/Layton, UT: OMS of Utah -Allyson Andersen. "My Summer In'Tooth'ship"

Many find the sound of a drill digging into bone unsettling but I find it fascinating! One of the most common procedures of the oral surgeon I worked for are implants. Now to start an implant, an incision is made in the gums with what is called a 15-blade. Next, the doctor uses a peritoneal to pull apart the gums from the bone of our ramus if we are dealing with the lower jaw. Once the flap of gums are reflected back, the doctor takes a drill with about an inch drill bit on the end to start the hole for the implant to be placed in. While the surgical assistant suctions the blood seeping from the gums, the oral surgeon continues to dive into the bone until the drill bits are up the size and depth sufficient for the implant. Bone from the patient is put back around the implant to increase bone growth along with other bone fragments from human and cow origins. Now that the implant is screwed into place, we can close the flap of gums with a suture. After we have finished driving the curved suture needle through the gums to re-attach them to heal, we finish by injecting "PRP," also known as platelet rich plasma to make the tissue heal faster. My plan for this summer was to intern for a dentist, Dr. Healy, as well as an oral surgeon, Dr. Liston, in order to widen my view into the medical field. I learned more about myself from this internship and had an amazing time doing it.

Heading into my summer internship, my plan was to become a dental hygienist. Some of the factors that made my view change are the role of a dental hygienist, variety, and human anatomy involved in oral surgery. The first day I went in to my job, I was with Dr. Healy and his staff. I shadowed the dental hygienist first because of my interest in this field. After watching the hygienist clean tooth after tooth, I realized this was not something I would love to do. They have the same routine every day. I do not think it would take long for me to become bored of this schedule. My first day at the oral surgeon's office was far more exciting! I love the variety involved in oral surgery. What I mean by this is there are some surgeries like wisdom teeth removal and implants that are most common; although I have learned from working in oral surgery that you never know what case is going to come through the door next. The variety in the office consisted of: removing third molars, extracting teeth, taking tissue and object biopsies, implants, sinus clearing, nose reshaping, suture removal, and different people. Lastly, my favorite class on BYU campus has been human anatomy, which I have been able to apply to oral surgery on a daily basis. I now want to be a surgical assistant because I simply love being there and doing the tasks that come with the job description.

I had a fabulous time at my internship and if you're on the fence about doing one, hop on over and try it! Not only did I learn what I wanted to do, but I learned what I do not want to do. If I had not taken this opportunity I would have made a big mistake in becoming a dental hygienist. There is no better way to see if the occupation you have chosen is the right one for you, then to go out and participate in the work.

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