Saying Goodbye

It's my last day here and Dr. Patel doesn't have too many patients. So all I'm doing is following her around the dentistry helping her with x rays and teeth check ups. I'm just writing the tooth numbers and any other abnormalities Dr. Patel sees Other than that, Dr. Patel isn't making me file today but there aren't many patients so I'm also not operating the suction machine either. I'm going to miss this place and all the people. This place has given me many opportunities someone my age doesn't usually get and I'm thankful to everyone, especially my mentor, Dr. Patel. This experience will help me throughout my career path and much more. Hopefully the next time I am operating on people is in dental school.

Almost Done

Its almost my last day and I am spending it acting as Dr. Patel's receptionist. I am just filing and thanking Dr. Patel for all her help so far. Soon I will have to say goodbye and I won't be filing or answering calls anymore. I can't say I'll miss this part. Yet I will miss the part where I helped her out with her patients. I like doing that. Well, today it was sort of a slow day and all I did was manage upcoming appointments, and answer phone calls.

Senior Project Reflection

1. I am most proud of myself for doing extra research checks and using all the research checks to help me with all my three answers. My research checks are the things that molded all the content i provided for my three answers.

2a. P
b. P

3. The thing that worked most for me was always having a head start on the senior project components. I would always start a day or two earlier than my friends and that really helped me be prepare for everything.

4. If I could have done something differently, it would be to get more books on my topic because one of the books I had was very old and not too helpful.

5. It has helped me learn how to find credible research. One of the main things this project has helped me with is finding credible research because of the ESA, interviews, research checks, and more. It has also further helped me write better because of all the papers we have had to write.

Mentorship

Literal
-done
-Dr. Rita V. Patel, Montclair Dentistry
9625 Monte Vista Ave, Montclair, 91763

Interpretive
The most important thing I gained from this experience would be all the hidden things dentists do. Many people think that all dentists do is clean teeth and that is false, There is another side to maintaining a profitable dental office and that deals with dental insurance and patient care. A dentist must make sure that their patients get the care they need but also pay their fees. There are many things that dentists do and I have learned more in depth what they do and everything they do. This information could not have been obtained by reading a book or doing research, the only way to learn this is from actually mentoring, which I did.

Applied
My mentor was the one who helped me come up with all my answers and my EQ. All of my answers require me to see with my own eyes what a dentist does and that is what I got to do. Following Dr. Patel around in her dentistry assisting her has helped me obtain a far better understanding of the answers to my EQ and even more information.

Exit Interview

1. My essential question is "What is most important in maintaining a profitable
dental office?". My answers are:
The most important thing in maintaining a profitable dental office is...
- for the dentist to use the proper procedures to best whiten patient's teeth
- for the dentist to hire a dental team that most benefits the dentistry
- for the dentist to make sure kids feel at ease
My best answer is my first answer which is the best way to maintain a profitable
dental office is for the dentist to use the proper procedures to best whiten
patient's teeth.

2. The process I took to arrive at this answer was that I started to think the
main reason people go to dentists and the one thing all people want, in respect
with their teeth. I came up with that people want white teeth and give them a
glowing, and nice smile. After I got my rough draft answer, I talked to my
mentor about it and about how dentists whiten teeth. She told me about the three
main procedures dentists use to whiten teeth and I researched all of them to
come up with information I needed for my answer. It wasn't after until I got all
the research I needed that I put together the pieces to come up with my first
answer.

3. The only problems I faced were that I could find research that made my answer
sound very important. I resolved this by telling Dr. Patel about my dilemma.
After I explained my situation, she found me an article posted in a journal of
the American Dental Association and another article posted from the American
Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. These articles provided me information that
really helped make my answer sound very important and help me justify why it is
my best answer.

4. My two main sources that I used to answer my EQ are my mentor and my book. My mentor has done so many things to guide me through my senior topic. One of the main reasons Dr. Patel is my first main source is because she has helped me out in many of the interviews I've done with her and she has given me a lot of
research to help me out with my answers, but mainly my first and best answer. My
book, Essential Skills for Dentists, has helped me out with my other two
answers. The book starts from the very basics of skills that dentists need and
all the different things they should do to be an effective dentist. This book
talks about many things such as oral diseases, the dental team, children care,
pediatric dentistry, and much more. With these two main sources, I have truly answered my EQ.

Independent Component 2

Literal
(a) I, Punit Patel, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.
(b) Dr. Patel and Essential Skills for Dentists
Davenport, Elizabeth S., Gareth J. Holsgrove, Peter A. Mossey, and David R. Stirrups. Essential Skills For Dentists. New York: Oxford UP, 2006. Print.
(c) Done
(d) I have done many things in my independent component 2. The first being was that Dr. Patel helped me come up with my second and third answers. She guided me through all the information I needed and where to get it from. She provided expert tips and resources. While I am at the dentistry doing my mentorship/independent component, she always teaches me useful things that help me toward my second and third answers and my whole topic overall. I am basically her assistant while I am over there and I follow her around assisting her in the operating rooms as well as file the patient's files that need to be filed.

Interpretive
These are pictures of the files that I have to put away and pull out when we are starting and finishing with every patient. The other picture is of one of the operating rooms which I have to sanitize quickly after every use before the next patient comes. This proves my 30 hours of work.



Applied
This component has helped me answer my EQ by giving me my second and third answer. Dr. Patel is the one who helped me come up with the answers to answer my EQ. She guided me through the whole process and gave me all the information I needed and more. This component truthfully has really helped me greatly in my senior project.

Strange Meeting at Dentistry

When I went today I saw my aunt unexpectedly and it turns out that she had an appointment and her dentist was Dr. Patel. It was weird and cool at the same time that I got to operate inside her mouth. I got to say, she needs to brush more. She came in for a teeth whitening/deep cleaning session, which interestingly deal exactly with what my first answer is. I got to practice more on my first answer and get more information about it. Other than that, after I finished filing the patient files, I followed Dr. Patel around acting as her assistant. I got to say that I am getting really used to this and getting a real feel of what it’s like to be a dentist and I even have started to remember a couple of patients that usually come to the dentistry. In addition, Dr. Patel is still helping me answer my second and third answer. She is giving me useful information, tips, and resources and she is a great help in me learning more about my answers and more about dentistry.

Mentorship

Today I went to the dentistry and knew I had a long day ahead of me. The first thing I did was label all the new patients files with stickers so I could organize them alphabetically. After filing about 200 files, I had to check patient insurance. I had to check if the patients still had health care and it covered what they came to the dentistry to do. After I used p 3 hours doing all of that, Dr. Patel said she needed my help with the patients and I learned a new skill. I learned how to mix the fluid like substance that goes onto your teeth that helps get rid of cavities. Honestly, its not that hard, I just have to be careful when I crush it to put it into their teeth. Other than that, I operated the suction and it was a quiet, yet hectic day at the dentistry.

Third Answer

What is most important in maintaining a profitable dental office?

The most important thing in maintaining a profitable dental office is for the dentist to make kids feel at ease.

• One reason for this is because around 16 percent of boys and 10 percent of girls experience some kind of dental trauma before the age of 15.

• If children don't feel safe or comfortable at your dental office, parents will switch from your dentistry to another to help their kids.

• Also, 78 percent of kids under 18 go to the dentists office, as compared to only about 60 percent of adults. What this means is, you want kids to feel safe and calm at your dental office because the majority of people that go to the dentists office are kids.

Davenport, Elizabeth S., Gareth J. Holsgrove, Peter A. Mossey, and David R. Stirrups. Essential Skills For Dentists. New York: Oxford UP, 2006. Print.
The best way for a dentist to maintain a profitable dental office is to make sure kids feel safe at their dentist office because the majority of people that go to the dentistry are kids under 18.

Fourth Interview Questions

1. What is the best way to whiten patient’s teeth?

2. What should you consider when deciding what teeth whitening treatment to use on your patient?

3. How can you best prevent fluorosis?

4. How should your dentistry appeal to kids in a way that they are not frightened?

5. In the case of a frightened kid, what would you do?

6. What should you consider when hiring your dental team?

7. How would you go about a situation in which you don’t need a team member anymore?

8. How can you best ensure you make a profit?

9. How can you best organize patient’s files so that you never lose or misplace them?

10. What can you do to best minimize customers waiting periods?

11. What would you do in the case of a patient not being ensured yet also not being able to afford the dental treatment?

12. How can you help your patients maintain good oral hygiene?

13. How can you best manage both the clinical and practice management aspects of your dentistry?

14. What is the best way to communicate with patients?

15. How can communicating with the patient’s effectively benefit them?

16. How can you best prevent patients from oral diseases?

17. How can you best treat oral diseases?

18. How can you attract new patients to come to your dentistry?

19. How can you best make sure your dental team or you don’t get sick too often?

20. How can you best prevent cavities in young children?

Advisory Meeting #2

The best way for a dentist to maintain a profitable dental office is to reduce patient's appointment time by     being organized. 

-One way to be organized is to keep the patient room organized to match the next procedure for the next    patient. 

-A dentist must organize the patient schedule to most reduce patient wait in the waiting rooms. 

-The dentist should organize the patients files in a way so it is easily obtainable when they come in for their    next appointment. 

My source would be my book, Essential Skills for Dentists

Davenport, Elizabeth S., Gareth J. Holsgrove, Peter A. Mossey, and David R. Stirrups. Essential Skills For Dentists. New York: Oxford UP, 2006. Print.

Mentorship

Today I stayed at the dentistry and stayed for about 5 hours. When I got there, I noticed all the files and i got straight to work. In between my filing periods, Dr. Patel kept on calling me to help her out with the patients. Since it was super busy, Dr. Patel gave me a new duty. She taught me how to sanitize everything before the patients came into the room. After they came into the room, I would listen to Dr. Patel's conversation to get a better feel of what a dentist and patient conversation would be like. Usually, I don't get to listen to their conversations because I come into the room right when Dr. Patel needs me, but this time i was with her a lot. In the rooms I just operated the suction machine and wrote down the patients next appointment on the business card and put it into the computer. Overall, the five hours went by really quick.

Independent Component 2 Approval

1. I plan on doing more mentorship hours for my second part of my independent component. During my mentorship I have several responsibilities. Some include operating the suction machine and helping Dr. Patel in the patient rooms and others include sterilizing all the equipment before patients get into the room. I follow Dr. Patel everywhere and leantant new things as she operates on different patients.

2.  Other than my mentorship log, Dr. Patel let's me take pictures of when I am helping her out. I will prove my 30 hours of work with the picture I take.

3. My mentorship will help me explore my topic more in depth because I get to see all aspects of dentistry from running a dental office to treating pictures and it will also allow me to get more answers to my essential question.

4. Done

Independent Component 1

Literal
a. I, Punit Patel, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.
b. My mentor, Rita V. Patel helped me out the most.
c. completed
d. I usually follow around Dr. Patel helping her out with the patients and seeing what patients come and their different reasons for coming to the dentistry. When not many patients were present, I would usually be filing.

Interpretive


This is me following Dr. Patel in the patient rooms and me filing the loads of patient files.

Applied
My independent component really helped me find answers to my EQ and it really helped me out on my presentation two. For example, I first learned about fluoride from Dr. Patel, yet along many other things such as teeth whitening and other dental treatments. I feel without my mentorship and independent component, I would not have been able to find information or experience things I did.

Lesson 2 Reflection

1. Positive Statement
Other than making time, I am most proud of myself for thinking of an activity that matches my answer and helps my audience further learn about my answer.

2. Questions to Consider
a. P
b. I think I followed the contract and managed to do everything the contract said.

3. The thing that worked for me was that I started early and seeing other peoples presentations helped me out on my own.

4. I would have thought of my activity sooner because I was having a hard time choosing and I kept switching up my activity until I finally thought of the best one.

5. My answer two will be something probably about how the dentists have to be very organized so the patients don't have to wait too much.

Third Interview Questions

1. What is most important in maintaining a profitable dental office?

2. What are the most important things when it comes to satisfying customers?

3. What are the ways you can ensure that customers will come back to your office?

4. What is the best way to get people to come to your dentistry?

5. What is the best way to make sure kids feel safe at the dentist?

6. What are the best technologies to use to satisfy your patients the most?

7. What is the best way to ensure patients don’t get any more cavities?

8. How should you respond to a situation where many kids are afraid of the dentist?

9. What is the best way to organize patient’s files so it can easily be found?

10. What is the best way to make sure that you don’t spend more money than you make with dentistry related things? 

Mentorship 10 hours check

1. Montclair Dentist Office.

2. Dr. Rita V. Patel (DDS, Doctoral of Dental Surgery)

3. 65 hours and 30 minutes.

4. Normally I would go into the patient rooms with Dr. Patel and help her out with many things. For example, the thing I do most often is operate the suction machine which keeps the patients from choking from their saliva when Dr. Patel is operating in their mouths. Other things I do is help mix the product that she puts in cavities to treat them. When Dr. Patel doesn't need my help, i file the files that need to be organized.

Senior Project: The Holiday

1. Over the break, I continued to go to my mentorship except for the days it was closed. I went no more or no less than I normally would. I also read more articles although i did not take cornell notes on my topic.

2. The most important things I learned from continuing to go to my mentorship was the normal things such as how the dentist scrapes off plaque and works on other details. Some other new things I learned dealt with how to get rid of cavities and why the process dentists use work. My source was Dr. Rita Patel (DDS) who has been a dentist for over a decade.

3. I would probably talk to my mentor Dr. Rita Patel mainly because I know that she is really knowledgeable and she has already taught me so already. Another reason I would interview her is because my EQ is based more on a business perspective on how to run a profitable dentist, and Dr. Rita Patel owns her own dentist office which she has been successfully running for about a decade or more.