“Jay Banez to the pedo department. Jay Banez please report to the pedo department.” What a way to start your Friday, right? A long, long time ago, when I first walked through the doors of Marquette University School of Dentistry, my aspiration was to become a pediatric dentist. The past four years gave me a lot of pediatric exposure, experience and memories. Though I have chosen to practice as a general dentist, my love and excitement for treating the pediatric population still continue to grow. I always look forward to my pedo rotations and a free sample of pediatric bibs gave me an even better reason to enjoy my Friday appointments.
Graduating from the preclinical labs to the predoctoral clinic brought a lot of anxiety and the unexpected. The experience has been very rewarding though I wish I’d known a few little nuggets beforehand that would have made the transition smoother. Here are a few tidbits that have helped me the past two years in clinic. I hope they can be beneficial to you as well!
February is a two-for-one awareness month with National Children’s Dental Health Month and you guessed it, National Pet Dental Health Month. While we focus on treating our pediatric population, our little kitties’ dental health should be assessed too. As reported by the American Veterinary Medical Association, “80% of dogs and 70% of cats have some kind of oral disease by the age of 3.”
Communication has evolved from the Pony Express to thumb-tapping iMessages sent in seconds. Technology has opened doors for media to be shared almost instantly and exponentially to worldwide consumers. With millions of apps and social networks available, one application and platform I utilize daily is the TED app. TED, which stands for “Technology, Entertainment, Design,” was created in 1984 by Richard Saul Wurman, an architect and graphic designer. He organized a conference where designers and members in the technology community could meet and share their ideas and expertise in their field. After gaining traction through the years, TED has evolved into a worldwide phenomenon with conferences that host thousands of people to share “ideas worth spreading.”
I spent many Sunday mornings this summer soaking up sun rays at a local restaurant eating brunch in my tank top and Ray Bans. I’ve gotten to know a few of the locals who frequent the same restaurant. While sipping my morning Joe and catching up on social media, stories about life were shared. The question of what I do for a living came up during one of our socials. I told them I was a dental student. Then their eyes immediately shift to the large shoulder tattoo on my left arm. “They let you have that in dental school?”