Top 5 Skills to Have Mastered Before Your Dental Externship

Written by: Nicholas Cain, Guest Writer

So, you are midway through with your coursework and are ready to “sink your teeth” into some actual dentistry. But not so fast! Before embarking on this HUGE next step, let’s rewind and make sure you know what your expectations will be and what you should know about dental externships. Here are some pieces of friendly advice to help make your training more advantageous.

Be Ready to Learn

Remember to be teachable and always be listening and learning. Don’t take things too personally; know that your instructors have much more “real life” experience than you do, and they want you to be the best student possible. They know what they are talking about, so make sure you follow their instructions instead of just blindly following what the book tells you. They expect you to ask questions, so take notes and ask as many questions as you need.

Know your Teeth Numbers and Surfaces

Before you begin your externship, you should know how teeth are numbered. Identify the wisdom teeth first, numbers 1, 16, 17, and 32. Recognize the centrals as 8, 9, 24, and 25, while the canines are 6, 11, 22, and 27. Every crown has 5 surfaces, and one or all may need work so you need to know which ones are being worked on to have the proper matrix’s and materials you’ll need. The best way to practice, if you are unfamiliar, is by studying charts. By knowing your teeth numbers and surfaces before starting your externship, you will be ready to talk dentistry in the office!

Practice Taking X-Rays, Every Chance you Get

The ability to take good, quality x-rays is possibly one of the more essential skills to develop before your externship. Again, make sure you know your teeth-numbers! You will also need to know the more technical aspects of taking a clear x-ray. Do you know which film holding device you need for bitewing vs. anterior or posterior scans? Are you able to adjust your approach when the patient is gagging or choking on the mouth guard? You want to make sure you are comfortable with taking x-rays before the beginning of the externship. While you should take your time and produce quality x-rays at this point, know that taking a complete series of scans should only take you about ten minutes.

Understand the In’s and Out’s for Alginate Impressions

Impressions can be tricky; make sure you have practiced taking them! It’s a big part of the job and knowing how to do it well will put you ahead of the curve. You should know and be comfortable creating the mix for the mold, understanding the consistency of what you need, and fixing any problems with the mixture being too thick or too runny. Practice how to size the correct tray for the patient and then know how to place it in the patient’s mouth properly. (A good tip to remember is to start with the lower jaw first, as the upper is much more sensitive for most patients.) Again, make sure you ask for help and understand the process of impressions before your externship.

Know the Basic steps of Composite Setup

You want to be familiar with composite setups/procedure. Since you will be assisting with fillings, you will want to have a thorough understanding of the procedure’s steps to perform them in the correct order. These steps include numbing the area with an anesthetic, removing the decay, etching, bonding and placing the composite material. Once cured, you will assist the doctor with checking the occlusion and delivering post-op instructions. If you are uncomfortable with any of these steps, you need to practice until it becomes second nature; your instructors will expect you to know and thoroughly understand this procedure.

Remember, none of these tips will do you any good if you do not have a positive attitude. Externship programs are intended to provide you with the best “hands-on “practice you can get. If you are in an externship that isn’t interactive and doesn’t let you gain practical experience every day, then that office probably isn’t a good fit for you; you will want to check for another externship opportunity.