by Gregory R. Bowen, DDS
A patient came into my San Antonio dental office recently needing the same procedure that got me interested in being a dentist. It brought back a lot of memories.
My patient had an impacted eyetooth which involves a surgical removal of the gum over the eyetooth, an orthodontic appliance fitted to the tooth and a spring device to gradually pull the tooth into place. This was exactly the same procedure I needed when I was in high school.
I remember the trip to the Oral Surgeon’s office in downtown Milwaukee. He was in a High Rise office building with a view of the city. I was impressed with his office. That is probably why my office now is in a high rise.
My dentist indulged my interest in what he was doing and showed me how he would pour plaster into a mold of my teeth, and then bend wires to fit the bands that would go around my teeth. Now days we bond brackets onto the front of the teeth with the same technique we use to hold fillings in. A dilute acid etches the enamel, liquid resin flows in the etching and a special blue intense light causes the resin to harden locking the specially designed bracket to lock a wire in and put a small amount of pressure on the tooth. After four months, the eyetooth had moved into place and Dr. Ferber, my dentist, was able to remove the brackets.
I decided this was an interesting and challenging profession which required the kind of course work and mechanical ability I was best at. In school, I did well in science and chemistry in particular. I had always enjoyed building model sailing ships with as much rigging and detail as I could find, and model airplanes. I also loved shop class in high school with the small engine repair, metal fabrication work, and woodworking. In short, anything involving "hands on" work.
A few years later I graduated from high school and college and received a letter of acceptance to Marquette University School of Dentistry. Dr. Ferber sponsored me at the orientation meeting and that began the four year quest for a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree, an occupation inspired by my own visits to a dentist!
A patient came into my San Antonio dental office recently needing the same procedure that got me interested in being a dentist. It brought back a lot of memories.
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| Photo Credit: Dr. Karpovck frontieroralsurgery.com |
I remember the trip to the Oral Surgeon’s office in downtown Milwaukee. He was in a High Rise office building with a view of the city. I was impressed with his office. That is probably why my office now is in a high rise.
My dentist indulged my interest in what he was doing and showed me how he would pour plaster into a mold of my teeth, and then bend wires to fit the bands that would go around my teeth. Now days we bond brackets onto the front of the teeth with the same technique we use to hold fillings in. A dilute acid etches the enamel, liquid resin flows in the etching and a special blue intense light causes the resin to harden locking the specially designed bracket to lock a wire in and put a small amount of pressure on the tooth. After four months, the eyetooth had moved into place and Dr. Ferber, my dentist, was able to remove the brackets.
I decided this was an interesting and challenging profession which required the kind of course work and mechanical ability I was best at. In school, I did well in science and chemistry in particular. I had always enjoyed building model sailing ships with as much rigging and detail as I could find, and model airplanes. I also loved shop class in high school with the small engine repair, metal fabrication work, and woodworking. In short, anything involving "hands on" work.
A few years later I graduated from high school and college and received a letter of acceptance to Marquette University School of Dentistry. Dr. Ferber sponsored me at the orientation meeting and that began the four year quest for a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree, an occupation inspired by my own visits to a dentist!
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