Capstone project

Internship at Maha Chakri Sirindhorn

Dental Hospital

Worklog

During
December 19-23 and 26-27, 2022

By
Chompunake Wongwaiworrapong
(Chompunake) 1109 6461294

Capstone teacher: Mr. Nattapat Poolyam

 WORKLOG

DAY 1
December 19th , 2022

8.00 am - 16.00 pm
Screening Unit - Day 1

The Screening Unit is the place where the new patient comes to record
some information that may be used to guide their treatment. Some
questions that may be asked by the staff officers will be about COVID-19
whether the patient got covid during the past 12 days or has experienced
any related symptoms. These questions are necessary because dentistry was
related to the oral cavity which was the place that contained bacteria or
covid germs.
Additionally, the staff officers asked about the treatment history and
also allergies to the medicine to prevent dangers from the treatment. They
also inform the patient about the cost of each treatment and guide the
patient to the appropriate floor or clinic to meet the dentist. On this day, I
just mostly observed how the staff officers talk or interact with the patient
because there was not thing much in this department. There would be many
patients here during the morning, but there were not many patients here in
the afternoon.
DAY 2
December 20th , 2022

8.00 am - 16.00 pm
Special Dental Clinic - Day 2

The special Dental clinic is the place where many specialist dentists
work here, but they work part-time due to their busy schedules because
they also work for some other hospitals. On this day I was assigned to be
with the root canal specialist dentist and observed various root canal
treatment cases. Mostly the patients were middle-aged to older adults.
These patients mostly have root canal issues due to wear and tear on their
teeth over time. There were patients that had already done the root canal
treatment and they were visiting for the routine check-up after six months.
During this check-up, the dentist used the equipment to check whether the
patient felt pain or not. The most interesting case that I have seen was a
young girl who had gone through an accident and had fallen, causing her
face to hit the floor and her tooth to fall out. From this case, I have learned
that the first thing we should do when our tooth falls out is to soak it in fresh
milk to preserve the tissue inside and prevent any damage.
During the afternoon, I was with another dentist that was placing a
dental crown on the patient’s tooth. The dentist asked me to help him mix
the glue that was used in the process. This was done after the patient had
completed the root canal treatment, placing a dental crown could help to
strengthen the patient’s tooth. Throughout my time spent with the dentist,
we shared lots of experiences together. I learned about her motivation for
becoming a dentist, as well as many good perspectives. I really like the way
she communicates with the patients and how she does her job neatly which
very inspired me. I also experienced wearing the dentist mask which was the
N95 one and the PPE dress, it was very protective and also could be reused
by sterilization.
DAY 3
December 21th , 2022

8.00 am - 16.00 pm
Radiology Clinic - Day 3

Radiology Clinic is the place where patients come to take an X-ray. On

this day, I sat and looked at how the staff worked and learned common
things about X-rays. There are two types of X-rays: film X-rays, which are
environmentally unfriendly and take up too much space, and digital X-rays,
which are more convenient, safer, and quicker, but more expensive. The
amazing thing about digital X-rays is the ability to adjust the color and
brightness which could help the dentist and patient to analyze the X-ray
more accurately. Since teeth are a type of bone, X-rays are necessary to
observe things that are invisible. In fact, 3D X-rays can also help to find the
accurate position for wisdom teeth surgery.
The staff also showed me several X-ray rooms which contain different
types of equipment. He told me that the equipment in the hospital is better
than the equipment in the clinic because the clinic might not have all the
types of equipment that the hospital does. Taking X-ray photos also needs a
specialist for safety. The staff also gave me advice about the faculty based
on his experience at the university because he graduated from the Faculty of
Pharmacy and the Faculty of Radiology. He told me the pros and cons of
learning in both faculties.
DAY 4
December 22th , 2022

8.00 am - 16.00 pm
Pediatric Dental Clinic - Day 4

Pediatric Dental Clinic is a clinic that specializes in young children. This

day was the day that I think I learned things the most. I stayed with the
dentist that was a specialist in kids’ teeth. He is not just good at teeth
treatment but also understands his young patients. I have observed many
cases, but the special thing about this department is the dentist not just
treats regular, but he also treats special and disabled children. I have seen
the dentist cleaning special children's teeth that were constantly struggling,
as well as doing tooth extraction and dental work for very young children.
The dentist also taught me that the purpose of braces was to align the teeth
for maximum chewing effectiveness.
During a milk tooth extraction, he told me that the point of having milk
teeth is to keep the space for permanent teeth. If we remove the milk teeth,
we still need to keep the space for the permanent teeth. I was impressed
that the young children undergoing milk tooth extractions did not cry at all
because the dentist was able to make the kid trust in him. He believes that
even though the patient was a young child, she still could understand what
happened. However, for some special children who can’t understand the
procedure, the dentist sometimes needed to use the papoose board to
immobilize them.
This made me realize that being a dentist is not an easy job. It
requires lots of patience and understanding toward the patient. The most
important thing is that we can’t choose our own patients, we need to take
care of every patient no matter how they are or who they are.
DAY 5
December 23th , 2022

8.00 am - 16.00 pm
Orthodontic Clinic - Day 5

On this day I visited a dentist who specializes in root canals. Her

primary task on this day was to advise the patient about the step for the
root canal treatment. I observed her using an electric machine to check on
the patient's teeth. If the patient has hypersensitive teeth this can indicate
that the patient’s teeth are still normal, but if it doesn't have any feeling this
means that the root of the canal already has a problem. There was only a
little patience on this day, so we had the opportunity to share our
experiences. She gave me lots of advice and shared stories about her
experiences at her university.
DAY 6
December 26th , 2022

8.00 am - 16.00 pm
Oral Surgery Clinic - Day 6

On this day, I observed a case about wisdom tooth extraction and silk
removal procedure for a patient who had the process. Before beginning the
surgery, the dentist should ask about the patient’s drug allergies and
congenital diseases. Then, the dentist will explain the details of the surgical
process and its effect. The process of extracting the wisdom tooth was quite
long as the dentist had to wait for the anesthetic to take effect, causing the
patient to feel no sensation in the area where the surgery would take place.
Also, the dentist needs to divide the wisdom tooth into small pieces before
removing it, and saline injection has been used to help reduce the friction.
After completing the surgery, the dentist will tell the patient about the
instruction and schedule an appointment for the silk removal.
DAY 7
December 27th , 2022

8.00 am - 16.00 pm
Geriatric Surgery Clinic - Day 7

Patients that I have mainly observed on this day were old patients. I
saw a case where the patient was unable to stand or walk on her own. More
than that she also suffered from hearing loss. This made it difficult for the
dentist to handle the patient since the patient was not able to follow the
dentist’s instructions. I also saw a case about creating false teeth for a
patient who had lost all her natural teeth. This could help her to chew food
properly and aid in digestion. Another interesting thing was that I had a
chance to observe the prosthetic eyes, fingers, teeth, and the machine that
was 3D printing technology. The dentist gave me a chance to try building up
a tooth in the model by using wax.