This week I worked more interactively and the orthodontic assistants started to teach me everything that they do in the office. I learned that orthodontic assistants do not need to go to dental assistance school. They do on site training there and the assistants at Dr. Ross’s office began to train me on what to do to become an orthodontic assistant. I learned to take on and off braces and I also learned a lot about the different equipment and materials that they use to treat their patients. I got to practice taking bands on and off of braces on a 3-D model of teeth. I learned that you must always point the tools aways from the gingival. Dr. Ross taught me a lot about different dental terms. Dr. Munn went over how they come up with the treatment plan and how each patient is different even though it may all seem the same. The treatment plan with orthodontics starts with the end in mind. They always have the end product in mind when they begin the long process. They have an estimated time when the treatment will be done and this time often goes over due to problems that happen during the treatment process.
The verbal communication at my site is very effective. The entire staff communicates with each other very well. The staff must use verbal communication to make sure that they do not start anything with the patient that requires the doctor to come quickly, while the doctor is busy with another patient. For example, when two patients are scheduled to get their braces put on they must communicate to see who will go first, otherwise the other patient will sit there with glue and other chemical compounds drying in their mouth while the doctor is busy with someone else.
Non-verbal communication is a very important factor in the orthodontic office especially between the staff and the patients. When the orthodontist or the assistant has their hand in someone’s mouth, they must be able to understand their reactions or motions. If a patients is jerking or has a look on their face like they are in pain the orthodontist and assistants must recognize this so that they know to stop and find another way to treat the patient. This very common due to the fact that the gingival tissue is very sensitive and is at high risk of causing pain. It is very effective at Ross Orthodontics because the staff is very good at recognizing these signs.
One of the techniques used at the office to communicate is through the computer. They have a system to call the doctor and pull up patient records right in front of them so that everything runs smoothly. One of the major communication barriers at the office the fact that most of the work is done with hands in the patient's mouth. This makes is a lot harder to communicate with patient. If they have to tell you something then it would be hard to understand so the doctor and assistants must understand their body language if something is wrong and they need to fix something or stop what they are doing.
The data that they collect is mostly just patient's records. They record the progress with the patients and the plan for the next time that they visit. This is all kept in a computer record. The only people that can access these record are the doctors and the assistants. There are few actual paper records and those are all older records. All of the new records are in the computer which can be problematic seeing how technology is not the most trustworthy thing to work with, especially with keeping confidential records. Ross Orthodontics has yet to experience problems with it, which is a very good thing.
So far at the intern site I have heard a good amount of medical terminology. It is very confusing because it is mostly dental terminology and I have only learned the basics of that. I have learned more dental terms as the days go by. Most of the terms they use refer to either the bite of the patient or the number of the tooth they are talking about. There is a tooth numbering system that I have gotten more familiar with called the Palmer system. I have learned that there are three numbering systems, but the Palmer one is the one most orthodontists use. Other terms they use include the labeling of the different wires and the different techniques they use to treat the patients. I have yet to get familiar with these terms because there a many of them and they can be very confusing.
I did not have to communicate with the staff or the patients as much as everyone else did. I did have to introduce myself to the patient before they started their treatment. That was all because I mostly acted as a shadow to see how things work in the office. I could work on my communication skills by talking to the patients more, but besides that I do not really need to use my communications skills in at the intern site because I just act as a shadow.
Medical terminology is very important in the healthcare field because with lack of communication or improper communication, there is a risk of causing medical errors. This can lead to severe injuries or even unexpected patient death. Team communication is the most important in health care so that the medical teams do not make mistakes that can cause harm to the patients. All medical professionals should be trained in the proper use of communication to avoid these errors and provide better health and ensure the safety of the patients (O’Daniel).
Next week I will be focusing on employability in the workplace and the different employability skills that are used and needed in this field of work.
Works Cited
O'Daniel, M. (n.d.). Professional Communication and Team Collaboration. Retrieved October 23, 2015.
The verbal communication at my site is very effective. The entire staff communicates with each other very well. The staff must use verbal communication to make sure that they do not start anything with the patient that requires the doctor to come quickly, while the doctor is busy with another patient. For example, when two patients are scheduled to get their braces put on they must communicate to see who will go first, otherwise the other patient will sit there with glue and other chemical compounds drying in their mouth while the doctor is busy with someone else.
Non-verbal communication is a very important factor in the orthodontic office especially between the staff and the patients. When the orthodontist or the assistant has their hand in someone’s mouth, they must be able to understand their reactions or motions. If a patients is jerking or has a look on their face like they are in pain the orthodontist and assistants must recognize this so that they know to stop and find another way to treat the patient. This very common due to the fact that the gingival tissue is very sensitive and is at high risk of causing pain. It is very effective at Ross Orthodontics because the staff is very good at recognizing these signs.
One of the techniques used at the office to communicate is through the computer. They have a system to call the doctor and pull up patient records right in front of them so that everything runs smoothly. One of the major communication barriers at the office the fact that most of the work is done with hands in the patient's mouth. This makes is a lot harder to communicate with patient. If they have to tell you something then it would be hard to understand so the doctor and assistants must understand their body language if something is wrong and they need to fix something or stop what they are doing.
The data that they collect is mostly just patient's records. They record the progress with the patients and the plan for the next time that they visit. This is all kept in a computer record. The only people that can access these record are the doctors and the assistants. There are few actual paper records and those are all older records. All of the new records are in the computer which can be problematic seeing how technology is not the most trustworthy thing to work with, especially with keeping confidential records. Ross Orthodontics has yet to experience problems with it, which is a very good thing.
So far at the intern site I have heard a good amount of medical terminology. It is very confusing because it is mostly dental terminology and I have only learned the basics of that. I have learned more dental terms as the days go by. Most of the terms they use refer to either the bite of the patient or the number of the tooth they are talking about. There is a tooth numbering system that I have gotten more familiar with called the Palmer system. I have learned that there are three numbering systems, but the Palmer one is the one most orthodontists use. Other terms they use include the labeling of the different wires and the different techniques they use to treat the patients. I have yet to get familiar with these terms because there a many of them and they can be very confusing.
I did not have to communicate with the staff or the patients as much as everyone else did. I did have to introduce myself to the patient before they started their treatment. That was all because I mostly acted as a shadow to see how things work in the office. I could work on my communication skills by talking to the patients more, but besides that I do not really need to use my communications skills in at the intern site because I just act as a shadow.
Medical terminology is very important in the healthcare field because with lack of communication or improper communication, there is a risk of causing medical errors. This can lead to severe injuries or even unexpected patient death. Team communication is the most important in health care so that the medical teams do not make mistakes that can cause harm to the patients. All medical professionals should be trained in the proper use of communication to avoid these errors and provide better health and ensure the safety of the patients (O’Daniel).
Next week I will be focusing on employability in the workplace and the different employability skills that are used and needed in this field of work.
Works Cited
O'Daniel, M. (n.d.). Professional Communication and Team Collaboration. Retrieved October 23, 2015.