Can I do it?

EbonyQ · **Posted:** Wed May 16, 2012 12:38 pm

Things are going very well, so far I have not had any ”braces anxiety”.

And fate or destiny has had some fun with me. The dentist I worked with was kind to his pt but not so kind to his assistants so I quit, and the ortho at that clinic knew about a friend who needed an assistant… The ortho and his assistant recommended me to this friend and I got the job even before he had seen me (I wonder what they told him about me…).

So my new boss is an ortho… :shock:

Never thought this would be possible. Me working in an ortho office? What?! How did this happen?! :yikes:

Had my first day on Friday and it went fine, no panic! I was mostly in the reception that day but today I sat beside my boss watching him work a few times. At first I could feel my heart pumping, especially when he put a power chain on. He teach orthodontic at the university (a different day than my ortho), and which I could see when he tried to teach me to change O-rings. Very good at explaining things and telling me where to look when he demonstrated (he quickly saw when my eyes was on the pt mouth and not his hands when he wanted to show me what he did with his hands).
He later asked me if I wanted to try, which I did. It was so fun to work with pts this way. The young lad I worked on was so kind and we had a nice chat while I changed his O-ring (I told him that he was very brave to let me work on him :lol:

).

I changed my first o-rings folks! Wow, I never thought I would do this! :yikes:

I did some ortho work :yikes:

catgyrl · **Posted:** Wed May 16, 2012 12:43 pm

Ebony, I am so proud of you!!! I think this may really help you deal with your orthodontic anxiety, and I'm so happy that you've been coping so well. I tell you - I don't know how they can change o-rings and chains without poking anyone in the gums, but it really does take some finesse.

Keep on truckin' girl!

BracedSurgeryStudent · **Joined:** Fri Jul 15, 2011 10:02 pm **Posts:** 1044

You're lucky.

The sad part is it's not that easy for me. TO just tell her, "look I've got a huge fear or things being done in my mouth and this is a bit overwhelming and was wondering if perhaps we could take this a bit slower because I feel we may be rushing this a bit too much." I can't ask her that because she is just one of those funny people. She doesn't even believe me when I tell her I have an extreme dental fear. She doesn't believe it because I was always seem happy when I got to my appointments and i know a lot of dental stuff. But she's never stopped to realize I'm masking the fear by thinking about happy moments when I am there, and the onnly reason I know a lot is because I like knowing specifically what is going on in my gundle lol

I've asked many questions, and she does agree I ask a little too much, but I just like knowing what to expect. I was having problems with the elastics so I wondered if I could step it up by one size (theres a million different sizes) and she freaked on me and told me no way. But what she doesn't realize is that having them snap in my grundle over here is adding to the fears and anxiety I am always constantly worried they're going to snap. I've even swalled 9 of them

Yeah that's true, I could always loose by her telling me no way lol. I have a ton more questions I'm sure she'd like to suffocate me for. They do indeed. I have been told though that every single one of her patients are with her for anywhere for 4-5 years in treatment, which is why I think she can take it a little slower. And last time I went she said "Oh wow look at these teeth they're amazing and we haven't even gotten to the good stuff yet." That I admit made me a little anxious. The assistant notices I am always up tight and shakey when I go, she even yelled me thinking she was going to stab me because I was shaking so much. But was too scared to tell her why I was shaking and told her I was cold. I was just really nervous about the dental cleaning after wards. The other time I went without goig to the dentist I was kind of shakey as well the ortho did not even say anything or notice.

Disclaimer: They're not bad people, they're just used to doing their thing their way, and not used to patients like me. They're actually really nice people. The assistant like to talk to me if the ortho's too busy to come over right away to get my mind off it.

EbonyQ · **Posted:** Fri May 25, 2012 8:43 am

Today at work I told them about my ”orthodontic fear”. Boss knew about the dental fear I have had but that was just my fear towards general dentists. When I went to brush my teeth after lunch (when I had just told them) I let them read an article I had written about dental fear. When I came back they all clapped their hands and called my name. Felt like one who just had admitted having an alcohol problem on an AA meeting :lol:

Boss later asked me if he could tell my ortho that I work for him, he wanted say “You know that pt of yours who needed 7 visits to get her braces on, right? She works for me now” And he wanted to see my ortho’s face. He was sure my ortho would die of laughter or something.
I believe my boss is my ortho’s old teacher since he have been teaching for years and my ortho have just been working as an ortho for a few years.

There are three people who does the pt work at our clinic and when time allows me (I work in the reception too) I tend join them.
When I sit beside the dental hygienist she does all the work herself but explain everything she does.
The other ortho tend to use me as an assistant when I’m with him. Giving him what he needs while he explains stuff.
And my boss, when I’m with him he tends to explain things and then always asks if I want to try (and then leave me to do the stuff myself :roll:

). He explains the problem the pt came with and what the treatment plan is. Sometimes he tends to test me by not telling anything, just asking what the problem is and what needs to be done.
So depending on what I feel like doing I can choose between them :lol:

Boss asked me if I wanted to put on a power chain on a pt (it was after I told him about my power chain epi :roll:

) and which I did. It all went well! I did not die :lol:

Borrowed some stuff from work today:

Have changed o-rings and clipped too long wires but I want to be better at it, so I borrowed some stuff from the clinic. Since I have braces myself I know how sensitive some teeth can be (I’m soooooo glad I got damon!!

) and want to do it the best possible way.

BracedSurgeryStudent · **Joined:** Fri Jul 15, 2011 10:02 pm **Posts:** 1044

That's good must have made you feel really good.

O wow! My dentist and orthodontist are best friends they send patients to each other. But thats so cool how they knew each other your boss I mean. But there is definatly nothing wrong with having to take 7 appointments to get the braces on. my initial plan was 3 seperate consulations, and 4 apppointments to putting things on in stages. But NOPE

Two Consults because i needed my teeth cleaned first and a run thru of everything. And the first being records impressions and everything. Then The third appointment it was full on braces all teeth all wires top and bottom all at once. Talk about NOT taking it slow.

Nice dental practice stuff you've got there. You're model is upside down lol.

catgyrl · **Posted:** Thu May 31, 2012 9:30 pm

Wow!! That stuff looks so cool! I would LOVE to play around with all those gadgets. And LOL @ BSS: I thought the model had a severe underbite and spacing between the bottom teeth. I never thought it could be upside down! :lol:

BracedSurgeryStudent · **Joined:** Fri Jul 15, 2011 10:02 pm **Posts:** 1044

I do agree that would be really fun to play with but yup. You know how you can tell? The top teeth are always bigger in size compared to the bottom teeth. It's true in all humans its how the bite matches with the midlines matching.

BracedSurgeryStudent · **Joined:** Fri Jul 15, 2011 10:02 pm **Posts:** 1044

Speaking of teeth I'm getting my braces off in a year and I'm soooooooo happy.

EbonyQ · **Posted:** Fri Jun 01, 2012 11:07 am

hahaha, you two... :lol:

*****

So I had my appointment today (can’t call them adjustments since we don’t do much on them :roll:

). As always I had my anxiety long before the appointment, and as always my ortho was as kind as always.
He was 10 min late so when he went to get me on the waiting room he said “And then it was Yvonne who had to wait today. Poor you” :lol:

. We followed our usual routine with a talk where I sit in a regular chair before anything is being done; how things are going, is there anything new and so on.

Told him that I most likely will take them off and he was all cool with that, he would not push me into continuing if I felt I could not handle it. However, he hoped that I did not decide to take them off because he had his fingers crossed for me and had hoped that I would finish this. If I took them off now he was sure that I would most likely not try again later (true) and with the crowing I have in my lower jaw it would mean problems later.

When I thanked him for what he does for me, all the time and effort, he laughed and smiled. My fear for orthodontic was apparently a very special case, he had never heard about it before and found it very interesting. How calm I can be when I visit my dentist next door but when I see him I’m scared like a horse at the slaughter horse. Normally people are afraid of the work done by the dentist and not what the orthodontist does. He wanted to do what he can to help me.

When it was time to get started after an 25-30 min chat (yeah, I know... :oops:

) he asked me what I wanted to do, if I wanted to get a heavier wire or if I wanted (and was ready) to activate the last tooth. I went for the latter, it sounded less scary.

He explained everything (what he does, how it will feel and sounds etc), asking was I’m ok now and then, and not rushing at all. Tend to focus on his voice to get my mind away from the anxiety.

We had our chat at the reception as always at the end, he gives me a new appointment and we talk about the next one and all kinds of other stuff.

This ortho is amazing; he is doing so much for me. I’m amazed that he has not given me up yet!

BracedSurgeryStudent · **Joined:** Fri Jul 15, 2011 10:02 pm **Posts:** 1044

Speaking of anxiety I kinda freaked out yesterday too. It was horrible because I was asking her questions and when I finnished the assistant handed me the colour wheel and asked me to pick out colours and when I went to put the questions back in my bag I put her colour wheel in there and realized it was too late.

GillyWeed · **Posted:** Fri Jun 01, 2012 10:19 pm

I totally and completely second Cathy's comment--I would looove to be able to play around with that equipment. Putting ligs on, taking them off, fun times :lol:

Best of luck with the rest of your treatment and congrats on overcoming (or at least working at overcoming) your dental/orthodontic fear :heart:

EbonyQ · **Posted:** Tue Jun 05, 2012 10:21 am

Who said that the life of a dental (or orthontic) phobic is boring? :roll:

Had an arch wire who was poking me like crazy this weekend and after swelling I called my ortho’s clinic yesterday but he was not at work. The assistant asked if the other ortho should clip it but that was not an option my anxiety wanted.
So want did I do?

Had a day off from work and I did not want to wait and ask my boss, did not want him to see my dental fear in action (even though he know about it), so I sent the assistant to the ortho working beside the crazy dentist I used to work for an text and asked if they were working today.

So instead of just letting this ortho working with my ortho clip it, which is so near that I can walk there, I had to take the bus down town and correspond with the assistant to this ortho I used to work beside of, she had to keep an watch on my old dental boss so he did not see me (don’t know what he would do) there I tried to get into the ortho unnoticed. Don’t know what I feared the most, the crazy dentist boss or my appointment :lol:

(beside my own ortho this is the only one I can go to).
He clipped my arch wired (he saw which side before I had open my mouth :lol:

) and we got the chance to speak very short about my new job (which he and his assistant helped me get) before the assistant came in and said that the coast was clear. She followed me out and we had a nice chat outside, I miss working with her (and the ortho of course).

So I would rather face a crazy dentist than let an “unknown” ortho clip my wire… makes so sense! :roll:

BracedSurgeryStudent · **Joined:** Fri Jul 15, 2011 10:02 pm **Posts:** 1044

WOW that is quite the adventure. I travel 2 hours to see my orthodontist because Im freaked out about everyone else and even decided to move up there for the next three years.

EbonyQ · **Posted:** Fri Jun 08, 2012 10:22 am

My teeth might soon be freeeeeeee :-*

My braces will most likely be removed either on my next app. in four weeks or after the summer break, so the end of August.

If not a miracle (or something like that) happens and my anxiety is better they are comming off. It’s going to be soooo good!
To be able to sleep without panic attracts because an appointment is right around the corner, to no longer count days and hours till my next appointment, aww I miss those calm days!

I’m going to miss my wonderful ortho but this is a nightmare and it’s not worth it.

BracedSurgeryStudent · **Joined:** Fri Jul 15, 2011 10:02 pm **Posts:** 1044

Your treatment is already done? Lucky I cant wait for mine to be done.

Can I do it?

Who is online