In addition to many many lectures, I did a wet lab on fracture repair. I love these! We took a plastic model of a mandible with a nice clean fracture like this:
Then practiced wiring and placing acrylic splints on it, over and over. Isn't this cool?:
I explained to Anthony that the wires would actually go in the soft tissue/gingiva between and circling around the teeth, anchoring them down. He turned green and nearly retched! I think this is so awesome, but he can't even watch me do oral surgery. I can't wait for the next patient hit by a car or kicked by a cow so that I can all the king's horses/all the king's men/put him back together again. I realize this urge is not normal, kinda like the surgeons on Grey's Anatomy are always itching for a major trauma. Looking around the conference, I realized veterinary dentists have this peculiar desire, however have really bad hair, unlike TV. (Also I am thinking I should start telling people I am interested in veterinary oral surgery, not veterinary dentistry, since I do far more surgical procedures than cleaning/cavity filling, and ALL my patients are under anesthesia.)
3 comments:
Poor Anthony! You can tell us, we'll be OK.
Also, LOL on the hair comment - too funny.
but that little plaster model has no fur, skin, muscle, connective tissue, tendons, veins to suture, blood spewing. It is so far removed from the utterly vivified (and messy) realm of your surgical field, I don't know how you equate the two. Real flesh and the healing of living parts...that is what is so amazing about what you do!!!
I love watching you do surgery. it's fascinating. Bring it! And I think it's great you're so passionate about what you do.
I used to get queasy listening to you and your fellow vet students at school, particularly during meal times, but now it doesn't bother me.
How much more do you have to do to get your certification?
Post a Comment