Jessie Pickens Post #2

Every day is different in the life of an oral maxillofacial surgeon! One thing I’ve learned (and that I love) about this job is that patients are so unique—both medically and personality-wise. Each case requires close scrutiny and attention to detail. One thing (of the many, many things) Dr. Harris has taught me is that it’s easy for even really talented dentists to become so laser-focused on one aspect of a case that he or she forgets to assess everything. However, Dr. Harris is incredibly thorough and excellent about seeing the big picture. (I highly recommend him if you ever need anything done that he specializes in. I can’t imagine that anyone could possibly be better.)
This week has done nothing but strengthen my interest in and intention to pursue dentistry (particularly this speciality.) I am so happy that I’ve gotten the opportunity to intern at such an amazing office.
During my internship, I’ve enjoyed every experience, seen some super cool cases, and met some incredible people I never would’ve met otherwise. I’ve looked at tons of radiographs and into many mouths over the last several days and have seen what infections, bone loss, an Odontogenic Keratocyst, an implant, wisdom teeth (aka third molars), etc. look like. I’ve witnessed various dental implant procedures and the final results (and let me tell you, it’s very satisfying). In order to test if an implant is successful, Dr. Harris will measure the stability of the implant using the Osstell ISQ (Implant Stability Quotient) Scale. The scale ranges from 1 to 100, with a high stability at right around 70. Often times, before Dr. Harris places the implant, he will perform a bone graft (especially if the bone there has atrophied as a result of the missing tooth/teeth or periodontitis, for example). I’m sure I’m forgetting to mention quite a few things that I’ve seen and learned, but the point is that oral maxillofacial surgery is breathtaking, intense, and indisputably inspiring. I love it! Finding/having a job that is enjoyable and stimulating is (in my opinion) extraordinarily important to loving your life. Ultimately, I want to I find the ideal job for me, and I feel like this internship is perfect for that!