I spent much of the afternoon yesterday with my husband. We were sitting in the waiting room of the dental school that is part of the University of Nevada.  What a wonderful learning tool this program provides.  I have to wonder how many universities around the United States have dental schools in which the students are studying and performing dentistry, and the teachers are certified dentists who work with them on an individual basis, as well as spending time teaching in the classroom.  From my perspective, what a wonderful hands on methodology this kind of program provides to other Americans.

What I found amazing was that I was examined by a student who then turned to her "professor", who was an experienced dentist, in order to give him what data she had uncovered when looking at my mouth.  On January 22nd, I had six of the teeth from my lower pallet removed by a graduate student of dentistry who was being supervised by his professor. The procedure was performed in a room that was a duplicate of what a hospital surgery would look like.

I would be curious to know how many universities in the United States offer such programs.  If any of my readers have been treated in such settings I would be fascinated to hear from them.

How fortunate many of us would have been over the years had we been seen by individuals who had participated in such a hands on program.  

I have suffered through many extractions of teeth by my "family" dentist that were nightmares.  I have to wonder whether they might have been far less traumatic experiences if my dentists had studied in schools of dentistry where the learning process didn't come only from textbooks and classroom learning? This "hands on" teaching methodology impresses me as a far better way for aspiring dentists to learn.