Page 25 - GP FALL 2009

Being able to participate in the I began to pursue dentistry in the
NYSAGD Externship Program this summer of 2007, as an undergraduate
summer was an invaluable experience student from Stony Brook University,
that will no doubt prove extremely following my experience working at a
beneficial as I continue my path dentist’s office in Eastern Long Island.
towards becoming a dentist. As a pre- From then on, I tried to observe in as
dental college student, I still have a lot many dental offices as possible, know-
to learn about the field of dentistry. ing that every dentist has a different
Observing for one week this summer at style and different way of running the
Huntington Bay Dental provided me office, to gain perspective and experi-
with exposure to various aspects of ence. I was informed about the
dentistry - from laser dentistry to interacting with patients Academy of General Dentistry from a friend and applied
to the operations of dental laboratory within the practice. for the Externship Program with the hopes that I would be
Having the privilege of working at Huntington Bay selected and placed with a dentist to observe for a week.
Dental was unique for me in comparison to my previous I was placed with Dr. Stephen Akseizer, DDS and I
shadowing experiences because of the fact that this office observed in his office from April 6 - 8, 2009. Dr. Akseizer
had several practicing dentists on a daily basis. A practice held the position of Master of the Academy of General
such as Huntington Bay Dental enlightened me to the Dentistry and was extremely proficient in high tech pro-
incredible amount of teamwork that go into running a suc- cedures. His office was small and cozy but the machines
cessful practice. From the four doctors, to the assistants, to and procedures he used were state of the art. The proce-
the receptionists, to the office manager, everyone played an dures he performed ranged from restorations to fitting of
integral role in making the practice run smoothly. dentures to laser surgery. Observing oral surgery was
Specifically, observing Dr. Eugene Antenucci was an new for me and I was fascinated with the efficiency, speed
extraordinary educational experience. Firstly, it was clear and relative painless aspects of the procedure. I observed
to me that Dr. Antenucci had the utmost respect of all the laser oral surgery twice in his office and was impressed
patients that he treated. Whenever there was a question with the clean removal of gum that was in the way, remov-
as to how to proceed with a particular procedure, each ing the need to use scissors. The fact that the patient
time the patient elected to do what Dr. Antenucci thought would only experience a little discomfort, if any at all, was
was best. By learning about Dr. Antenucci’s previous and remarkable. If procedures like laser oral surgery are
current work in dentistry and dental education, it became available to general practitioners now, I anticipate that
obvious that Dr. Antenucci’s hard work and dedication even more advanced technology will be available by the
have led him to the success his dental practice is today. I time I receive my degree.
take from this experience a better understanding of how During our downtime, I consulted with Dr. Akseizer
much effort and dedication go into being a successful den- and his assistants, who were candid and informative in
tist. Another thing I will take from my time observing Dr. their perspective of working with dentists over the years.
Antenucci is his use of laser dentistry. I was lucky to Dr. Akseizer and I would discuss the procedures he per-
observe Dr. Antenucci use laser technology on a patient. formed earlier in the day, as well as the usage of certain
His use of laser for cleaning showed me the technological instruments and options of treatment in different situa-
advancements that are being made in the field of den- tions, such as gum disease and oral pathology. We dis-
tistry. As someone who hopes to be a dentist of the future, cussed the health care reform that Mr. Obama’s adminis-
the opportunity to see a procedure such as this, that I tration is undertaking and the implications on the small
could play an integral role in the future of dentistry, was business owners and on small healthcare offices in gener-
truly an invaluable experience. al. Any questions I brought up during and after the pro-
Additionally, observing Dr. Adamo Notarantonio was cedures were addressed efficiently and with great detail.
also highly educational for me. Dr. Notarantonio was One such question comes to mind. As a hearing impaired
extremely helpful and took the time to explain what he student, I was curious as to the effect that my disability
was doing on a daily basis. I learned something particu- would have on my ability to carry out certain tasks. Such
larly insightful when the doctor was doing a complete task included listening via stethoscope to the patient’s jaw
reconstruction of a patient’s mouth. Dr. Notarantonio for the telltale clicks of the TMJ syndrome. When I
pulled up pictures on the computer of what this patient’s brought up my concern, Dr. Akseizer showed me an edu-
mouth looked like prior to the procedures. Seeing these cational computer program detailing exactly the structure
and then observing the incredible amount of progress that of the jaw, the muscles holding the lower jaw to the head,
had been made showed me just how incredible and expan- as well as the causes and symptoms of the syndrome
sive the work of a dentist can be. affecting many Americans today. The dentist can relieve
All in all, the experience and education I gained from patient’s discomfort by crafting a special mouth guard
participating in the NYSAGD Externship Program this that relaxes the jaw and the muscle. I now have a clearer
summer is something I will keep with me throughout my understanding of the many non-invasive treatments that
career as a dentist in the future. Last fall, I participated the dentist can provide for the patient’s ailments.
in a program at the University of Michigan, where I My externship experience with Dr. Akseizer proved to
received lectures from dental students on topics such as be extremely educational and valuable. He was willing to
restorative basics, instruments, nomenclature, and answer any and all my questions in detail and is clearly
patient interaction. The NYSAGD Externship Program very skilled in his craft. Observing his painstaking atten-
provided me with the opportunity to see first hand those tion to detail, his friendly interactions with the patient,
things I learned about in these lectures. I believe that and the great skill in the complicated procedures he per-
dentistry is not something that can be completely formed, provided an outline of the kind of dentist I would
learned through books and lectures. It must be learned like to be someday. All are important aspects of dentistry
first hand in a “real-world” dental setting. The NYSAGD that I can bring with me to dental school.
Externship Program provided me with that setting and
I will be a better dentist because of it. Kathleen Schultz
Senior Undergraduate Student
Jeremy Goldenberg SUNY Stony Brook
Senior Undergraduate Student
University of Michigan www.nysagd.org | Fall 2009 | GP 25