Class Trip to the Library

On Friday, August 29th, my house walked over to Cal Poly's library. We were led by our teacher to a computer lab type room and watched a presentation from one of Cal Poly's librarians about research and using some of the resources available to us through the Cal Poly library's website. From that presentation, I learned to use the ProQuest databases. I really like using ProQuest because there are so many online articles on my topic to choose from, so I have plenty of research options. On the other hand, I have to be sure to narrow my search because I would otherwise be stuck scrolling through hundreds of unwanted ads for orthodontic clinics that opened around ten years ago.

Some of the many results from ProQuest with the keyword "Orthodontics"

In addition to finding out about using the online databases, I had the opportunity to find books for my research on orthodontics for my senior project. I found seven books that piqued my interest, but I was only able to check out five thanks to the library's check-out limit. I checked out the following books:

• An Introduction to Dental Terminology
• Oral Health, Dentistry, and the American Public
• Removable Orthodontic Appliances
• Dental Anatomy and Occlusion
• Orthodontics: Current Principles and Techniques

The five books that I checked out from the Cal Poly library

I spent a good chunk of my Friday looking at these books and they are so interesting. The most interesting part is the pictures. One book has thousands of pictures with cases and diagrams and graphs. There was one case (pictured below) of a woman with bimaxillary protrusion, meaning the woman's teeth on her maxilla and mandible (upper and lower jaw) were excessively protruding forward. Her treatment included having her premolars removed and undergoing an augmentation genioplasty (chin augmentation).

I find it amazing that people can change their appearance with the removal of some teeth and surgery. Even the use of orthodontic appliances like braces and headgear yield impressive results. These books and their content have served to fuel my passion for the medical field and orthodontics. It's all just so fascinating.

A case shown in Orthodontics: Current Principles and Techniques

Examples of appliances for orthodontic treatment from Removable Orthodontic Appliances

Anatomy of the oral cavity

Blog 4: Interview Preparation

1. I intend to interview Irene Fisher from the Banh Smiles office who has been working with my mentor, Dr. Banh, in the field of orthodontics for many years. The reason I would like to interview her is because she has plenty of experience with orthodontics and I feel she can provide a lot of insight that will help me with my project.
2. Aside from the five required questions on the Interview Component Contract, I will ask additional questions such as...
• How satisfied are you with your line of work and job here at Banh Smiles?
• What is it that you enjoy about your job?
• What do you believe are the setbacks to working in an orthodontics office?
• What are some of the worst cases you have come across while working here?
• What is the competition like for a position like yours?
• What is your average workday like? (busy, slow, peak hours, estimated patient count, etc.)
• What do you feel is the most important thing an orthodontist like Dr. Banh or yourself must consider so they can help a patient?

Blog 3: Topic Choice and Working EQ

1. The topic I have chosen for my senior project is orthodontics.
2. What is the most important thing an orthodontist must consider so they can help a patient?

Summer Mentorship Component

Literal  

1. A log my mentorship hours:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AqjYoq8XhtlcdFJCSDBfelZVS1d2OGRlTWFTWVZ1V2c&usp=drive_web#gid=0

2. Volunteer contact information:

Ernest Romero 

Teen Services Librarian at the West Covina Library

(626) 962-3541 

emromero@library.lacounty.gov

3. What questions were raised because of your 10 hours of experience? 

• Can I create an EQ from the work I do at this place/my topic?
• Is this what I want to use for my senior project topic?
• How can I apply what I do and learn here to my senior project throughout the year?
• Can I make an hour-long presentation out of this at the end of the school year?

Interpretive

4. What is the most important thing you gained from this experience? Why?

The most important thing I have gained from this experience is the knowledge of how to deal with people. By people, I mean people of all ages. The ability to deal with people is priceless because it is something I will be doing indefinitely, and thinking on my toes as I do when helping others at the library is a universal skill. Another part of dealing with other people is explaining how to do something, which I feel I am proficient at thanks to my experience volunteering at the library.

Applied

5. What is your senior project topic going to be?  How did what you did help you choose a topic?  Please explain.

My senior topic will be Library Teen and Youth Services. My volunteering over the summer has helped me choose this topic because I had a surprising amount of fun volunteering at the library, have met excellent people, and feel that the employees at the library are doing a great service by reaching out to the youth of the community. I felt inspired and as if I could do a lot with the library for my senior project.