Independent Component 2

LITERAL
(a) I, Marisa Ruiz, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 33 hours of work.
(b) My mentor, Dr. Banh, and his assistants all helped me complete my second independent component.
(c) Here is a log of the 33 hours of work I completed for this component.
(d) My independent component consisted of shadowing and observing my mentor, along with his assistants.
INTERPRETIVE
Defend your work and explain how the significant parts of your component and how it demonstrates 30 hours of work. Provide evidence (photos, transcript, art work, videos, etc) of the 30 hours of work. 

This component helped me confirm that the answers to my essential question make sense and provided more evidence to show they are true.

My observations have shown me doctor-patient interaction, the variety of orthodontic appliances used in many cases, and the regular dynamic of an orthodontic office. All of these things and more helped give me more evidence to back up my answers to my EQ.

[Unfortunately, I was unable to take pictures of the patients and the observations I made because of privacy reasons, especially since most of the patients under my mentor's care are under eighteen years of age. I do, however, have plenty of pictures of the loads of files I have had to organize before I observe.]

APPLIED
How did the component help you answer your EQ? Please include specific examples to illustrate how it helped.
This component helped me answer my essential question because I was able to see an orthodontist in action, treating a patient.
This component gave me extra perspective on the key components in satisfactory treatment by observing a professional in the field of orthodontics.

Blog 15: Independent Component 2 Approval

1. Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.

I intend to continue shadowing my mentor and study each of the cases he takes on while I am present.

2. Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.

I will provide pictures of what I observe and do as evidence of my 30 hours.

3. Explain how this component will help you explore your topic in more depth.

This component will help me explore my topic in more depth through experience. Orthodontics is partly learned through experience and observation, so I plan to utilize those two learning tools. Additionally, it will help me get research material and find my answers to my essential question.

Independent Component 1

LITERAL
a. I, Marisa Ruiz, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 34 hours of work.
b. My mentor, Dr. Banh, DDS, and the Dental Board of California (DBC) have helped me complete my independent component. My mentor was gracious enough to let me shadow him and to break down some of his treatments. The DBC gave me a sense of direction for completing necessary courses.
c. Here is a link to my updated Senior Project Hours Log.
d. My 34 hours have consisted of shadowing my mentor, learning about how the practice is run, and taking courses that are required for unlicensed dental assisting (Basic Life Support, Dental Practice Act).

INTERPRETIVE
The work I have completed is important to my project because the best way for me to find out the most important factor to consider when treating a patient is for me to watch an orthodontist at work and to ask questions directly. Additionally, the coursework I completed was helpful in understanding some of the basic knowledge required to enter the dental field. Dentistry is really the first step toward specializing in orthodontics, after all.

Certificate of Completion for course on Dental Practice Act

Certificate of Completion for Basic Life Support course

Watching the making of alginate molds
during slower hours

TADs - an appliance that my first interviewee
explained to me and that I saw my mentor
working on while I shadowed

APPLIED

This component helped me understand the foundation of my topic better through eyes-on (I wasn't allowed to actually do much myself) and face-to-face learning. Whenever I had a question about an appliance or the purpose of a patient's treatment, I had the opportunity to chime in with, "What does that do, Dr. Banh? How does that one work? Does that stay on all day? Where does that attach?" and similar questions. Taking courses helped me by showing me what guidelines an orthodontist (or regular dentist) must follow when treating a patient and what is required of them from the beginning. 

Blog 7: Independent Component 1 Approval

For my 30 hours of service learning, I plan to shadow my mentor and learn what types of procedures are done by an orthodontist and assistants on a day-to-day basis. In addition, I would like to study to become an unlicensed dental assistant. The course requirements for unlicensed dental assistants as specified by the Dental Board of California are as follows:

• A board-approved course in the Dental Practice Act
• A board-approved 8 hour course in infection control
• A course in basic life support offered by an instructor approved by the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association, or any other course approved by the board as equivalent and that provides the student the opportunity to engage in hands-on simulated clinical scenarios.

I will meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence through pictures, certificates, and/or transcripts for the courses I might take.

I feel it is important to attain some form of certification in the dental field because orthodontists are dentists first. Basic dental training is key. Becoming an unlicensed dental assistant may also allow me to be able to be more hands-on during future shadowing.

My senior project hours log can be accessed here.