Stuck within the ascending ramus. I find these extractions difficult as they oppose the traditional elevation even after a good amount of bone removal. I tend to give a distal slant cut and separate a crown like in the picture so that I can elevate the remaining tooth in the space created.

But some distoangulars even resists the elevation in this state, then it becomes a battle between you and tooth and it's only your tactics at that moment will help you out.

Hey all, I'm a 5th year OMS resident wrapping up training. I remember how confusing the path felt from the predental and dental school side, so I figured I'd open it up. Happy to talk about whether OMS is actually a good fit for you, how I prepped for the CBSE, externships and getting letters, what a normal day in residency looks like, and how I keep a life outside the hospital. Ask away and I'll get to as many as I can tonight and will continue answering questions throughout the week!

Hi there, as the title suggests. I went on a course where they used a desk based aspirator unit.

This one: https://mediworld.co.uk/products/vega-uno-suction-aspirator?variant=45379875930417&currency=GBP&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=24255537252&gbraid=0AAAAADgjm-OdUqwZR6dAnNIg5UMF3utPo&gclid=CjwKCAjw0LzWBhBOEiwAKQd0cG4BLc1W332xC_6qNXkVP2qJJFPQr_UHlTpUkT34be4cOyrQDo5rXhoCvnIQAvD_BwE

It wasn't very effective. Does anyone have any better recommendations?

I'm based in the UK

We received news that I matched with an AEGD-1 location, but we won't find out where until January next year. Just got engaged and am planning our wedding, just wondering how accurate your rankings were so we can start looking around at venues in different locations. I did do 3 year HPSP so will be stationed elsewhere afterwards. Wondering how the 1 year experience was and the three years after!

Thanks in advance. 

Hey all! I'm an applicant for the current cycle and have been lucky to have received multiple interviews.

I plan on using the Post 9/11 GI to pay for dental school, but I have a few questions (I imagine some of these are school specific)

For any that is using P9/11 GI Bill, are there any out of pocket costs associated with dental school or does the school.work to get equipment, scrubs, loupes, etc. rolled into tuition, billed to the VA?

Will the GI bill stretch to cover the 48 months of school or do you need to cover what comes after the 36 months of the GI bill.

I don't separate until the summer, so I will apply for VR&E when/if I get at least a 10% disability rating, which should alleviate some of these concerns....but worst case scenario is using the GI bill.

Any insight you could provide would be appreciated!!

If I get my wisdom teeth removed, can I give them to a student or can I ask my dentist to donate them for a student?

Hi, I’ve been using traditional loupes for 4 years and am having tremendous lower back pain. I was thinking of swapping to ergonomic loupes and wanted to hear from people who either used only ergonomic or both before I make the investment.

I am currently interested in ortho as a specialty and attend a PF/Honors school. I am not the brightest student in my class so achieving honors is a bit out of reach for me. What can I do to increase my chances of matching or am I just SOL.

Im a D3 and have been in clinic for a year now, and there's this one receptionist that was quite rude to me recently. There's this small new clinic protocol that has been added for pt referrals which my supervisors haven't made me aware of, so I dismissed my pt without doing it. She comes in and confronts me about it quite rudely, and was really aggressive. I calmly explained that no one told me about it, but she still argues back. I'm honestly just sick of these interactions, am I supposed to be rude back??

Hi everyone! For those who have interviewed for an AEGD program, how long did it typically take to hear back after your interview? Since Match Day is November 15, I was wondering when programs usually notify applicants of their decisions. Thank you!

Trying to make Anki flashcards but wondering how to make these cards faster

ive been shadowing at some oral surgery practices that have some surgeons that did the six year residency and some that did the four year residency. i would think that there would be a difference in compensation between those that chose six years and earned the MD versus those that took the four year route. so my question is: all other variables kept equal (age, school standing, years of experience, # of patients seen, etc.), would a six-year residency oral surgeon make more than someone who chose a four year?

I’m a D2 and up to now I was living with a family member and didn’t have to pay for rent and food. Because of that and using some of my savings to pay tuition, I currently only have 60k in federal loans. The issue is because my financial and living situation change, I will need loans for everything from this point on until I graduate. I did the math and I would be able to take federal loans but because of the insane interest I would still graduate with 600k debt. Now here is the thing. I got into a nuclear medicine technologist program that I had applied to a while back and had been on a waitlist for a while.

If I continue dental school I’ll end up with 600k of debt. I’ll go on RAP and pay 10% of my salary for 30 years. Because the interest is so high, 10% of my salary won’t even make a dent in my loans at all and in 30 years I’ll owe about 300k of taxes once the debt is forgiven.

If I drop out and do the nuclear medicine program I’ll graduate with no debt one year sooner than dental school and I would be able to pay off the 60k I would owe working part time in the program. So essentially I would graduate debt free a year earlier and my salary would be around 130k.

For dentistry I don’t have a practice in the family, coming out with 600k would prevent me from opening one or specializing without going in millions of debt. I would therefore be working for someone else most likely be making 170k (correct me if I’m wrong) and paying 10% of that to my loans even tho they won’t ever go down until forgiven.

What would you do in my position?

Hello everyone! I'm looking for recommendations for affordable clinical postgraduate programs in dentistry on behalf of someone I know.

She's a West African dentist who completed her Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) in the Philippines. Since she wasn't eligible to take the local licensure examination there, she returned to her home country, where she completed the licensing process, including an examination and a one-year internship. She now has approximately two years of post-graduate clinical experience.

She's interested in pursuing a clinical master's in dentistry, but these programs aren't currently available where she lives. Unfortunately, she doesn't come from a particularly well-off family, and the cost of studying abroad is a significant barrier.

I'm hoping to find affordable clinical master's programs in other countries that she might not know about. I'm especially interested in programs that offer relatively low tuition fees, scholarships, stipends, or other financial assistance to international students.

I'd love to hear from dentists who have pursued postgraduate training abroad or know of programs in countries that may not be the usual destinations people consider.

1. Are there universities or countries offering affordable clinical master's programs in dentistry to international applicants?
2. Are there programs with reasonable tuition fees or funding opportunities that are often overlooked?
3. Are there countries where the overall cost of tuition and living expenses makes specialist training more accessible?

I'm open to recommendations from anywhere in the world, not just the UK, US, Canada, or Australia.

Any specific university names, program recommendations, or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Hello everyone,

I was wanting some advice from people. The dental school I am currently attending has removed our dentures curriculum for the summer. We were supposed to have patients in the summer to create dentures for them. But based on last years circumstances, they removed it. Now the school is trying to figure out what the class is doing for the summer, but they don't have any solid ideas. Could someone give ideas of good hands on experiences they could add for the summer curriculum? (we have two courses during the time that we will be taking)

Thank you!

Any dental students here who’ve done an exchange program or a short term study / training opportunity abroad?

I am looking into ways to experience dentistry in other countries while I am still an undergrad, get exposed to different approaches and learn more about the field beyond what we study at uni

If you’ve done anything like this or know of any programs, scholarships or opportunities for dental students, I’d love to know about it 🙏

Ok so I go to dental school in India

Today I was doing a buccal pit amalgam filling on the patients(31/m) lower molar and I cut the mucosa behind his lower lip it was a pretty big cut according to me but the patient was okay with it 🥲 he was like it's okay just continue the treatment

But I am scared he is gonna come back and sue me or am I going to jail

The thing is I have had a surgery one year ago and since then I experience tremor in my hands and my hands are very shaky mostly when I get nervous

But I have no option to quit dental school

I’m a D2 and I’ll be shadowing our OMFS residents/faculty next week. We’ll be in clinic, and hopefully the OR.

I’d love any advice on how to make a good impression without being a nuisance. What are some things you wish someone had told you before your first OMFS shadowing experience?

A few specific questions:
- OR etiquette that isn’t obvious? Like going up to scrub tech?
- Can I bring a snack or few Celsius for the residents as a pick me up/thank you or is that weird?
- When should I ask questions vs. stay quiet?
- Should I expect to help with things like adjusting lights, suction, retracting, or is it better to wait until I’m asked?
- Any common mistakes dental students make that are easy to avoid?

One other question: I’m genuinely torn between pediatrics and OMFS. Is it weird or frowned upon to be upfront about that if someone asks what I’m interested in? I’ve heard mixed opinions, with some people saying mentioning another specialty can get you some strange looks. I don’t want to come across as not being interested in OMFS because I really am, I’m just still figuring things out.

Overall, I’d appreciate any advice on being helpful, not in the way, and not looking completely clueless. Thanks!

I feel like I am losing my mind. I first took the CDCA almost a year ago. On my first attempt I passed the endo, perio, restorative, and written sections. I failed prosth due to under reducing #3. I took the exam again and this time they failed me due to over reducing #3. I took it a third time and failed due to under reducing #3. I have already graduated dental school at this point and am starting to feel desperate. I would now have to restart and take the entire CDCA over again every single section. I’m trying to see if there are any other options or anything that I can do. Any help or advice would help greatly appreciated. Thank you

D1 here. Adjusting to dental school has been pretty difficult. I went to an undergrad with grade inflation so I’ve basically been a B+ student all along. I’ve been realizing I have to change so much but being that we’ve had a few exams already, I’m past the point where I can receive an A in most classes. I’m not sure if I want to specialize, but I would’ve liked to have the option to. I haven’t looked into what specialities are looking for but I would assume the highest grades. Would a semester of Bs keep me from being able to pursue any specialties ?

I was wondering if past residents have any tips/insights for residency interviews?

How strict/intense are the interviews? I've heard ppl say it's more about getting to know personality etc. but i'm sure clinical questions are also asked, which is what I'm worried about. I'm worried I'll freeze up with nerves and wont be able to answer, or they'll ask something and I wont know the answer to.

How much knowledge do they expect us to have going into the interviews from dental school? I expect that it should be some but are there truly no "wrong" answers to the questions they ask in the interviews.

Also, any tips to not be nervous/freak out during the interview LOL

Is it mandatory to attend the social events scheduled with the interviews?

I dont know, i'm just very nervous overall and I feel like that isnt helping but any tips/advice would be greatly appreciated!!!

I’m a 5th-year dental student, and I really need some advice.
To be honest, my academic level is weak because I didn’t study properly during my first few years of dental school, so I have many gaps in my basic knowledge. Now, I struggle with studying and understanding many topics.
On the other hand, I’m quite good at the practical side, especially in fixed prosthodontics, removable prosthodontics, and operative dentistry. However, sometimes I feel like I’m doing the clinical work without fully understanding the science behind what I’m doing or why I’m doing it.
I want to improve my knowledge and build a strong foundation, even though I’m already in my 5th year.
My questions are:
How should I start studying and improving my basic knowledge at this stage?
Are there any short books, YouTube channels, courses, or other resources that explain the fundamentals of dentistry in a simple and organized way?
What subjects or topics should I focus on first?
Since English is not my first language, I also struggle with medical terminology. How can I improve my medical English while studying dentistry?
I’m not looking for resources that cover everything in great detail. I’m looking for something concise, clear, and practical that can help me understand the basics and put me on the right track.
I would really appreciate any advice, personal experiences, or resource recommendations. Thank you!

Probably gonna piss off some people but here’s my ranking based on money, ROI, lifestyle, job security and AI.

1. OMFS — $$$$$
Paid residency. AI proof. Surgical procedures will always be in demand. Money is insane. Residency sucks but once you’re done you’re pretty much set financially.

2. Endo — $$$$
AI proof. More patients are learning from the internet about saving their natural teeth instead of just getting implants. A lot of GPs hate doing endo, especially molars, so referrals will always be there. Downside is you usually have to pay for residency but ROI is amazing. You see fewer patients. Probably one of the best specialties for making good money without killing your body.

3. Dental Anesthesia — $$$$
Paid residency. AI proof bc if someone dies or has complications, they need an actual person to take responsibility. Not many programs and demand is pretty high. More OMFS, perio, peds and even some endo offices are hiring them. Easy on your body too. Obviously liability is high but ROI is amazing.

4. Ortho — $$$$
You pay for residency. Not really AI proof. GPs are doing more and more Invisalign cases. But complex cases will always need orthodontists. Also more patients are realizing orthodontists can do a much better job than GPs and are willing to pay extra for quality work. Very easy on your body. Money is still good if you’re willing to travel or live rural. Finding a full-time job in a nice city seems pretty hard though.

5. Peds — $$$
Paid residency if you choose the right program. If you’re paying crazy tuition to specialize in peds, you’re stupid financially imo. AI proof. Mostly easy procedures while making specialist money. A lot of GPs hate dealing with crying kids and annoying parents so demand will always be there. Most Insurance doesn’t see you as a specialist. ROI is okay. Just gotta deal with screaming kids all day lol. Burn out is real tho.

6. GP — $$$
No residency needed which is a huge advantage. You can start making money, investing and building assets early. You can also cherry pick easy specialty procedures like implants, Invisalign, veneers, straightforward wisdom teeth, etc.
But if you wanna make serious money you probably need to spend a lot on CE and eventually own a practice. If you just wanna do easy bread and butter as an associate, you will end up working for a medicaid DSO mill paying you $800/day while expecting you to produce $4+k lol.
GP ownership has a very high ceiling though. Some GP owners make more than specialists.

7. Perio — $$$$
You pay to specialize and it ain’t cheap. GPs are doing more and more implants, gum grafts, sinus lifts, etc. Still a surgical specialty so obviously there’s money to be made, especially if you find a busy practice with good referrals. But with how much GPs are taking over specialty procedures, I’m not sure the ROI is that great considering how much residency costs. if paid residency, then it’s worth it.

8. Prosth — $$$
Paying a ridiculous amount of tuition to become a glorified GP.
I get it for internationally trained dentists since some programs let you practice in the US. But if you’re already a US or Canadian graduate, I honestly don’t see the point financially unless you get into a paid program.
They do some pretty cool FMR cases but more and more GPs are taking CE to do cosmetics, FMR, implants and All-on-X.
No GP is gonna refer a profitable restorative case to prosth unless the patient is being a pain in the ass or the case is a complete disaster.
Cool specialty but terrible ROI imo.

9. Oral Path / Oral Radiology — $$
Not really AI proof. AI is only gonna get better at reading images and helping with diagnoses. A lot of jobs are in academia, teaching or research. You spend more years in school just to potentially make less than a GP.
I can see why someone would choose these if they’re burned out, have physical limitations or just never wanna touch a handpiece again.

What would you rank differently?