Teeth-choices

A hypertext narrative by

Monika Noras Hernandez

Created with

The Virtual Writing Tutor Grammar Checker

Word count: 1301

Choice count: 38

Section count: 19

Image count: 19

Error count: 5

Field Related Analysis

Dental-Hygiene : 129 matches

(amalgam, baby tooth, canal, cavity, composite, dental, dental assistant, dental hygienist, dental hygienists, dental office, dental school, dentist, dentistry, dentists, exam, extraction, filling, sterilization, teeth, tooth, treatment)

Education : 81 matches

(choice, college, degree, don, exam, failed, field, field of study, first, grade, high school, knowledge, learn, learning, options, school, semester, social, training, university)

Nursing : 36 matches

(amalgam, b.d., canal, clinic, dentistry, extraction, filling, grade, hygiene)

Target Structure: (1 matches)

on-the-job-training (5 matches)

After high school.

I applied to college, but I also wanted to take a break from school. Should I keep studying, go to college, or take a semester off and work?

Choice 1 : Take a break and work.

Choice 2 : Start college

I spent days thinking. I didn't know if I had to priorize school or my mental peace.

Take a break and work.

Since I decided to take a break for a semester, I have to start looking for a job.

Choice 1 : I got an offer to work from home for Air Transat answering calls. I have to work at least two weekends per month and the salary is $17 per hour.

Choice 2 : My mom works as a dental assistant and asked her boss to give me a position there.

It is important to work and not stay home doing nothing. It is going to be easier to start school after.

Working for Air Transat.

I decided to stay home for a semester and work for Air Transat. I was spending my days answering calls from angry people. No social life and having to stay in front of my computer and the phone every day.

Choice 1 : Stay there and get depressed

Choice 2 : Go back to the work choice.

I got exhausted, no social life wasn't helping. I broke contact with all my high school friends and I have no coworkers around me since I work from home.

Working at the dental office.

I decided to work at the dental office. Since it is related to my future field of study, I thought that it would be a good idea to look at how people work there. I had to decide between two positions there.

Choice 1 : Working at the sterilization part of the clinic.

Choice 2 : Work as a secretary.

Seeing dentists, hygienists and dental assistants every day, got me a lot of good contacts.

Working at the sterilization part of the clinic.

Working at the sterilization spot is really cool. I got to learn how cross-contamination works, how the machinery works, and other things. Until one day, a dentist had a last-minute canal treatment at night. Everyone was going home. He needed an assistant and asked me if I could stay. We ended the treatment successfully. The day after, my boss asked me if I was willing to start on-the-job training as a dental assistant since the dentist was really happy with my work.

Choice 1 : Stay at the sterilization part of the clinic.

Choice 2 : Start on-the-job-training to be a dental assistant.

Working there has pros and cons but it is all worth it for my future career.

Start on-the-job-training to be a dental assistant.

I started to be a dental assistant. I spent my time stressing. I was scared to be embarrassed for not knowing peculiar instruments or other things. One day, the same dentist asked me to assist him with a filling. It was for a seven-year-old boy. I had to choose between an amalgam or composite.

Choice 1 : Use composite.

Choice 2 : Use amalgam.

I have to prepare the operating room so the dentist can start the treatment. Should I prepare amalgam or composite?

Use composite.

I decided to use composite. Unfortunately, the dentist needed an amalgam. Since the boy is seven years old, he doesn't need composite because his milk tooth is going to fall. The dentist was mad at me and started losing hope in me. What should I do?

Choice 1 : Working at the sterilization part of the clinic.

Choice 2 : Get out of the dental office and choose another job.

Fillings can be done with two different materials. Composite is usually used for adults since it is white and is not visible.

Use an amalgam.

I decided to use an amalgam. Fortunately, it was the right choice. The dentist was proud of me and asked me to work more with him. I started to learn a lot about dentistry without even studying it at school. I don't know what to do with this knowledge anymore.

Choice 1 : Stay at the clinic and continue doing on-the-job-training to be a dental assistant.

Choice 2 : Change positions since it is too stressful to work with dentists.

Amalgam is usually used for kids since it's noticeable color. Kid's teeth fall of so the amalgam is going away anyway.

Work as a secretary.

Working as a secretary is pretty calming. However, it is not helpful for my future career. Unfortunately, I get angry patients on the phone rather than learning about teeth.

Choice 1 : Stay in that position and get 0 knowledge about my future field of studies.

Choice 2 : Choose another position to work at the clinic.

Secretaries just spend their time making up the schedule, calling patients and do appointments.

Stay at the clinic and continue doing on-the-job-training to be a dental assistant.

Everything is going well, I am progressing at work and my knowledge about dentistry is increasing.

Choice 1 : Stay at the clinic and continue doing on-the-job-training to be a dental assistant.

Choice 2 : Ruin it all by changing jobs since it's too stressful to work near dentists.

Acquiring knowledge about my future field of study is a huge blessing. Once I get back to school, I will be better than the others.

Choose what I want to study in dentistry.

Dentistry has many branches. I am now hesitating between becoming a dental assistant, dental hygienist, dentist, etc.

Choice 1 : Study to become a dentist.

Choice 2 : Study to become a dental hygienist.

I was hesitating between dentist or hygienist.

Study to become a dentist.

To become a dentist, many studies need to be done. At least 5 years of university and many other years in college. The exams to get into university are not easy either. However, dentists get very good pay and are admired.

Choice 1 : change paths to something easier and study to become a dental hygienist.

Choice 2 : Start the journey to become a dentist.

Becoming a dentist would be nice but the process of getting there is very hard.

Study to become a dental hygienist.

Being a dental hygienist is very nice since it's only 3 years of college. However, the job is repetitive.

Choice 1 : Change paths since I'll get bored cleaning mouths every day.

Choice 2 : Start studying dental hygiene.

Dental hygienist have a high salary and are independent in their schedule. They can chose their hours and patients.

Start the journey to become a dentist.

I decided to apply to become a dentist. Unfortunately, I got rejected from dental school since their grade acceptance is too high.

Choice 1 : Choose something else into dentistry.

Choice 2 : Wait a few years to retake the exam.

Dental school is really strict. The exam that you have to take to get into university is really expensive. If you fail it, you have to wait a few years to take it again.

Start studying dental hygiene.

Studying dental hygiene is amusing. I learn a lot of things including all types of treatments. Dental hygienists are allowed to do some of the treatments that dentists do, such as fillings. So, is it worth it to stay as a dental hygienist and be paid less than dentists when we can do the same?

Choice 1 : Study to become a dentist and get a higher salary.

Choice 2 : Continue studying to become a dental hygienist.

Thinking about the different salaries that I could get.

Wait a few years to retake the exam.

Studying harder than the last time now. I had to pass this exam since I was getting broke from paying $6000 to be a dentist. If I pass it, it would be very good for my future, but I don't know if I can handle the stress.

Choice 1 : Study to become a dental hygienist instead of wasting more money and time.

Choice 2 : Retake the exam to become a dentist.

Should I keep studying and losing hair of stress?

Retake the exam to become a dentist.

I decided to take the exam again. Once sat on my chair, I opened the exam. The first question is ''A 5-year-old little girl pained due to a cavity in the 55th tooth. Would you rather do a canal treatment or an extraction?'' I didn't know what to choose, since both options seemed right to me.

Choice 1 : Choose ''a canal treatment.''

Choice 2 : Choose ''an extraction''

If a cavity is too advanced and touches the root, the patient can feel a very deep pain. Once it touches the root, a canal treatment is required.

Choose ''a canal treatment.''

Wrong answer! Canal treatments are not worth it on a baby tooth since it is going to fall soon. An extraction would be better in this situation. Because of this bad answer, I failed the exam once again.

Choice 1 : Wait a few years to retake the exam AGAIN.

Choice 2 : Study to become a dental hygienist instead.

I have failed the exam once again. Lost time and money.

Choose ''an extraction''

Right answer! Extraction is easier in this situation. The cavity has touched the nerve. However, since it is a baby tooth, it is not worth it to do a canal treatment since the tooth is going to fall. Once we do the extraction, a ''ring'' is used to keep the space for the real tooth to come out.

Choice 1 : Continue studying to be a dentist and get the degree

Choice 2 : Start studying dental hygiene because I cannot handle the same stress anymore.

Extractions are considered as surgeries in the dental field. Might be scary, but usually baby teeth are easy to extract since they are accessible.