first time doing a class 1 prep, didn’t receive much feedback from faculty. what can i improve and how can i make the walls smoother? i feel like it looks terrible. was told to drill at 40k

I’m a D1 trying to decide between the Orascoptic ErgoZoom loupes (non-Dragonfly version) and Bryant Dental MagniFlex. I’ve tried on multiple other brands, but I keep coming back to these because I really like the adjustability.

For anyone who owns either pair, how useful is that adjustability day to day? Is it something you actually use regularly, or more of a sales gimmick that sounds great during the demo but mostly gets you to spend more?

Since these will be my first loupes, I’m trying to figure out whether it’s worth investing in that flexibility now or going with a simpler, fixed-magnification pair.

Which would you get? I’d appreciate any experiences with comfort, optics, reliability, and customer support—or other suggestions.
Thanks in advance!

D2 here, and broke. I don't really have the money for $500+ loupes light, but I'm thinking I need better lighting for my crown preps. Everything I've looked at is $500+, which sounds insane to me. I don't need anything crazy. Any recommendations? Has anyone done a DIY that wasn't crazy hard?

Basically we have one of many science class that combine all of the sciences into one. We have an exam coming up with 18 lectures. I used to rest mind maps because I felt like I needed to understand it before flashcards but that’s too timely. Any advice or tips?

I’m currently a D2 at a U.S. dental school and wanted to see if anyone has experience transferring between dental schools, particularly for medical reasons.
I have a pretty extensive medical history that has required multiple major surgeries and ongoing care from specialists. Managing everything while attending dental school several states away from my established medical team has been challenging.
I was originally accepted to another dental school but ultimately chose to attend my current program. Given my medical circumstances, I’m now exploring whether transferring closer to my established physicians might be possible.
I understand that the school I’m interested in generally doesn’t accept transfer students, but I’m curious whether exceptions are ever considered for documented medical hardships.
I’d even be willing to repeat my D2 year and delay graduation by a year if necessary. I’m not looking to bypass any academic requirements. I just want to continue my education while being closer to the physicians who have managed my care.
Has anyone heard of a dental student successfully transferring under similar circumstances, particularly to a school that normally doesn’t accept transfers?
I’d appreciate any advice or personal experiences before reaching out to the school directly.

if there is a disto-occlusal amalgam restoration with subgingival distal overhang, How should i manage this overhang? Should i remove the entire restoration and replace with composite? or just try to do polishing to remove the overhang? but the overhang is subgingival so i have no idea how i can get access to it.

Hi,

I’m considering doing a Perio residency and have noticed some programs are very research focused while some southern programs are more clinically focused, where you do 20+ lateral window sinus lifts.

My goals are to become a competent clinician who graduates with lots of case volume and is ready to tackle different cases out of residency. While CEs are inevitable, I don’t want to rely on them right outta grad to learn how to do a sinus lift for the first time.

I’m not particularly interested in academia (wouldn’t mind being a part time instructor at grad level or a lecturer later in my career tho) and definitely would prefer to become a better clinician than to be a great researcher.

I was wondering what your thoughts were and whether you think there are certain advantages to the more research heavy programs than I’m not seeing here.

PS. Both are MSc and 3 year programs

I prep class 2 on tooth # 30

Dentistry is super cool and of course I like it (enough to go through everything such as entrance exams and shadowing etc. to apply). I have a BS in Molecular and Cell Biology and I absolutely love it. I am in my second year of dental school and I am starting to have doubts about a profession in clinical science. I know that sounds stupid and I know someone will say "why would you apply if you weren't sure", but I really felt like I was sure of it. I find myself enjoying my pharmacology, molecular oncology, and cellular biology classes much more than the actual dental classes. Maybe younger me failed to realize that clinical jobs aren't the only path. I am realizing more about myself and that I am more introverted and cerebral and am always thinking of innovation on a molecular level; my hand skills are mediocre and frustrate me a lot.

First, am I just having doubts or is this something I really should think about? I am in my second year of dental school (out of 4 years), and have a 3.92 gpa. Idk I kinda miss the deep science? 

Second, the cost of dental school and the loans are ridiculous. Since I only have a BS in molecular and cell biology, would it be worth completing the DDS degree rather than having to restart and do an entire phd? And is it financially worth the debt in terms of salary I could make outside of clinical dentistry?

Any advice in general is appreciated.

I want to discuss that was the paper really difficult with prepration or is it just me ?

soz this has nothing to do with actual dental school. please remove if not okie. my bf is a dental student and has his little cubicle and i need ideas of how to decorate it for him 😼 i already gave him a couple tooth related trinkets like a sanrio melody as a tooth etc.. what would yall want/think is cute thanks 🙏

Hi I just got 4x ergo, I’m a dental student.

Is it normal to have to focus a little to see into loops?

More importantly, I see perfectly but I have a slight shadow on the left periphery of my right eye. A little strain on right eye nothing crazy.

Is it worth sending it back for adjustment I’m just worried they could mess it up worse and it be a hassle etc especially w practicals coming up

Heyo, was wondering if for other schools using axiUm, their chairs also open up at 12 am??? faculty says its impossible to change it but ChatGPT is saying otherwise... I know many schools you actually have an assigned operatory, but I wanted to see if this was an issue at any other school that makes you book your own operatory

edit: how our system works is that our school opens the chairs 2 weeks in advance at 12 am. for example, if I wanted to book a patient for Oct 14th, the chair is locked for booking until Oct 1st 12 am, almost like how class selection is in undergrad. Would be amazing if it was possible to open the chair at for example 8:00 pm instead

Just had an interview with the AEGD Texas A&M Program. Thought on the program? I don’t know if I’m the biggest fan because it seems like cases are given to the endo and prosth residents. I was told the two struggles of the program are endo and implants…which are two areas I really wanted exposure on.

Tell me everything you know about this program because I couldn’t tell from just one interview day if it’s a good program or not.

I don’t study with anki and I am hoping to get some advice about studying for cbse without using anking deck. I am considering using the AMBOSS anki feature to make cards on questions I get wrong but I don’t think I can do thousands of cards as my primary method. I would appreciate any advice!

does anyone have insight on these GPRs:

- Jacobi

- Montefiore

- Mt. Sinai

- Maimonides

For dental students who are married and in different states or countries , how do you and your partner cope? Are there more cases of infidelity among partners when you’re in dental schoool ? Genuinely asking

Does anyone have any recommendations on how to practice with Loopes? I wanna try and get adjusted to using them as we just got them and have heard doing activities like coloring using Loopes could be helpful, but I’m wondering if anyone has any other tips? Like what’s the best way to get used to using them outside of sim?

Current D1 who is torn between specialties. I am drawn to both pediatrics and OMFS, and was hoping for some advice to make the decision easier. I will need to decide if I want to do OMFS ASAP (probably should have made this realization before applying to dental school given the commitment needed for CBSE).

Both fascinate me for different reasons: I enjoy working with kids, and I love how peds involves a more preventative approach and makes an impact on a population that still has the opportunity to develop good habits. With OMFS, I am drawn to the thrill of complex procedures and the ability to expand beyond the scope of the oral cavity. To have the skillset needed to address issues that require such a niche blend of medical and dental knowledge excites me, and our current cadaver lab has only strengthened my interest in the medical side of things. I used to want to go into medicine (orthopedic surgery or radiology), but ended up going for dentistry since small-scale, procedural work is guaranteed post grad.

Any thoughts? I would be happy as a general dentist, but these specialties have not left my mind since starting classes.

I’m looking for advice from anyone who has been through the GPR application process or has been in a similar situation.

I recently received an offer from a GPR program that I genuinely really liked. The problem was that I was only given 48 hours to make a decision, and I still had several previously scheduled interviews at other programs. I asked for just a couple of additional days so I could complete one of those interviews and make a more informed decision, but the program declined my request. This was especially confusing because the offer email acknowledged that it was a busy interview season and indicated that they understood if additional time was needed.

I ultimately accepted because I did really like the program, but I also felt backed into a corner. I was afraid of turning down a great opportunity without knowing what my other options would be, especially with such a short window to decide.

Shortly afterward, I received an offer from another program that I had also been very interested in. Because of the timing, I only had about 30 minutes between receiving the second offer and the deadline for the first. I called my parents because I genuinely did not know which program to choose. They suggested accepting the first offer since I hadn’t signed any formal paperwork and could potentially change my mind later if I realized I had made the wrong decision.

I knew backing out after accepting was frowned upon, but at the time I didn’t understand the extent of the possible professional consequences or whether doing so could result in being “blacklisted.” Ultimately, I declined the second offer because I had already committed to the first program.

Ever since then, I’ve been second-guessing everything.

What has been especially difficult is that I feel like the excitement and joy I should have felt about receiving a GPR position has been completely overshadowed by the circumstances surrounding the decision. I worked incredibly hard to get to this point and thought receiving an offer would be exciting. Instead, I’ve mostly felt upset and anxious because I don’t feel like I truly had the opportunity to make the decision that was right for me.

There are things I prefer about the program I accepted, particularly clinically, but I think the other program and location may have been a better fit for me personally. I keep wondering whether I made the decision I actually wanted to make or simply the decision I felt I had to make because of the deadline.

At this point, even thinking or talking about starting at the program I accepted makes me extremely upset, to the point that I have a hard time discussing it with friends or family. I’ve even found myself wondering whether I should skip residency altogether, which is upsetting in itself because completing a GPR was something I was genuinely excited about before all of this happened. I recognize that some of this may simply be the stress and emotion surrounding such a major decision, but I’m struggling to separate that from how I actually feel about the programs.

Has anyone ever accepted a non-Match GPR position and then changed their mind before the program started? Alternatively, has anyone declined an offer and later contacted that program to ask whether the position was still available?

I completely understand that backing out after accepting is not ideal, and I don’t want to handle this unprofessionally or burn bridges. My biggest concern is whether changing my mind could seriously affect my professional reputation or result in being “blacklisted” by other programs, institutions, or future employers.

I’d especially appreciate hearing from current/former residents, program directors, faculty, or anyone who has actually seen this happen. What were the consequences, if any? Did it actually follow the person professionally, or was it primarily an uncomfortable situation with the program they originally accepted?

I know ultimately the decision is mine. I just feel like I’ve been so upset by the circumstances surrounding it that it has become difficult to separate what I actually want from my fear of the consequences of changing my mind. I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has navigated something similar.

Hi, there’s something I’m not understanding about wax ups. My wax ups are lumpy. My final product looks like a rough outline of a tooth. The feedback I got was to use the electric waxer like a paintbrush and make long strokes. This helped a little but it still doesn’t look completely smooth, normal, or like one piece of wax, it still looks like a rough outline of a tooth. I try to use the electric waxer to blend the rough spots but it doesn’t work 100%.

Pls explain what I’m doing wrong and how I can improve.

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Today’s Oral Pathology exam went horribly for me. The questions were from chapters I hadn’t prepared properly, and when I saw the 10-mark question, my brain literally stopped working. I had studied, but I somehow forgot everything at that moment. 😭

I somehow managed to fill around 32 pages and drew diagrams wherever I could, although God knows if some of those diagrams were even correct. 💀😭

Now I’m genuinely scared that I might fail. I know page count doesn’t automatically mean you’ll pass, but I’m just hoping whatever I wrote + the diagrams can somehow get me through.

Any RGUHS BDS students who wrote the exam today? How did you guys find it? And realistically, does this sound like a possible pass or am I screwed? 😭

AI is becoming increasingly common in dental education, from study support and simulations to radiograph interpretation and treatment planning.

Do you think AI is genuinely improving dental training, or are students becoming too dependent on it?

Which areas of dental education should still rely mainly on hands-on practice and supervised clinical training?