When I arrived at Westgate Animal Clinic in the fall of 2023, I had done two dental procedures in the previous two years.
I LOVE dental procedures.
Pulling teeth is NOT like riding a bike, nor had anyone told me it was. I guess I had just HOPED it was. Sensing my frustration with myself as I elevated and held a stubborn root, Dr. Petersen said, “You just gotta do a thousand more extractions, then you’ll feel comfortable with dentistry again.”
So as whatever the opposite of any normal person is would do, I started a chart.
Maybe four more years to one thousand extractions? Woo!
Bre the Amazing Technician (she just had her name legally changed - no word of a lie) has walked with me through every dental procedure I have done here. Fun fact - the techs do ALL the work.
I have been seeking out educational opportunities and surrounding myself with The Good Team of Westgate, from whom I have learned tons. And remembering lessons past from all the great veterinary team members I have worked with and every wonderful dental patient of years gone by. Probably have to brush up on cat dentistry at some point. I certainly hope so!
As if the Universe were looking favorably on me, our most recent Nebraska Academy of Veterinary Medicine speaker was a dental specialist, Dr. Brenda Mulherin of Iowa State University. And she was so good. Who doesn’t love a specialty whose members’ whole careers are almost entirely focused on relieving pain?
I am loving being immersed once again in canine dentistry, righting the wrongs of time and bone chewing and genetics and plaque. No specialist stuff - just the plain old general practice of relieving pain one beautiful, often ancient dog (also a passion of mine) at a time.
Onward and upward, elevator in hand :)