Monthly Archives: June 2018

301-Research Proposal

To: Dr. Erika Paterson, ENGL 301 instructor

From: Barbara Dobes, ENGL 301 student BD

Date: June 13, 2018

Subject: Proposal for implementing Air-Flow tooth polishing at Laurelwood Dental Hygiene Inc.

Introduction

Extrinsic tooth stains are the unwanted result of consuming coffee, tea, red wine and blueberries as well as smoking cigars, cigarettes and hookah. Dental patients are concerned with the esthetic outcome of the professional tooth cleaning and that includes the efficient removal of stain. Stain removal by the dental hygienist should be effective, should not cause damage to the tooth surface or increase dentinal hypersensitivity and stain should be adequately removed.

Statement of Problem

The dental hygiene practice currently uses prophy paste and the rubber cup polishing technique to remove stains from their patients’ teeth.  Hand scalers and ultrasonic scalers are also used to remove stain but when the stains are heavy or covering more than 30% of the tooth surface, removing the stain is very labor intensive. Patients with moderate to heavy staining are dissatisfied with the current method of tooth polishing to remove stain.  The problem is twofold.  First prophy paste does not adequately remove stain without the inherent risk of causing or increasing dental hypersensitivity and secondly stain removal can be very labour intensive for the clinician.

Proposed Solution

A possible solution would be the incorporation of the  Air-Flow by Hu-Friedy using glycine powder and air to effectively remove stains from tooth surfaces.  This polishing system efficiently removes extrinsic tooth stain without increasing dentinal sensitivity.

Scope

To assess the feasibility of incorporating the Air-Flow air polisher into the recare examination, I plan to pursue the following areas of inquiry:

  1. What are the clinicians’ experiences with the current system of stain removal regarding efficiency and tooth sensitivity.
  2. Is the Air-Flow an effective alternative to the traditional stain removal techniques.
  3. What are the contraindications for using Air-Flow.
  4. How long does it take to learn how to use the Air-Flow system
  5. What is the initial investment of the Hu-Friedy Air-Flow polishing system

Methods

My sources of data will include contacting a Hu-Friedy sales representative. I will conduct a survey of other independent practicing dental hygienist in my area, in order to determine their usage of air-polishing for dental stain removal. I will also examine online sources of the current peer-reviewed literature to supplement my sources of data.

My Qualifications

I am a registered dental hygienist practicing in a private dental clinic for 5 years.  I have attended several seminars examining the benefits of the Hu Friedy Air-Flow system. In addition to having an Honours Degree  in Psychology I am a student in the Dental Hygiene Degree Completion Program at the University of British Columbia.  My educational experiences have provided several research opportunities through the completion of several projects and assignments.

Conclusion

It is evident that the current method of dental stain removal provides less than adequate results and carries the potential to increase the incidence of tooth sensitivity.   Clinicians are frequently faced with the challenge of satisfying the patient and not causing harm.  I can determine if the incorporation of the Air-Flow by Hu-Friedy is a feasible solution by following up on the 5 areas of inquiry listed above.  I am prepared to research this immediately upon your approval.

 

MEMO for Research Proposal

MEMORANDUM

To: Dr. Erika Paterson, English 301 Instructor
From: Barbara Dobes, English 301 Student BD
Date: June 13, 2018
Subject: ENGL 301 Research Proposal for Formal Report

In compliance with the fulfillment of the requirements for the assignment in Unit 2.1, I have drafted and posted my research proposal on the student group blog.  I have outlined a summary of the proposal for your review.

Patients desire to have that perfect smile that includes teeth free from stains.  The dental hygienists at Laurelwood Dental Hygiene Inc. work diligently as they strive to remove  unsightly dental stain without increasing dental hypersensitivity for their patients.  In order to demonstrate the value of adding a different type of tooth polishing technique to the current armamentarium my proposal will include the following:

  • Information about the challenges of removing dental stain
  • Possible solutions to achieve stain removal without increasing tooth hypersensitivity
  • Areas of inquiry to inform recommendations
  • Sources of data and information about stain removal techniques
  • Outline of my qualifications

In conclusion, I believe this is a worthwhile line of inquiry to pursue in order that we may provide our patients with the best possible care.  Thank you for taking the time to read this memo and my proposal which is attached. Please feel free to contact me for any questions or concerns.

Enclosures: 301-Research Proposal-Barbara Dobes

Unit 1 Reflections

While working through the lessons in Unit 1 of English 301 I encountered some  technological challenges.  Consequently, I needed to consult the FAQ pages for the UBC Blogs, as well as the course outline and textbook for further instruction and guidance.  I also had to differentiate the process of placing a  link to a word document and a hyperlink to a webpage in my blog.  I did a lot of experimenting and subsequent viewing of the blog to see if I was successful.  Eventually, I was able to include the link to the word document as well as the hyperlink to the peer review I received.   I also had some practice creating a letter of application, email invitations to classmates to form a writing team and writing a memo to the professor. The final assignment included writing definitions in 3 different formats, providing a review for one of my peer’s definitions and the final edited version of the assignment.

Original writing

As I set out to choose a specialized term for my definitions assignment, I asked myself what is a term I often encounter in my dental hygiene practice?  I settled on the dental term bruxism because I educate at least one client per day about this condition.   When I completed the initial draft of the document I was sure that there was more than enough information and that the images I selected supported the definitions.  However, one of the images really didn’t help to explain the concept of clenching and grinding and the expanded definition needed more explanation.

Peer-review process

I was very happy to receive the peer review of my definitions so that I could see the weaknesses, deficiencies  or sources of confusion for the reader.  I received valuable feedback for improving my document. Writing the peer review for my classmate was somewhat stressful since I wanted to provide feedback with a balance of positive encouragement and constructive critiquing while remaining diplomatic.  I was concerned that I may inadvertently insult my team member.  So I struggled somewhat with the wording used in the peer review.  Eventually, I was able to provide the feedback on their definitions.  As I become more comfortable with this process I believe it will become easier.

Editing process

The editing process was very instructive.   I added some additional information and changed one of the images since the original image was a bit confusing for the reader.  I enjoyed the editing process especially because of the additional ideas provided through the peer review.  I believe these changes achieved the goals of improving  the readability of the definitions document.  The editing process has demonstrated the utility of  independent evaluation as well as the value of writing several drafts before arriving at the final document.

Conclusions

Throughout this unit, I have learned some valuable new skills.  The initial hurdle was creating my blog, then adding pages, posts, widgets, and hyperlinks.  Through my persistence, I achieved all of these.  Additionally, I was able to work through the challenges of the original writing assignment, participate in the peer review process, incorporate my peer’s suggestions in the edited version of the definitions and learn to give and receive constructive feedback in a professional manner.  It has been a great experience so far!!

 

301 definition assignment instruction

My edited defintions

My peer review

 

Peer Review-Received

My Peer Review

Peer review from Stephen Lui for my definitions document

Hi Barbra,
I reviewed your assignment of definition. Good job on the definition. Your definitions are clear and neat. However, I think the causes of nocturnal bruxism is a little bit lacking. With a more detailed causes would give the readers a clearer idea on the term.

Name of the Reviewer: Steven Lui

Author’s Name: Barbra Dobes

Title of the Expanded Definition: Nocturnal Bruxism

Initial Impressions:  After my first time reading the article, I understand most of the material. The only thing I do not understand is in the picture of bruxism, the way of the teeth clenching up and down was a little bit confusing.

Purpose: The purpose of the definition was clearly and neatly defined. All parts of the documents are closely related to the intended purpose. However, more details for the causes of nocturnal bruxism will provide a greater insight for the readers.

Audience:  As an audience without any dental knowledge, I found myself very easy to understand what nocturnal bruxism. In the sentence definition, the whole nocturnal bruxism process is clearly explained with simple and non-specific words. Jargon was not used in the article, so It is easier for audience without any dental knowledge to understand the article.

Organization: For the structure of the document, the introduction clearly described the reason of writing the definition of the term. The body includes multiple definition for the term. Adding a conclusion for the term might be helpful to explain the term to audience. One of the visual is a little bit confusing as the picture did not clearly illustrate how the clenching of the teeth actually works. Methods of expansion are used in the document, the causation of nocturnal bruxism, the meaning the two words, what can be done afterwards and the results of nocturnal bruxism are used as the expansion of the definition.

Addition comments: I think a little bit more in depth information for the causes of nocturnal bruxism would greatly help improving the documents. The results of nocturnal bruxism is the most effective element of this document, it is because bullet point of the result are clear and easy to understand. The word choice used are simple and the visual helped the audience to understand the whole term.

 

301 ASSGN 1-3 definitions first draft  

Peer Review-Imparted

Name of the Reviewer:  Barbara Dobes

Author’s Name:  Kevin Kang

Title of the Expanded Definition:  Restriction Endonuclease

Hi Kevin,

Thank you for the document defining  restriction endonuclease.  This very specific term definitely requires defining as most novice readers would not have exposure to such complex biological terminology.

Initial Impressions

The purpose of this peer review is to assist you in creating a great document.  After reading through your definitions, it is evident that you have provided a lot of information in an easy to follow layout.  Some of your chosen wording seems too complex so I have provided some suggestions to help you simplify the language.

Comments about Purpose

You have succeeded in writing a very informative document with a clear focus on the subject chosen.

Comments about Audience

 Some of your chosen wording and phrases may be too complex for the novice reader.

Recommended Changes

 In the parenthetical definition you use the word “cleave” and “sequences.” A novice reader may be challenged by these words so I would recommend using a synonym for  cleave  such as cut or break, and another synonym for sequences such as chain or order.

The brief history of endonuclease seems to use language that is too complex for the target audience.  For example,  in paragraph 4 sentence 1 it states that the 2 types of endonucleases are  attributed to research in bacteria.  I’m not really sure what that means. So are you able to think of a simpler way to express this such as “was the result of” or “came out of”. In sentence 3 there is reference to mapping a virus and losing biological activity.  This appears to be very specific biology language and I am not really sure that this helps to promote the understanding of the definition of restriction endonucleases. I believe that for individuals with a biology background this is very straightforward, but for someone from a different discipline it makes it very difficult to understand. You have chosen a very difficult concept to define.

 Jargon use in the definition

 There has been the inclusion of some jargon that detracts from the readability of your document.  I would recommend that you try using simpler terminology in your expanded definition and avoiding complex terminology.   For example you mention palindromic DNA, recombinant DNA and transfect E. Coli. These are very specific words for a specialized area of study and not commonly understood by the novice reader. Are you able to adopt a different approach for the expanded definition so that you don’t have to include this specialized language.  For example, you have included a lot of detail about the visual representation/image, but does it really enhance the understanding for the reader?

 Organization

The definitions document is well laid out and has good flow.  The image placement in the middle of the definition helps to break-up the paragraphs giving the document a more user friendly feel.

References

 The references do not appear to be in MLA or APA style.  I recommend that you consult Purdue OWL on the internet. I have found this website very helpful for APA style of referencing and in text citations.

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/2/

I commend you for the solid start to this project. With some corrections and modifications you will  create a great document,  I trust that these recommendations will inspire and assist you.   Please feel free to contact me if you have any further questions.

Sincerely,

Barbara