MEL Medicine is a monthly subscription box for kids 14-99+ that includes exciting hands-on kits designed to bring Med School home. Certified safe and packed with professional medical tools, this kit is filled with experiments, procedures, and discoveries for the whole family.
This month we reviewed the Dentistry: Orthodontics kit from MEL Medicine.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes.)
MEL Medicine: Dentistry: Orthodontics
For those new here, I am an educator and mom, and love supplementing at-home learning into my kids' public school education. That being said, I was absolutely thrilled to receive a surprise shipment of the MEL Medicine boxes for Hank and I to try out. While Hank is a couple of years short of the intended age, (he's almost 12, when this is geared towards 14 and up), he was really excited to work on his kit. After his Dentistry: Caries experience, he was kind of "digging" the world of dentistry and was excited to see what the world of orthodontics might hold.
Not only was Hank excited to receive this kit in the mail, but he really appreciated the professional tools inside. Paired with the app, we couldn't wait to see where this month's theme would take us. Read below to find out what we discovered.
MEL Medicine "Dentistry: Orthodontics"
In this month's box, we were provided with the materials to perform a mix of 6 case studies/procedures. MEL Medicine utilizes their app for instructions, so you will have to download it for a guide.
Supplies
Full disclosure: I received this box before I received the Dentistry: Caries box. I soon discovered that to complete this kit, you need items from the other box to be able to do all of the procedures, so I put this one on hold until I received the other necessary box. When you sign up for this subscription, you should receive these in order, but realize that some kits do build off of each other.
Orthodontics Supplies
Like the previous kits we have received, this one too comes with professional quality tools. Not only did we receive x-rays, but all of the supplies needed to create jaw impressions and plaster casts! (With the help of the Dental: Caries box of course!) Here you can see everything you will receive in the Orthodontics box.
Procedure #1 Internship Orthodontics
To start off this months kit, Hank read through the information on the box, and opened up the kit. Seeing all of the included parts and pieces got him excited, and he declared that he truly felt like an orthodontist! After becoming familiar with all of the components, we jumped on the app and started learning about how to take a patient's history. Using the included case history and set of cards, Hank went through and listened to the included lecture and learned what information is important, and what is not. This was a great introduction, and Hank learned a lot in just a few minutes!
Procedure #2 X-Ray Evaluation
The first procedure Hank had to complete was an X-ray evaluation. Using the dental cards, negatoscope, and X-rays, he first listened to a lecture about the process of an X-ray, and learned about what a normal tooth radiograph would look like. Utilizing the app, he discovered how dental problems like tooth decay, abscesses, and periodontitis show up on an X-ray. After reading through the procedure on the app, Hank turned on the negatoscope and took a look at the provided X-rays. He was able to identify that Patient #1 had a root canal treatment and dental restorations, which was pretty impressive!
Procedure #3 Alginate Impression
The next procedure is where the excitement started. Hank read through the instructions and watched the video to create the Aliginate Impressions and we still had a bit of a hard time. This stuff hardens fast - like faster than the video even says, so you need to work very quickly. We were prepared for this, but Hank still mixed too slow and the impression was a little wonky looking. We did receive a second bag of the alginate, which we actually had to use below for a second mishap. Eekkk!! Anyways, once the impression was made, we set it aside for a later procedure.
Procedure #4 Silicone Impression
The next procedure was to create a silicone impression. This is the most accurate dental impression material available to date, and it helps dentists with various dental procedures, so Hank was excited to try it out. Looking less messy than the Aliginate version, this included two small containers to mix. These containers contained the silicone base and catalyst. Again, you must work fast to combine! Hank started out doing a great job, but soon found out that he placed the tray on the upper teeth instead of the lower teeth. Even though it was only for a minute, the silicone hardened and the impression was ruined. At this point, we were freaking out because the next procedure needs the set of impressions, but soon realized we had received an extra bag of the Aliginate, so created a lower version of that. Phew!
Procedure #5 Dental Cast
Uffda.... after our silicone disaster, I was hoping things would get back on track, but as you can see by the photos, we struggled with the dental cast as well. I know this box is geared towards kiddos 14+ and that Hank isn't at that age yet, but even with my direct assistance we struggled with this part.
After listening to the lecture, we read through the instructions before starting the cast. We started mixing one package of the dental cast mixture because it only showed one in the picture. Turns out, we needed both. (That really needs to be added to the directions!) Once we figured that out, we filled the impressions using the spatula and brush.
Next, we added the rest to the top and placed the remaining gypsum in the trays. Placing the filled impressions in the trays, we waited 10 minutes and tried removing the excess plaster. At this point, it was crumbling off, and I knew we were in for it. We waited the 24 hours and took it out to find that it didn't turn out very well. Hank's part crumbled completely leaving hardly any teeth, and mine had some parts okay, and others that were missing. I think it's safe to say we aren't cut out to be orthodontists! Yikes!
Procedure #6 Patient Diagnosis
The last procedure utilizes the dentistry cards and had Hank diagnosis a patient. He read through the case and "talked" to the patient. After the physical exam, he reviewed the ROS, looked at the lab results, and diagnosed her with "jaw dislocation due to improper bite" and was correct!
Final Thoughts - Was This Box Worth It?
Phew, this box was a tough one! After a wonderful Dentistry: Caries box, Hank wasn't really interested in being a dentist at that point, but thought it was really fun drilling out cavities and filling them! Taking it a step further this month with Orthodontics was a little too much for him (and me!) While our procedures didn't go quite as we had hoped, we both learned a lot and had fun trying out the dental impressions and casts. While mistakes were made on our part, there are some directions that could use clarification. Overall though, the procedures were well thought out, informative, and pertinent to the field of Orthodontics.
I also want to note that there are always additional experiments that you can do online with these boxes if your child is so inclined. I have downloaded the app and have found a ton of extra experiments, awards, AR and VR opportunities, and more! Check it out!
The Cost: Subscriptions start at $59.90 for a six month subscription or $64.90 for a single box.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Yes, this box is still available. From MEL Medicine:
"Your first package will arrive within 2 weeks of registration. Subsequent monthly packages will be delivered within 2 weeks of each monthly charge."
What do you think of MEL Medicine? Let us know below!
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