This morning I was able to see my peer-pal's mother again. This marks exactly 3 months since her last cleaning. She has impeccable oral hygiene and really probably doesn't need to be seen sooner than 6 months, but it makes her feel good to be checked regularly. She mentioned today that she will have to have 2 of her implants removed because I told her to visit her oral surgeon to have them checked. She said her oral surgeon took a pano and thought everything looked fine. She mentioned that I got a 9mm and 6mm pocket in some area around these implants, so he checked to make sure he was able to get the same readings. Sure enough, he was able to get deep pocket readings that made him concerned. He said the implants need to come out and may not be able to be replaced. She mentioned she has nerve issues on this side of her mouth which may be caused from the implants sitting on the nerve according to her oral surgeon. When she came in today to get her teeth cleaned, my professor checked her and noticed there was no mobility in any direction which made him wonder what the bone levels look like today. I took a PA x-ray and things look similar to what they were in January when the other x-rays were taken. I printed them off for her and told her to take those x-rays with her to her appointment. She was grateful for all the help we were able to give her today during her appointment. I was able to clean her teeth quickly and learn a lot about implants, mobility, and x-rays. This morning was a great learning experience which had nothing really to do with dental hygiene. I love moments like these that help me learn a little beyond my scope of practice to educate my patients with other things.
This afternoon I was able to see a man who was a patient of one of my classmates. She said his wife wanted him to be seen but she didn't have a plan on how to have him in before Christmas. This worked out really well for me and for her. I was able to relieve her of this burden and have a patient in my chair since the one I had scheduled cancelled last minute. It was a really quick appointment. He has been seen here at the clinic many many times so his chart was full, and I just had to review a few things with him and get started. He had great home care so there wasn't much to discuss in the way of oral hygiene instruction. This seems to be that kind of patient I will see as a perio maintenance appointment (I hope!). Things went really smooth for my last day of clinic this semester. I couldn't have asked for a better couple of patients and easy way to end the semester.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Week 14- Thursday November 29, 2012
This morning patient was the best patient I could've asked for MY HUSBAND! He came in today knowing he would miss a duck hunt with my brother but promised me that he would help me out with my requirements and PEs. I was able to use the diagnodent which is a caries finder on some of his teeth. This detected a few cavities in his back molars :( I had him do the Caries Risk Assessment which shows how acidic his saliva is. This test was so gross to watch! He had to spit in a cup, I had to count how long it took to have his lip develop beads of saliva, and I had to test the pH of his saliva. I'm so glad I was able to do this test on my husband instead of a stranger because it is uncomfortable for the patient to do and for me to watch. I was also able to use the Velscope and take a look at his mouth. This is a machine that shows dysplasia of the oral mucosa. Sure enough, the small area that I was looking at had a little dysplasia. My professor encouraged him to see an Oral Surgeon for a biopsy of the tissue to make sure it's benign. Before I even probed or scaled, I already knew so much about things in my husband's mouth. Dentistry is really amazing! My husband asked me if I could pass off my N2O on him today. I asked my professor and he said sure :) What a good husband! that means I was able to pass off 4 PEs and get his mouth cleaned. This morning was a great time to get things done! I have such great support! I love him for it :)
This afternoon I saw a patient I saw at Midtown Dental Clinic for a few sealants. I was able to do all but one and then let one of my friends come in and do one while I did a pano for her. It was nice to do a sealant on such a good kid! He held perfectly still and held his tongue down and out of the way. He was super easy to work with :) Once I was done with his sealants, I dismissed him and saw one more patient. The second patient I was able to see was my neighbor's son. He was very curious and wiggly! I was able to take a pano on him to make sure all of his teeth were coming in properly. He had an anterior cross-bite, so with the help of my professor, I encouraged my friend to take her son to the orthodontist for a consultation. She was thankful for the cleaning and the pano x-ray I took to see how things were developing, so she could take him to the orthodontist before things get bad. Seeing kids is always an adventure. Some are really easy to see and cooperate well. Others are a bit more of a challenge. They are wiggly, curious, and/or nervous and won't cooperate. I'm grateful for the opportunity I have to see all types of patients!
This afternoon I saw a patient I saw at Midtown Dental Clinic for a few sealants. I was able to do all but one and then let one of my friends come in and do one while I did a pano for her. It was nice to do a sealant on such a good kid! He held perfectly still and held his tongue down and out of the way. He was super easy to work with :) Once I was done with his sealants, I dismissed him and saw one more patient. The second patient I was able to see was my neighbor's son. He was very curious and wiggly! I was able to take a pano on him to make sure all of his teeth were coming in properly. He had an anterior cross-bite, so with the help of my professor, I encouraged my friend to take her son to the orthodontist for a consultation. She was thankful for the cleaning and the pano x-ray I took to see how things were developing, so she could take him to the orthodontist before things get bad. Seeing kids is always an adventure. Some are really easy to see and cooperate well. Others are a bit more of a challenge. They are wiggly, curious, and/or nervous and won't cooperate. I'm grateful for the opportunity I have to see all types of patients!
Week 13- Thursday November 22, 2012
Today is THANKSGIVING! It was a great day to spend with family and friends. Stephen was able to go duck hunting with Josh, my dad, and some friends. He was able to shoot a prize Widgeon duck and plans to mount it for his "Man Cave". We had Thanksgiving dinner with his family at his Mom's house. It was a good day to relax and be with those who matter most. :)
Week 12- Thursday November 15, 2012
Week 12 was very exciting!!
My first patient was a lady I was able to screen at Midtown in May for a Women's Health Clinic. For some reason when I took her information down, I starred her name and wrote "BOARD" next to it. I knew I wanted to see her and remembered her husband was interested in having her come to WSU for a dental cleaning. When I tried scheduling her, I struggled because she speaks only Spanish. I coordinated an appointment with her husband and then they cancelled a couple days prior because she was nervous about the language barrier. I can understand, but it still was very frustrating. Needless to say, I am very thankful that they rescheduled because I probably would have used her for my Mock Board experience. God works in mysterious ways! :) Yep that's right! My patient had enough calculus to be my Board patient! WAHOO!! This was super exciting to me, but I felt bad that I couldn't get anything but x-rays and the PD completed for her today. Her husband responded positively to boards, but really wanted some part of her teeth cleaned that day. I wish I could've done something more, but I just couldn't. I was able to reschedule her in January to see her for half of her mouth and then I will see her for boards. This is a huge relief and a big step for my future! I am so thankful that things really do work out and all is well!
My afternoon patient was my Mock Board patient returning to have the last quad of his mouth cleaned. I scheduled him for an hour and got him all cleaned up and out in time and was able to administer a couple local anesthesia injections. He was very thankful to be seen and know his mouth is clean. I was able to encourage him to continue with the home care that he has been learning each time he comes in for his cleaning. It's exciting to see someone have interest in the education you give them and see it work for them! His wife was very sweet to work with since he speaks on Spanish. They want to brighten their smiles with bleach trays and were inquiring about that at this appointment. I was able to tell them about a fundraiser we will be doing as a program with bleach trays at a discounted price. He seemed interested in this!
My second afternoon patient was a returning Class III patient to have the remaining two quads cleaned. He had some sensitivity that I was able to control with a few local anesthesia injections which was a nice review of how to administer some since it had been a little while since I gave local anesthesia. My patient spoke some English but mostly Spanish. The first time I saw him I was able to provide an interpreter to make him feel comfortable and understand the whole process of the cleaning. The other good part about today was that my peer-pal was able to be involved since it was her Senior Observation day. She got to meet my patients and let them know that would be seeing her after I graduate. This was encouraging for her and comforting for my patients.
Overall, today was a great day for me to practice my scaling and improve my speed and prepare for boards by finding my board patient (WAHOO!). It was a good experience for my peer-pal to see what clinic is like and know she will have reliable patients next year. My patients were able to have their teeth cleaned and get their mouth back to health.
My first patient was a lady I was able to screen at Midtown in May for a Women's Health Clinic. For some reason when I took her information down, I starred her name and wrote "BOARD" next to it. I knew I wanted to see her and remembered her husband was interested in having her come to WSU for a dental cleaning. When I tried scheduling her, I struggled because she speaks only Spanish. I coordinated an appointment with her husband and then they cancelled a couple days prior because she was nervous about the language barrier. I can understand, but it still was very frustrating. Needless to say, I am very thankful that they rescheduled because I probably would have used her for my Mock Board experience. God works in mysterious ways! :) Yep that's right! My patient had enough calculus to be my Board patient! WAHOO!! This was super exciting to me, but I felt bad that I couldn't get anything but x-rays and the PD completed for her today. Her husband responded positively to boards, but really wanted some part of her teeth cleaned that day. I wish I could've done something more, but I just couldn't. I was able to reschedule her in January to see her for half of her mouth and then I will see her for boards. This is a huge relief and a big step for my future! I am so thankful that things really do work out and all is well!
My afternoon patient was my Mock Board patient returning to have the last quad of his mouth cleaned. I scheduled him for an hour and got him all cleaned up and out in time and was able to administer a couple local anesthesia injections. He was very thankful to be seen and know his mouth is clean. I was able to encourage him to continue with the home care that he has been learning each time he comes in for his cleaning. It's exciting to see someone have interest in the education you give them and see it work for them! His wife was very sweet to work with since he speaks on Spanish. They want to brighten their smiles with bleach trays and were inquiring about that at this appointment. I was able to tell them about a fundraiser we will be doing as a program with bleach trays at a discounted price. He seemed interested in this!
My second afternoon patient was a returning Class III patient to have the remaining two quads cleaned. He had some sensitivity that I was able to control with a few local anesthesia injections which was a nice review of how to administer some since it had been a little while since I gave local anesthesia. My patient spoke some English but mostly Spanish. The first time I saw him I was able to provide an interpreter to make him feel comfortable and understand the whole process of the cleaning. The other good part about today was that my peer-pal was able to be involved since it was her Senior Observation day. She got to meet my patients and let them know that would be seeing her after I graduate. This was encouraging for her and comforting for my patients.
Overall, today was a great day for me to practice my scaling and improve my speed and prepare for boards by finding my board patient (WAHOO!). It was a good experience for my peer-pal to see what clinic is like and know she will have reliable patients next year. My patients were able to have their teeth cleaned and get their mouth back to health.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Week 11- Thursday November 8, 2012
It's been a while since I have posted on my blog. I was told to post my thoughts regarding clinic on a new facebook group blog, so I've been trying to do that with the intentions of continuing to blog here, so I can publish my dental hygiene experience in a book and have it as a dental hygiene memories keepsake. Since the change, of course life happens and I got really busy with class and life in general so I missed getting on here to blog. I plan to make it through my last few weeks to catch up and write about all the fun memories!
During Clinic for Week 11, I was able to be a Clinic assistant again. I was clinic assistant during Week 5 and didn't blog about it because it's boring. Since I plan to make this a memory book, I figured I should blog about being a CA just in case I wonder what the tasks were (I don't think I could ever forget! HA!).
As a Clinic Assistant, I had to check in patients for the morning and then go around clinic making sure supplies are stocked and things are running smoothly. I also had to set up the radiology room developers and stock the supplies there as well. It seems like a pretty laid back time to rest and regenerate for the next week of clinic; although, I was sorely wrong my first time being a CA. Mr. Salomon had me running around with my head cut off. I never did anything right (or so it seemed). He is a very bossy man which made it hard to work with him. He would fret about the little things, and let the things that matter (like replacing the old Cavitrons with the new one that were ordered in September, so we could actually use our inserts we paid for in August!) go by the way side. Anyway, when it's my turn to be CA I cringe. I don't enjoy it. I love seeing patients during clinic way better! I guess this is a good thing since I am planning on doing "clinic" for a really really long time :)
During the Afternoon, we had a lab day. We discussed new topics such as the Velscope, relearning the CPR routine, Wheelchair transfers, desensitization, and irrigation. The Velscope seemed like a silly tool to look for intraoral dysplasia. The machine is very expensive and seems like a waste of money because it doesn't actually tell you if the lesion is cancer. You still need a biopsy. Just another gadget invented for some dentist to get roped into buying. Going over CPR situations (durinf school they called them STAT situations) was a great review. It was nice to remember things I was taught and try to really remember them like I should. The wheelchair transfers were a fun change! I felt silly to be picked up and moved by my classmates like a was a handicap, but it was definitely a good experience. The last rotation was for densensitization and irrigation. I watched the hygienists that I worked with irrigate, so I understood the reasoning behind it and how they do it. The desensitization was a new thing I learned. It seemed simple like polishing a patient, but it is supposed to occlude the dentin tubules to avoid hypersensitivity. Since this was a new thing I was taught, I don't know how I feel about it. I plan to use it a few times on patients to see how it really works.
Week 11 was a low key clinic week. Nothing too exciting happened, but I did learn a lot as usual! :)
During Clinic for Week 11, I was able to be a Clinic assistant again. I was clinic assistant during Week 5 and didn't blog about it because it's boring. Since I plan to make this a memory book, I figured I should blog about being a CA just in case I wonder what the tasks were (I don't think I could ever forget! HA!).
As a Clinic Assistant, I had to check in patients for the morning and then go around clinic making sure supplies are stocked and things are running smoothly. I also had to set up the radiology room developers and stock the supplies there as well. It seems like a pretty laid back time to rest and regenerate for the next week of clinic; although, I was sorely wrong my first time being a CA. Mr. Salomon had me running around with my head cut off. I never did anything right (or so it seemed). He is a very bossy man which made it hard to work with him. He would fret about the little things, and let the things that matter (like replacing the old Cavitrons with the new one that were ordered in September, so we could actually use our inserts we paid for in August!) go by the way side. Anyway, when it's my turn to be CA I cringe. I don't enjoy it. I love seeing patients during clinic way better! I guess this is a good thing since I am planning on doing "clinic" for a really really long time :)
During the Afternoon, we had a lab day. We discussed new topics such as the Velscope, relearning the CPR routine, Wheelchair transfers, desensitization, and irrigation. The Velscope seemed like a silly tool to look for intraoral dysplasia. The machine is very expensive and seems like a waste of money because it doesn't actually tell you if the lesion is cancer. You still need a biopsy. Just another gadget invented for some dentist to get roped into buying. Going over CPR situations (durinf school they called them STAT situations) was a great review. It was nice to remember things I was taught and try to really remember them like I should. The wheelchair transfers were a fun change! I felt silly to be picked up and moved by my classmates like a was a handicap, but it was definitely a good experience. The last rotation was for densensitization and irrigation. I watched the hygienists that I worked with irrigate, so I understood the reasoning behind it and how they do it. The desensitization was a new thing I learned. It seemed simple like polishing a patient, but it is supposed to occlude the dentin tubules to avoid hypersensitivity. Since this was a new thing I was taught, I don't know how I feel about it. I plan to use it a few times on patients to see how it really works.
Week 11 was a low key clinic week. Nothing too exciting happened, but I did learn a lot as usual! :)
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
I found my Class IV patient!!!- Tuesday November 6, 2012
I was at Midtown Dental Clinic today for my Tuesday clinic rotation. I was expecting an uneventful regular Midtown day. I was hoping today wouldn't be much different than the other days...
Even though we got word that Midtown quads now count toward regular clinic requirements, I wasn't expecting much. I'll be honest when I got word that quads counted I had mixed emotions. I felt like the students (of which I am a part of) who go to Midtown this semester got the crappy hand because we worked all the kinks and difficulties out while being there. The students going to the VA this semester will walk into Midtown with the first day seeing patients and having all work smoothly. I'm trying not to harbor hard feelings about this because, let's be honest, no one has control over this. Someone has to be the first one. I am trying to go with the flow and not let it bother me. For the most part, I don't worry about it because I know everything will work out, and I know I will graduate like the other thousand of people who graduated from WSU Dental Hygiene program. The only time that it bothers me is when someone asks for my opinion. I try to be short and sweet because it does raise my blood pressure a bit but then I get over it and move on with my day. Thank goodness I was raised by my mom and married someone just like her! Water on a duck's back ;)
Tangent over. Back to the topic...
This morning I was given a child to see first thing. She was very sweet and timid. She came with her mother for a dental cleaning. She did well for the most part but struggled when I had to wait for my instructor, the dentist, etc. I was able to clean her teeth and did x-rays in less than an hour. The next hour took the longest! I was waiting most of the time, but then I was able to get one sealant done for her and let her be on her way. She was very patient and didn't give me a bit of problems.
My next morning patient was the big BANG! I brought him back and immediately smelled his breath just from talking to him. This isn't abnormal, and I have noticed it before so that wasn't something that made me think too hard. In talking he mentioned it had been years since he had his teeth cleaned (again, not a shocker being at Midtown Dental Clinic). This is the answer I get with most patients. Since he was young, I didn't think anything of it. I just made note of it and continued with the appointment. It was when he agreed to take x-rays and the first one popped up on the computer....
WOW! Look at that bone loss! Is that even possible? "My teeth are a little loose." Thinking to myself, " A little? Jeez! That looks painful!"
My face was composed, and he didn't noticed that I was totally shocked at what I saw.
One of my classmates offered to help me chart the probing. Thank goodness! I knew this was going to be rough. My heart was racing because I was nervous to work on such a periodontally involved patient.
First tooth...
Of course this patient had all of his teeth. Wisdom teeth included which are impossible to probe around. Tooth #1 8-18-15.... oh jeez! I was in for it! Thankfully, this was the wiggly tooth that he was talking about. Although the probe depths were deep compared to the average patient, they weren't this deep generalized in his mouth!
Well, I got through the probing and knew without a doubt that my patient was a Class IV. Everyone was pretty excited for me, and so was I but deep inside I was terrified to start scaling. It seemed as though my instructor had complete confidence in me (I'm glad she did!). I got started. We agreed to get started on one quad and go from there. My instructor insisted that my patient get half of the mouth cleaned today, so that would limit dental office appointments. This meant that I would work through my lunch break, then have one of my classmates clean a quad so I could eat and then reschedule him. I wasn't super happy about sharing him because he was such a good experience, but I went with it for the same reason I went with the Midtown quads counting. I couldn't control the situation so there is no reason to get upset about it. I am able to clean 3 of the 4 quads, and I just deal with it.
I was able to administer 3 injections which was a great experience, and scale 1 quad only missing 1 area of calculus! GO me! This ended my day at Midtown. I am grateful for the experiences I get at Midtown. They have such a variety of patients that I am able to see. From Class IA to Class IV. I feel like with this experience I will become a better dental hygienist for the real world and have the ability to stay on schedule and do a great job!
Today was a great experience. I'm grateful for the things I learn at Midtown and for the people who help me succeed in dental hygiene.
Even though we got word that Midtown quads now count toward regular clinic requirements, I wasn't expecting much. I'll be honest when I got word that quads counted I had mixed emotions. I felt like the students (of which I am a part of) who go to Midtown this semester got the crappy hand because we worked all the kinks and difficulties out while being there. The students going to the VA this semester will walk into Midtown with the first day seeing patients and having all work smoothly. I'm trying not to harbor hard feelings about this because, let's be honest, no one has control over this. Someone has to be the first one. I am trying to go with the flow and not let it bother me. For the most part, I don't worry about it because I know everything will work out, and I know I will graduate like the other thousand of people who graduated from WSU Dental Hygiene program. The only time that it bothers me is when someone asks for my opinion. I try to be short and sweet because it does raise my blood pressure a bit but then I get over it and move on with my day. Thank goodness I was raised by my mom and married someone just like her! Water on a duck's back ;)
Tangent over. Back to the topic...
This morning I was given a child to see first thing. She was very sweet and timid. She came with her mother for a dental cleaning. She did well for the most part but struggled when I had to wait for my instructor, the dentist, etc. I was able to clean her teeth and did x-rays in less than an hour. The next hour took the longest! I was waiting most of the time, but then I was able to get one sealant done for her and let her be on her way. She was very patient and didn't give me a bit of problems.
My next morning patient was the big BANG! I brought him back and immediately smelled his breath just from talking to him. This isn't abnormal, and I have noticed it before so that wasn't something that made me think too hard. In talking he mentioned it had been years since he had his teeth cleaned (again, not a shocker being at Midtown Dental Clinic). This is the answer I get with most patients. Since he was young, I didn't think anything of it. I just made note of it and continued with the appointment. It was when he agreed to take x-rays and the first one popped up on the computer....
WOW! Look at that bone loss! Is that even possible? "My teeth are a little loose." Thinking to myself, " A little? Jeez! That looks painful!"
My face was composed, and he didn't noticed that I was totally shocked at what I saw.
One of my classmates offered to help me chart the probing. Thank goodness! I knew this was going to be rough. My heart was racing because I was nervous to work on such a periodontally involved patient.
First tooth...
Of course this patient had all of his teeth. Wisdom teeth included which are impossible to probe around. Tooth #1 8-18-15.... oh jeez! I was in for it! Thankfully, this was the wiggly tooth that he was talking about. Although the probe depths were deep compared to the average patient, they weren't this deep generalized in his mouth!
Well, I got through the probing and knew without a doubt that my patient was a Class IV. Everyone was pretty excited for me, and so was I but deep inside I was terrified to start scaling. It seemed as though my instructor had complete confidence in me (I'm glad she did!). I got started. We agreed to get started on one quad and go from there. My instructor insisted that my patient get half of the mouth cleaned today, so that would limit dental office appointments. This meant that I would work through my lunch break, then have one of my classmates clean a quad so I could eat and then reschedule him. I wasn't super happy about sharing him because he was such a good experience, but I went with it for the same reason I went with the Midtown quads counting. I couldn't control the situation so there is no reason to get upset about it. I am able to clean 3 of the 4 quads, and I just deal with it.
I was able to administer 3 injections which was a great experience, and scale 1 quad only missing 1 area of calculus! GO me! This ended my day at Midtown. I am grateful for the experiences I get at Midtown. They have such a variety of patients that I am able to see. From Class IA to Class IV. I feel like with this experience I will become a better dental hygienist for the real world and have the ability to stay on schedule and do a great job!
Today was a great experience. I'm grateful for the things I learn at Midtown and for the people who help me succeed in dental hygiene.
Monday, November 5, 2012
Week 10- Thursday November 1, 2012
This morning I was able to see a patient I screened for my Junior requirements. I forgot I saw him, and let him fall through the cracks.. oops! He ended up calling the clinic who then emailed me to get him scheduled. This was nice because I knew who he was and what his classification was, so there was no guessing! When I confirmed his appointment with him, he was really weird on the phone. He said he couldn't afford anything but the cleaning like I was a used car sales man trying to gear him up for a sales pitch during his appointment trying to get him to sign up for some unnecessary things. It kind of bugged me. Oh well! He came on time, and I was able to complete his whole cleaning. I'm not sure where my skills have gone, but they haven't been with me the last week because I've been missing a lot of areas and my brain has taken a hike. I missed five areas of calculus! I've been kind of discouraged with scaling this last week at Midtown Dental Clinic, so it must've carried with me to WSU dental hygiene clinic. I need to figure out what is going on before too long because I'm supposed to know what I'm doing!
This afternoon, I was able to see my mother-in-law for her cleaning. Since I cleaned her teeth last semester, I knew what I was getting myself into unlike with some of my other patients. I was able to administer Nitrous Oxide to calm her down a little more than last time, and it really seemed to help. This was a good experience too because not only was I able to complete a PE, I was able to experience what it is like cleaning around a Nitrous nose piece. It actually wasn't too bad; although, I wasn't scaling a periodontally involved patient. She also allowed me to check her Blood Glucose level for my PE, and it came back normal. This is great information for her and a good experience for me! Overall, this appointment went well. I need to figure out what is going on when I see a perio patient. I used to do really well with them until this week (well actually Mock Boards wasn't good either). I feel like when I slow down I over-analyze things, but if I'm too quick and confident, I missed areas too. Ahh.... I don't know what the problem is.
Just keep swimming!
This afternoon, I was able to see my mother-in-law for her cleaning. Since I cleaned her teeth last semester, I knew what I was getting myself into unlike with some of my other patients. I was able to administer Nitrous Oxide to calm her down a little more than last time, and it really seemed to help. This was a good experience too because not only was I able to complete a PE, I was able to experience what it is like cleaning around a Nitrous nose piece. It actually wasn't too bad; although, I wasn't scaling a periodontally involved patient. She also allowed me to check her Blood Glucose level for my PE, and it came back normal. This is great information for her and a good experience for me! Overall, this appointment went well. I need to figure out what is going on when I see a perio patient. I used to do really well with them until this week (well actually Mock Boards wasn't good either). I feel like when I slow down I over-analyze things, but if I'm too quick and confident, I missed areas too. Ahh.... I don't know what the problem is.
Just keep swimming!
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