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!
Friday, October 26, 2012
Week 9- Thursday October 25, 2012
The patients I was able to see today were compliments of 2 of my classmates for doing so research and allowing me to see them! Thank you Sierra and Hailey!
Morning: I was able to see two children during this appointment. They were both boys ages 9 and 10 from a family who's father was beign seen originally by Mark, but since he didn't realize he was CA for the day, he was able to help Ashton out and give him a morning patient. My patients' father spoke Spanish and broken English, so I was very thankful Mark was able to set up the appointments for me and him even though it didn't work out for him. The two boys spoke English very well and soke Spanish to their mother when I wasn't seeing them. They were both very energetic and curious abotu EVERYTHING! Hands were every where! I was trying to help keep them under control with very little help of their mother. I managed to get through :) I saw the youngest first. We were able to do BWX with a little education to the parents and a full cleaning. He did very well and didn't complain much other than when I used the Shick sensor for the second x-ray and when I was scaling. The poor boy had many cavities and didn't have good OH. I felt bad but knew I was doing the best I could for him.
When it was his brother's turn, I found that he had ADHD (which was no surprise to me!). He literally started touching every instrument I had on the tray, the mouse and keyboard for the computer, the safety glasses, other instruments, etc! I tried hard to keep him under control with no success. I speedily got him to the x-ray room thinking this would keep him contained... boy was I wrong! He started pumping the chair, laying it back, opening drawers, etc! AHH! I got his x-rays completed and got him back to the chair. I really had to hurry keeping my hands in his mouth and hid body in the chair or he would be on to the next thing. I was able to complete all the charting and scaling with many bumps along the way but still proud I got that far! I noted a couple sealants and to my surprise mom and dad approved them, and I was able to get that done for him and meet some requirements. When the boy heard he needed sealants, he immediately started crying (not having any idea what sealants were and how they were placed). Oh boy! I really needed to take a step back and help him understand each and every step. I showed him all of them on a 2x2 gauze. I think this actually helped! I was so shocked. He did very well, and I didn't have to repeat any of the steps! He ended up being my friend at the end and said he would come back to get his teeth cleaned again! SUCCESS! :)
Afternoon: My patient was found in a list the Hailey printed, and just by chance, he was able to come in and was happy that I called! I didn't have any success with patients on that list before him and still haven't since him. He spoke very broken English, so I had Wade confirm the appointment for him to make sure he understood everything. I was trying to find my own interpreter to help my patient feel at ease but struggled. Wednesday evening, I received an email from the Spanish department's student who said she would be able to help me! I thought it would be too good to be true, but I asked her if she could help me.... and she said YES! AMAZING! I actually had a reliable interpreter who I could count on to be there for me with my Spanish speaking patients. She said she would be there and she showed up early! My patient was very thankful and didn't know I had an interpreter for him (he didn't ask and I didn't say I would because I had trouble finding one). I was able to do 4 BWX,4 PAX ,and complete 2 quads of Class III scaling today! I am so thankful for wonderful people who are willing to help me succeed! My patient was very sweet to allow me to pass of several PEs (Local Anesthesia of which I gave 5 injecitons, Ultrasonic #2, and Root Debridement). He did very well in the dental chair and plans to come back to complete the other half of his mouth! What a great day to fulfill many of my requirements!
Morning: I was able to see two children during this appointment. They were both boys ages 9 and 10 from a family who's father was beign seen originally by Mark, but since he didn't realize he was CA for the day, he was able to help Ashton out and give him a morning patient. My patients' father spoke Spanish and broken English, so I was very thankful Mark was able to set up the appointments for me and him even though it didn't work out for him. The two boys spoke English very well and soke Spanish to their mother when I wasn't seeing them. They were both very energetic and curious abotu EVERYTHING! Hands were every where! I was trying to help keep them under control with very little help of their mother. I managed to get through :) I saw the youngest first. We were able to do BWX with a little education to the parents and a full cleaning. He did very well and didn't complain much other than when I used the Shick sensor for the second x-ray and when I was scaling. The poor boy had many cavities and didn't have good OH. I felt bad but knew I was doing the best I could for him.
When it was his brother's turn, I found that he had ADHD (which was no surprise to me!). He literally started touching every instrument I had on the tray, the mouse and keyboard for the computer, the safety glasses, other instruments, etc! I tried hard to keep him under control with no success. I speedily got him to the x-ray room thinking this would keep him contained... boy was I wrong! He started pumping the chair, laying it back, opening drawers, etc! AHH! I got his x-rays completed and got him back to the chair. I really had to hurry keeping my hands in his mouth and hid body in the chair or he would be on to the next thing. I was able to complete all the charting and scaling with many bumps along the way but still proud I got that far! I noted a couple sealants and to my surprise mom and dad approved them, and I was able to get that done for him and meet some requirements. When the boy heard he needed sealants, he immediately started crying (not having any idea what sealants were and how they were placed). Oh boy! I really needed to take a step back and help him understand each and every step. I showed him all of them on a 2x2 gauze. I think this actually helped! I was so shocked. He did very well, and I didn't have to repeat any of the steps! He ended up being my friend at the end and said he would come back to get his teeth cleaned again! SUCCESS! :)
Afternoon: My patient was found in a list the Hailey printed, and just by chance, he was able to come in and was happy that I called! I didn't have any success with patients on that list before him and still haven't since him. He spoke very broken English, so I had Wade confirm the appointment for him to make sure he understood everything. I was trying to find my own interpreter to help my patient feel at ease but struggled. Wednesday evening, I received an email from the Spanish department's student who said she would be able to help me! I thought it would be too good to be true, but I asked her if she could help me.... and she said YES! AMAZING! I actually had a reliable interpreter who I could count on to be there for me with my Spanish speaking patients. She said she would be there and she showed up early! My patient was very thankful and didn't know I had an interpreter for him (he didn't ask and I didn't say I would because I had trouble finding one). I was able to do 4 BWX,4 PAX ,and complete 2 quads of Class III scaling today! I am so thankful for wonderful people who are willing to help me succeed! My patient was very sweet to allow me to pass of several PEs (Local Anesthesia of which I gave 5 injecitons, Ultrasonic #2, and Root Debridement). He did very well in the dental chair and plans to come back to complete the other half of his mouth! What a great day to fulfill many of my requirements!
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Week 8 - Mock Boards - Thursday October 18, 2012
Last Thursday was my first Mock Board experience. I found my Mock Board patient Tuesday the week before the week of Mock Boards. I was so nervous that I wasn't going to find one, but a miracle happened and I found one! He was very nice to come in and help me out! I was able to have him pay for all the x-rays necessary and the cost of the one quad of scaling. Some people actually had to pay for these things to get their patient to come. I guess I would too if I had to, but I am so grateful I didn't have to! Any way, enough of the background info...
My Mock Board time was 12:30pm, so I was able to be a student examiner first. This was a great experience to really feel what calculus feels like... and A LOT of it! I had to do a little studying while the patients were being scaled, but once the time was up, it was interesting to see the same patients back without the calculus... well some. There were quite a few who missed a lot of pieces of calculus which really surprised me because I would have complete confidence in all of them. My professor said that this is typical because we don't have added guidance throughout the treatment like we do normally. Makes perfect sense! Obviously, after seeing some patients, I felt a bit nervous for my time to do it. I wanted to do well, and thought I would but I also thought my fellow classmates would do better than they did. Soo 12:30pm comes around... My patient showed up early like I had asked, so there was less stress. I was able to go through all of the paperwork one more time, but since he spoke Spanish, it made it a little difficult.
I was the first student to submit my patient to the student examiners like I thought I would since I had experience being the Clinic Assistant during WREB last March. I was still nervous waiting to see if my patient qualified even though I knew there was no doubt. I guess the nerves still get to you! Once my patient came back, I got right to it. I started with my ultrasonic, then went to my Graceys, then to my regular posterior and anterior scalers, back to my ultrasonic, charted, and then explored, scaled, explored, scaled, explored, scaled, etc etc! I felt pretty confident with my submission other than tooth #3. I couldn't seem to get that tooth smooth. I knew I needed to just submit because I did the best I could, so I did!
Results... well, I didn't do horrible, but I didn't do super great either. I missed 2 clicks of calculus, 1 probe reading (really 3, but they only recorded certain ones), and 1 recession point (which I knew I should've marked!). Not too bad for my first time. The probing area seemed a little weird to me though. I got a 5mm and the examiner got 3mm. I'm not really sure how that works. Oh well! It was a great experience, and I am so glad I had a patient who was able to help me learn and actually go through the process before the actual exam.
My Mock Board time was 12:30pm, so I was able to be a student examiner first. This was a great experience to really feel what calculus feels like... and A LOT of it! I had to do a little studying while the patients were being scaled, but once the time was up, it was interesting to see the same patients back without the calculus... well some. There were quite a few who missed a lot of pieces of calculus which really surprised me because I would have complete confidence in all of them. My professor said that this is typical because we don't have added guidance throughout the treatment like we do normally. Makes perfect sense! Obviously, after seeing some patients, I felt a bit nervous for my time to do it. I wanted to do well, and thought I would but I also thought my fellow classmates would do better than they did. Soo 12:30pm comes around... My patient showed up early like I had asked, so there was less stress. I was able to go through all of the paperwork one more time, but since he spoke Spanish, it made it a little difficult.
I was the first student to submit my patient to the student examiners like I thought I would since I had experience being the Clinic Assistant during WREB last March. I was still nervous waiting to see if my patient qualified even though I knew there was no doubt. I guess the nerves still get to you! Once my patient came back, I got right to it. I started with my ultrasonic, then went to my Graceys, then to my regular posterior and anterior scalers, back to my ultrasonic, charted, and then explored, scaled, explored, scaled, explored, scaled, etc etc! I felt pretty confident with my submission other than tooth #3. I couldn't seem to get that tooth smooth. I knew I needed to just submit because I did the best I could, so I did!
Results... well, I didn't do horrible, but I didn't do super great either. I missed 2 clicks of calculus, 1 probe reading (really 3, but they only recorded certain ones), and 1 recession point (which I knew I should've marked!). Not too bad for my first time. The probing area seemed a little weird to me though. I got a 5mm and the examiner got 3mm. I'm not really sure how that works. Oh well! It was a great experience, and I am so glad I had a patient who was able to help me learn and actually go through the process before the actual exam.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Week 7- Thursday October 11, 2012
I can't believe my 8:00am patients that I schedule! Another cancellation! I was frantically trying to find a patient to schedule when I remembered my herpic lesion patient wanted to be bumped if I had a cancellation. I called him and my IA patient and they were both able to come this morning! YAY! Today ended up being very productive which was nice to have considering yesterday was emotionally exhausting after a funeral of my husband's dear friend.
Morning: I was able to see my Class III 2 quads and complete him quickly. I was also able to see my Class IA patient during the same session which was nice to double book. My Class III patient was so sweet. I connected with him instantly during the last appointment. He was so sweet to always ask about my dad and give me pointers to help him quit his battle of smoking since he was able to quit a couple of years ago. He was so genuine when my instructor came to check him. He definitely gave me the boost I needed. My Class IA was a little difficult. I know her from my ward, so I thought it would go smoother than it did. It took a lot of bribing and finally dinosaur stickers did the trick! Who would've thought? She opened wide and let me do what I needed to do :)
Afternoon: I was able to see a patient that was seen by a previous dental hygiene student that I worked with over the summer. She knows this patient personally, so it was very nice to have her come! She showed up a little late because she got lost but I was glad she actually came. She, too, was a sweetheart. She did so well in my chair and complimented me every chance she could. I am so grateful for wonderful people in this world to help build me up and change my day into a great one and to help me on my road to becoming a dental hygienist!
Morning: I was able to see my Class III 2 quads and complete him quickly. I was also able to see my Class IA patient during the same session which was nice to double book. My Class III patient was so sweet. I connected with him instantly during the last appointment. He was so sweet to always ask about my dad and give me pointers to help him quit his battle of smoking since he was able to quit a couple of years ago. He was so genuine when my instructor came to check him. He definitely gave me the boost I needed. My Class IA was a little difficult. I know her from my ward, so I thought it would go smoother than it did. It took a lot of bribing and finally dinosaur stickers did the trick! Who would've thought? She opened wide and let me do what I needed to do :)
Afternoon: I was able to see a patient that was seen by a previous dental hygiene student that I worked with over the summer. She knows this patient personally, so it was very nice to have her come! She showed up a little late because she got lost but I was glad she actually came. She, too, was a sweetheart. She did so well in my chair and complimented me every chance she could. I am so grateful for wonderful people in this world to help build me up and change my day into a great one and to help me on my road to becoming a dental hygienist!
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Week 6- Thursday October 4, 2012
Today was the first day I actually had no issues with patients cancelling or no-showing! YAY! I am exhausted though....
Morning:
I was able to see a patient that my peer pal saw as her board patient! I wasn't sure what I thought I would get as far as classifications go, but I knew it shouldn't be too bad since it had only been 7 months. Boy was I wrong! He definitely wasn't as bad as he was for boards, but it was still tough for me to remove some of the calculus. In fact, I missed some areas :( This appointment made me question if I really know what calculus feels like because I couldn't feel it when I was told to try. Bummer..
Afternoon:
I found this patient on the recall list when I was trying to fill a different day. I made this appointment and was a little nervous she wouldn't show up because she was concerned about missing her lunch time at the home she lives in. To my surprise, she confirmed her appointment and showed up... late of course. The juniors were observing the clinic this afternoon, and lucky for me, the one in my pod followed me through the whole appointment and helped throughout the whole thing! My patient had many medications which took a long time. She agreed to have a full mouth x-ray, but gagged, cried, and sweat during the whole thing. She didn't have a bad attitude, and she tried to be compliant during the whole thing, but her mouth was small. I struggled! The junior observing me knew it too. My instructor ended up giving my patient 4 of the 14 PAs for free. My patient, to my astonishment, felt very bad about it and was willing to try yet again. She really was such a trooper but very difficult to work on. When I started probing, I was hoping she would be a mock board patient. Although she hasn't been seen at the clinic for 8 years, she didn't have enough calculus to qualify. I started scaling right away and noticed she had a lot of calculus and it was going to be a struggle to get it all off. I was grateful to have a good patient for my observer to see! I ended up missing 2 areas of calculus, but given how much she had, I was very proud I only missed that much.
One day, I will be able to see a patient like I did today and actually complete them without any missed areas. That is one of my goals. . . one day!
Morning:
I was able to see a patient that my peer pal saw as her board patient! I wasn't sure what I thought I would get as far as classifications go, but I knew it shouldn't be too bad since it had only been 7 months. Boy was I wrong! He definitely wasn't as bad as he was for boards, but it was still tough for me to remove some of the calculus. In fact, I missed some areas :( This appointment made me question if I really know what calculus feels like because I couldn't feel it when I was told to try. Bummer..
Afternoon:
I found this patient on the recall list when I was trying to fill a different day. I made this appointment and was a little nervous she wouldn't show up because she was concerned about missing her lunch time at the home she lives in. To my surprise, she confirmed her appointment and showed up... late of course. The juniors were observing the clinic this afternoon, and lucky for me, the one in my pod followed me through the whole appointment and helped throughout the whole thing! My patient had many medications which took a long time. She agreed to have a full mouth x-ray, but gagged, cried, and sweat during the whole thing. She didn't have a bad attitude, and she tried to be compliant during the whole thing, but her mouth was small. I struggled! The junior observing me knew it too. My instructor ended up giving my patient 4 of the 14 PAs for free. My patient, to my astonishment, felt very bad about it and was willing to try yet again. She really was such a trooper but very difficult to work on. When I started probing, I was hoping she would be a mock board patient. Although she hasn't been seen at the clinic for 8 years, she didn't have enough calculus to qualify. I started scaling right away and noticed she had a lot of calculus and it was going to be a struggle to get it all off. I was grateful to have a good patient for my observer to see! I ended up missing 2 areas of calculus, but given how much she had, I was very proud I only missed that much.
One day, I will be able to see a patient like I did today and actually complete them without any missed areas. That is one of my goals. . . one day!
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Week 4- Thursday September 20, 2012
Morning:
Again, I had a patient cancel. This makes my life so much more stressful when I am scrambling for a patient last minute. I was able to fill the appointment with a patient who just had teeth on the lower arch. Since I knew this, I scheduled a Class 1A patient together to make up the difference in time. Well.. my Class 1A patient came down with a fever and started throwing up last night, so her mom (my friend) text me and told me she didn't think she would be able to come. Trying to be positive and knowing I wouldn't be able to fill the time slot, I told her to let me know in the morning with hopes that she would get better over night... wishful thinking! She is still sick and not doing well :( Bummer! Anyway, my other patient came in. I got through the whole OD and 7 PAX. I got my instructor for an OD check and she noticed.... HERPES! AHHH!!! I can't believe it! I was so embarrassed. I'm supposed to know what this looks like and diagnose it myself. I should've excused him myself. Dang it! I felt like such an idiot. I felt bad for my patient. It was definitely a humbling learning experience for sure.
Afternoon:
This appointment went much better. I was ready for whatever was going to be thrown at me, but it went really smooth. I was able to see a Class V patient who was very sweet during the whole appointment. I am grateful for reliable easy-going patients. I was also able to do 1 set of BWX on her which was nice to be able to check off some things on my requirement list! Today was a day full of learning experiences to make me a better clinician.
Again, I had a patient cancel. This makes my life so much more stressful when I am scrambling for a patient last minute. I was able to fill the appointment with a patient who just had teeth on the lower arch. Since I knew this, I scheduled a Class 1A patient together to make up the difference in time. Well.. my Class 1A patient came down with a fever and started throwing up last night, so her mom (my friend) text me and told me she didn't think she would be able to come. Trying to be positive and knowing I wouldn't be able to fill the time slot, I told her to let me know in the morning with hopes that she would get better over night... wishful thinking! She is still sick and not doing well :( Bummer! Anyway, my other patient came in. I got through the whole OD and 7 PAX. I got my instructor for an OD check and she noticed.... HERPES! AHHH!!! I can't believe it! I was so embarrassed. I'm supposed to know what this looks like and diagnose it myself. I should've excused him myself. Dang it! I felt like such an idiot. I felt bad for my patient. It was definitely a humbling learning experience for sure.
Afternoon:
This appointment went much better. I was ready for whatever was going to be thrown at me, but it went really smooth. I was able to see a Class V patient who was very sweet during the whole appointment. I am grateful for reliable easy-going patients. I was also able to do 1 set of BWX on her which was nice to be able to check off some things on my requirement list! Today was a day full of learning experiences to make me a better clinician.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Week 3- Thursday September 13, 2012
Week 3 Clinic
Morning:
4 quads Class II, 4 BWX Shick. PEs Ultrasonic #1 and Calculus Removal #1
This particular appointment (not the patient) was a killer! I had such a hard time yesterday. The patient I was supposed to see this morning was a Class III I saw at Midtown. I was able to complete 1 quad at Midtown so I could see him here at the clinic for credit. He was scheduled from last weeks Midtown experience. He speaks Spanish so it was difficult to explain the importance of his mouth to my clinical experience. One thing lead to another, he canceled last night at 4 o'clock and rescheduled at Midtown. My blood pressure was through the roof frantically trying to find someone to fill this appointment. I was able to have a lady I contacted earlier this week come in. She was so sweet to come in on last minute notice. I was worried this whole experience was going to throw me off today with a bad attitude. For some reason, when I saw my patient this morning, it made me happy. She was so sweet and knew Great Grandma Steed, so we hit it off right away. I was on a roll! I was able to complete so much and only miss 1 spot of calculus on her. It was definitely a confidence booster!
Afternoon:
4 quads Class V. PEs Selective Polish and Diagnodent
My patient from last semester came back today. She was easy to schedule and showed up on time with no issues. I was so grateful for such a compliant patient. I worked hard and got her completed early. This was a benefit to her and to me since I had to see her twice last semester. I didn't miss any calculus on her which was an added bonus. I feel good about seeing patients. Now, if only they would keep their appointments and show up on time! :)
Morning:
4 quads Class II, 4 BWX Shick. PEs Ultrasonic #1 and Calculus Removal #1
This particular appointment (not the patient) was a killer! I had such a hard time yesterday. The patient I was supposed to see this morning was a Class III I saw at Midtown. I was able to complete 1 quad at Midtown so I could see him here at the clinic for credit. He was scheduled from last weeks Midtown experience. He speaks Spanish so it was difficult to explain the importance of his mouth to my clinical experience. One thing lead to another, he canceled last night at 4 o'clock and rescheduled at Midtown. My blood pressure was through the roof frantically trying to find someone to fill this appointment. I was able to have a lady I contacted earlier this week come in. She was so sweet to come in on last minute notice. I was worried this whole experience was going to throw me off today with a bad attitude. For some reason, when I saw my patient this morning, it made me happy. She was so sweet and knew Great Grandma Steed, so we hit it off right away. I was on a roll! I was able to complete so much and only miss 1 spot of calculus on her. It was definitely a confidence booster!
Afternoon:
4 quads Class V. PEs Selective Polish and Diagnodent
My patient from last semester came back today. She was easy to schedule and showed up on time with no issues. I was so grateful for such a compliant patient. I worked hard and got her completed early. This was a benefit to her and to me since I had to see her twice last semester. I didn't miss any calculus on her which was an added bonus. I feel good about seeing patients. Now, if only they would keep their appointments and show up on time! :)
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Week 2- Thursday September 6, 2012
1st Day of seeing patients for Senior Clinic
I can't believe I am actually in Senior Clinic. I couldn't sleep the night before because I kept waking up thinking about things I needed to remember for clinic that day. Needless to say, I was exhausted when I finally woke up in the morning. I was doing okay on time to get to school with enough time to review and setup for my patients until.... the truck wouldn't start. No lights were on and my heart started pounding. I was panicking! I called my friend down the road, Kim, and asked her if she was available. Thank goodness, she was!! Since my night and morning were thrown off, I was a little unorganized and all over the place. Oh and I forgot to mention, I came down with a head cold Tuesday which made focusing that much harder! I was able to see 2 patients one was a Class V (my peer pal's mom) and the other was a Class IB (my father-in-law). I am so thankful I made it through my first clinic day and completed everything I needed to. I have a lot to work on for the semester to get back with it, but I am excited for the next clinic session because I plan to get better and better with each!
I can't believe I am actually in Senior Clinic. I couldn't sleep the night before because I kept waking up thinking about things I needed to remember for clinic that day. Needless to say, I was exhausted when I finally woke up in the morning. I was doing okay on time to get to school with enough time to review and setup for my patients until.... the truck wouldn't start. No lights were on and my heart started pounding. I was panicking! I called my friend down the road, Kim, and asked her if she was available. Thank goodness, she was!! Since my night and morning were thrown off, I was a little unorganized and all over the place. Oh and I forgot to mention, I came down with a head cold Tuesday which made focusing that much harder! I was able to see 2 patients one was a Class V (my peer pal's mom) and the other was a Class IB (my father-in-law). I am so thankful I made it through my first clinic day and completed everything I needed to. I have a lot to work on for the semester to get back with it, but I am excited for the next clinic session because I plan to get better and better with each!
Thursday, April 12, 2012
April 11, 2012 Patient #17
GOAL: Complete a full Class IB appointment from start to finish today
ACTUAL: Completed 4 quads Class IB with no missed calculus, took 4 BWX
Today was just an extra day and a feather in my cap. It didn't mean extra points just extra experience. My patient showed up 10 minutes late, so I was worried I wasn't going to make my goal. Although, I was a little stressed about this, I still was able to maintain my composure and get through it. She took 3 different kinds of medication and had to fill out her HHx when she got there. I was able to get through all of this and take her x-rays within the first hour.
I had a couple of hours to scale and complete the cleaning. I was able to give her adequate OHI and demonstrate and give her OH aids that will help her maintain her great homecare. Overall, I felt like today was a great learning experience and I was able to complete it. My patient thanked me for my service and complimented me for the way I treated her. I was grateful I was able to make her happy and give her another reason to come back to the hygiene clinic.
I was so glad today was the last day of clinic for the stress that requirements give, but I will really miss the opportunity and growth I had during this semester. I look forward to Senior Clinic and all I will learn within the next year. I wish I could continue to hone my skills through the summer.
ACTUAL: Completed 4 quads Class IB with no missed calculus, took 4 BWX
Today was just an extra day and a feather in my cap. It didn't mean extra points just extra experience. My patient showed up 10 minutes late, so I was worried I wasn't going to make my goal. Although, I was a little stressed about this, I still was able to maintain my composure and get through it. She took 3 different kinds of medication and had to fill out her HHx when she got there. I was able to get through all of this and take her x-rays within the first hour.
I had a couple of hours to scale and complete the cleaning. I was able to give her adequate OHI and demonstrate and give her OH aids that will help her maintain her great homecare. Overall, I felt like today was a great learning experience and I was able to complete it. My patient thanked me for my service and complimented me for the way I treated her. I was grateful I was able to make her happy and give her another reason to come back to the hygiene clinic.
I was so glad today was the last day of clinic for the stress that requirements give, but I will really miss the opportunity and growth I had during this semester. I look forward to Senior Clinic and all I will learn within the next year. I wish I could continue to hone my skills through the summer.
April 9, 2012 patient #16
GOAL: Complete 4 quads Class IBACTUAL: Completed 4 quads Class IB
Today was going to be a pretty laid back day. This patient was another of Kelsi's patients who she couldn't see, so I planned to see him. She did everything beside the quad scale which is the best part! It went really smooth and very quickly. The patient was dropped off by his mother, and she left and didn't come back until well after I completed the cleaning. The patient seemed happy with the appointment and his mother was glad it didn't take too much longer. She was happy that her whole family was able to be seen this semester and plans to bring them all back for their next cleanings.
The exciting part about this appointment for me was the once I completed it, I was able to have 62 quads complete thus far in the class which fulfilled my requirements for full credit! I love clinic! I was so excited about my accomplishment!
Today was going to be a pretty laid back day. This patient was another of Kelsi's patients who she couldn't see, so I planned to see him. She did everything beside the quad scale which is the best part! It went really smooth and very quickly. The patient was dropped off by his mother, and she left and didn't come back until well after I completed the cleaning. The patient seemed happy with the appointment and his mother was glad it didn't take too much longer. She was happy that her whole family was able to be seen this semester and plans to bring them all back for their next cleanings.
The exciting part about this appointment for me was the once I completed it, I was able to have 62 quads complete thus far in the class which fulfilled my requirements for full credit! I love clinic! I was so excited about my accomplishment!
April 4, 2012 Patient #15
GOAL: Finish 2 quads Class IIACTUAL: Finished 2 quads Class II
I was able to get this patient from Kelsi. She was able to clean half of her mouth but didn't need the other 2 quads to fulfill her experience in clinic and didn't have room to see her. I was garteful for this because I knew this patient wanted to be completed, and I didn't have to work really hard to find her.
Unfortunately, this patient was really jumpy today and sturggled with the slow speed suction. She got water , literally, all over her face, head, hair, chest, neck, etc. I tried to explain how to use it to avoid this, but I don't know if she was just anxious today and couldn't comprehend what I was saying or if she has a hard time controlling her tongue. Either way, this made the appointment very difficult. When I would ask her if she was okay, she would always respond yes but still jump. I am so glad I only had to do this for 2 quads instead of a whole mouth because by the end I was getting very frustrated!
When I got done, I talked to Kelsi about it, and she said her experience with this patient wasn't like mine at all. This didn't amke me feel good about it. I hope the patient knew I was trying to be kind. I did the best I could.
I was able to get this patient from Kelsi. She was able to clean half of her mouth but didn't need the other 2 quads to fulfill her experience in clinic and didn't have room to see her. I was garteful for this because I knew this patient wanted to be completed, and I didn't have to work really hard to find her.
Unfortunately, this patient was really jumpy today and sturggled with the slow speed suction. She got water , literally, all over her face, head, hair, chest, neck, etc. I tried to explain how to use it to avoid this, but I don't know if she was just anxious today and couldn't comprehend what I was saying or if she has a hard time controlling her tongue. Either way, this made the appointment very difficult. When I would ask her if she was okay, she would always respond yes but still jump. I am so glad I only had to do this for 2 quads instead of a whole mouth because by the end I was getting very frustrated!
When I got done, I talked to Kelsi about it, and she said her experience with this patient wasn't like mine at all. This didn't amke me feel good about it. I hope the patient knew I was trying to be kind. I did the best I could.
April 2, 2012 14th patient
GOAL: Complete IB patient in one clinic sessionACTUAL: Completed Class II patient
At this point in my clinic class, I knew I was going to get through the quads I needed to complete with full credit. I wasn't sure what kind of patient this lady would be, but it didn't matter to me. I was hopeful for a Class IB just for selfish reasons. I didn't want to miss on something so dumb to hurt my grade. Although my patient ended up being a Class II, I wasn't upset about it at all. I decided to use this as a learning lesson for me to continue to hone my skills and really understand what calculus is and what it feels like.
This was definitely a confidence boost for me in my clinic experience. I am understanding what it's like to clean a whole mouth and coming up with my own routine to make sure I cover every surface. I can't wait to actually be able to use the exploratory stroke with a scaler and feel for calculus. I'm getting pretty good with the explorer, but it is such a time waster.
At this point in my clinic class, I knew I was going to get through the quads I needed to complete with full credit. I wasn't sure what kind of patient this lady would be, but it didn't matter to me. I was hopeful for a Class IB just for selfish reasons. I didn't want to miss on something so dumb to hurt my grade. Although my patient ended up being a Class II, I wasn't upset about it at all. I decided to use this as a learning lesson for me to continue to hone my skills and really understand what calculus is and what it feels like.
This was definitely a confidence boost for me in my clinic experience. I am understanding what it's like to clean a whole mouth and coming up with my own routine to make sure I cover every surface. I can't wait to actually be able to use the exploratory stroke with a scaler and feel for calculus. I'm getting pretty good with the explorer, but it is such a time waster.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
First cancellation that I couldn't fill
My patient cancelled her appointment yesterday while I was in class. She said she had a school meeting she couldn't get out of. I have all of my requirements met plus some so I wasn't too worried about that just that I need a patient in my chair so I get experience. I got her message when I got home. I decided to call around and got nothing. I went to school today and told Prof. Costley about it asap and she just said to try hard to find one. After multiple attempts to find a patient, I didn't find one. I knew my instruments were so dull from Monday's appointment, so I decided to sharpen all of my instruments. This was good practice! I was able to get them all sharpened again and help a few of my classmates with charting and cleaning up.
12th Patient 2nd appointment (March 26, 2012)
Goal: Finish my Class III patient, take 1 PAX on Kelsi's patient, 2 PEs for my Class III (Universal #2 and Area specific)
Actual: Completed 2 quads Class III, 1 PAX
My patient was 15 minutes late which made my heart race because I needed to finish her whole mouth to fulfill my Class III requirements. I left her a message on her phone to call me right as she walked in the clinic. I was so relieved she showed up. Cancelled and no show patients make my life so stressed. I wish people knew what they do to us students when they don't show up for their appointments. Anyway, I am so thankful she finally came!
Based on x-rays, I knew the maxillary quads were going to be harder to complete than the mandibular teeth because of bone loss and calculus that show on the x-rays so I chose to do the maxillary teeth last so she would show up! :) I know most people don't like the dentist so the chance of her coming back if I really beat her up wouldn't be likely so I was kind to her last week ;) Boy, is she in for a treat today! I had no idea how hard it was going to be, but sheesh! I'm pretty sure every one of my instruments are dull and she was bleeding like a stuck pig! HA! I guess that's what happens in deep perio pockets full of calculus. She was a real trooper though. Most patients need L.A. for what I did and she stuck through the whole thing flinching a little, but for the most part she was great!
I was able to complete the rest of the cleaning and do the PAX before she showed up for her appointment. Really truly, it went very well if only I knew she was coming just running a bit late! Oh well! I was so exhausted after that. I just wanted to go home and sleep! Thank goodness the weather was so crappy Monday so I was able to skip my run and not feel so bad about it :)
Actual: Completed 2 quads Class III, 1 PAX
My patient was 15 minutes late which made my heart race because I needed to finish her whole mouth to fulfill my Class III requirements. I left her a message on her phone to call me right as she walked in the clinic. I was so relieved she showed up. Cancelled and no show patients make my life so stressed. I wish people knew what they do to us students when they don't show up for their appointments. Anyway, I am so thankful she finally came!
Based on x-rays, I knew the maxillary quads were going to be harder to complete than the mandibular teeth because of bone loss and calculus that show on the x-rays so I chose to do the maxillary teeth last so she would show up! :) I know most people don't like the dentist so the chance of her coming back if I really beat her up wouldn't be likely so I was kind to her last week ;) Boy, is she in for a treat today! I had no idea how hard it was going to be, but sheesh! I'm pretty sure every one of my instruments are dull and she was bleeding like a stuck pig! HA! I guess that's what happens in deep perio pockets full of calculus. She was a real trooper though. Most patients need L.A. for what I did and she stuck through the whole thing flinching a little, but for the most part she was great!
I was able to complete the rest of the cleaning and do the PAX before she showed up for her appointment. Really truly, it went very well if only I knew she was coming just running a bit late! Oh well! I was so exhausted after that. I just wanted to go home and sleep! Thank goodness the weather was so crappy Monday so I was able to skip my run and not feel so bad about it :)
Sunday, March 25, 2012
13th Patient (March 21, 2012)
Goal: Complete my partial PE and anything above that would be great!
Actual: 4 quads IB, 4 BWX, and Partial PE
Today was such a crazy day! I had Mark confirm this patient the day before because she speaks spanish. She mentioned that she was unable to come until 10:30am. I didn' think anything of it and said it was fine. He looked at me funny and said Really? That wasn't enough of a clue for me I guess. I went home Tuesday afternoon still not worried about what Wednesday was going to bring. It wasn't until Wednesday morning when I realized what I did. Walk-out is at 10:45am and I was going to complete a full OD and partial cleaning! YIKES! I knew this wasn't going to work.
I showed up to school on Wednesday and immediately walked into Prof. Costley's office. She was putting on her makeup for the day (this woman is always perfect it doesn't matter if she is wearing a business suit or scrubs! I don't know how she does it!) Anyway, I explain my situation and she tells me to have Mr. Soloman call this patient and see if she can come in earlier or reschedule her and find a new patient for the day. Even though I am close to having my requirements completed, I am still required to have a patient in my chair every clinic session. Mr. Soloman talks to my patient (thankfully she answered) and explained the situation. She asked if she can come in at 12:30. I ran to ask Prof. Costley if this would work and she said YES! AH! I couldn't believe it! Mr. Soloman had her come in at 12:30 and sure enough she did!
I worked on other homework for the time being which worked out well actually. I had Stephen bring me lunch since I wasn't planning on beign there the whole day.
When it came time to get set up for clinic, I noticed a hispanic girl with a young boy in the waiting area. I didn't think anything of it other than, she is way early and how nice for someone else not to worry! I walked into clinic and had to set up a different chair because I was going to be in a right-handed unit for the overflow since it was a different group and different clinic session and my left-handed unit had another left-handed classmate in it. This didn't seem to be a big deal other than the chair wasn't set which bugged me! 12:30pm comes and my patient ticker turns yellow saying my patient is here and ready. I go out to the waiting area and sure enough this patient that I saw in the waiting area was my patient! As I was walking back, I thought to myself, "She's kind of young to have a partial but maybe her partial is her lateral incisors" since that's pretty common. I remember she can't understand anything I say, so I go ahead and try and show her what I need to do. She was very compliant. Somehow I was able to communicate whether or not she had a partial and she nodded her head no..... oh no! I laid her back and sure enough she had NO PARTIAL!!!! Frantically, I run into the radiology room where Kayla was and tell her (she was the one who gave me this "partial patient". She asked if I had the daughter or the mother. I assumed daughter since she was young. She told me there was a mix up because the daughter was supposed to see Karlie and the mother was supposed to see Kayla who found a different partial patient so she gave this patient to me.
I ran to Prof. Costley and gave her the news. She told me to call Karlie and ask her what she wanted me to do. 45 minutes after 12:30 I got it all figured out. The daughter and mother (who actually is a grandmother) live in the same household and have the same name! Karlie didn't need her and told me to go ahead. Meanwhile, McKinlei had a patient who had 2 partials! Prof. Costley told her about my situation and then had me come over and do my partial PE with her! I couldn't believe it! What chaos! It's amazing how everything turned out!
Anyway, I was able to take 4 BWX on this patient and complete 4 quads of Class IB... and get my partial PE taken care of on a different patient! Sheesh! This girl was so sweet to be patient while I worked out the bugs and was so grateful I was able to complete her i none appointment.
You ask what about the grandmother? She is now scheduled with Marie (another classmate who needs a partial patient) in April! WOW! How does stuff like this happen?? Only in the Dental Hygiene Program! HA!
Actual: 4 quads IB, 4 BWX, and Partial PE
Today was such a crazy day! I had Mark confirm this patient the day before because she speaks spanish. She mentioned that she was unable to come until 10:30am. I didn' think anything of it and said it was fine. He looked at me funny and said Really? That wasn't enough of a clue for me I guess. I went home Tuesday afternoon still not worried about what Wednesday was going to bring. It wasn't until Wednesday morning when I realized what I did. Walk-out is at 10:45am and I was going to complete a full OD and partial cleaning! YIKES! I knew this wasn't going to work.
I showed up to school on Wednesday and immediately walked into Prof. Costley's office. She was putting on her makeup for the day (this woman is always perfect it doesn't matter if she is wearing a business suit or scrubs! I don't know how she does it!) Anyway, I explain my situation and she tells me to have Mr. Soloman call this patient and see if she can come in earlier or reschedule her and find a new patient for the day. Even though I am close to having my requirements completed, I am still required to have a patient in my chair every clinic session. Mr. Soloman talks to my patient (thankfully she answered) and explained the situation. She asked if she can come in at 12:30. I ran to ask Prof. Costley if this would work and she said YES! AH! I couldn't believe it! Mr. Soloman had her come in at 12:30 and sure enough she did!
I worked on other homework for the time being which worked out well actually. I had Stephen bring me lunch since I wasn't planning on beign there the whole day.
When it came time to get set up for clinic, I noticed a hispanic girl with a young boy in the waiting area. I didn't think anything of it other than, she is way early and how nice for someone else not to worry! I walked into clinic and had to set up a different chair because I was going to be in a right-handed unit for the overflow since it was a different group and different clinic session and my left-handed unit had another left-handed classmate in it. This didn't seem to be a big deal other than the chair wasn't set which bugged me! 12:30pm comes and my patient ticker turns yellow saying my patient is here and ready. I go out to the waiting area and sure enough this patient that I saw in the waiting area was my patient! As I was walking back, I thought to myself, "She's kind of young to have a partial but maybe her partial is her lateral incisors" since that's pretty common. I remember she can't understand anything I say, so I go ahead and try and show her what I need to do. She was very compliant. Somehow I was able to communicate whether or not she had a partial and she nodded her head no..... oh no! I laid her back and sure enough she had NO PARTIAL!!!! Frantically, I run into the radiology room where Kayla was and tell her (she was the one who gave me this "partial patient". She asked if I had the daughter or the mother. I assumed daughter since she was young. She told me there was a mix up because the daughter was supposed to see Karlie and the mother was supposed to see Kayla who found a different partial patient so she gave this patient to me.
I ran to Prof. Costley and gave her the news. She told me to call Karlie and ask her what she wanted me to do. 45 minutes after 12:30 I got it all figured out. The daughter and mother (who actually is a grandmother) live in the same household and have the same name! Karlie didn't need her and told me to go ahead. Meanwhile, McKinlei had a patient who had 2 partials! Prof. Costley told her about my situation and then had me come over and do my partial PE with her! I couldn't believe it! What chaos! It's amazing how everything turned out!
Anyway, I was able to take 4 BWX on this patient and complete 4 quads of Class IB... and get my partial PE taken care of on a different patient! Sheesh! This girl was so sweet to be patient while I worked out the bugs and was so grateful I was able to complete her i none appointment.
You ask what about the grandmother? She is now scheduled with Marie (another classmate who needs a partial patient) in April! WOW! How does stuff like this happen?? Only in the Dental Hygiene Program! HA!
12th Patient (March 19, 2012)
Goal: I wasn't sure what I was going to get with this patient since all of my requirements were completed except for Class III. I was just hoping to finish her if she was a IB.
Actual: 2 Quads of Class III, 4 BWX
I went in this clinic not expecting much because I was unsure what was going to happen. I knew I needed more patients over my requirements, so I was just expecting this. I took horizonal BWX not thinking I would need vertical. After looking at the films, I noticed she had boneloss. I am still pretty new at noticing what each level means, so I didn't get my hopes up. I took her back for probing and didn't get anything significant like I thought I would with a Class III. I was expecting maybe a Class II. My instructor came over and noticed the bone loss on the films and probed where I did. She told me my patient was a Class III, and I was so excited! I was able to complete the lower half of her mouth and will bring her back for the rest at another appointment! YAY! What a great day!
Actual: 2 Quads of Class III, 4 BWX
I went in this clinic not expecting much because I was unsure what was going to happen. I knew I needed more patients over my requirements, so I was just expecting this. I took horizonal BWX not thinking I would need vertical. After looking at the films, I noticed she had boneloss. I am still pretty new at noticing what each level means, so I didn't get my hopes up. I took her back for probing and didn't get anything significant like I thought I would with a Class III. I was expecting maybe a Class II. My instructor came over and noticed the bone loss on the films and probed where I did. She told me my patient was a Class III, and I was so excited! I was able to complete the lower half of her mouth and will bring her back for the rest at another appointment! YAY! What a great day!
WREB clinical board experience (March15-18, 2012)
Since I am the Vice President of the Junior class, I was given the opportunity to be the Floor Assistant for WREB (western regional examination board) over spring break when they were going to have boards given at Weber State University. At first, I had no idea what an experience this would be. As time went on and the news set in I realized what I great opportunity this is!
First I was able to be a Local Anesthesia board patient thursday for my peer-pal (the Senior student one class ahead of me). I did this and was able to experience what it was like, then I had Floor Assistant orientation. I learned what was expected which I already knew reading through the Floor Assistant manuel. I had to get the clinic ready for the candidates for the boards in the morning. I barriered 12 chairs for the candidates and 4 chairs for the examiners. I didn't eat lunch that day becasue I didn't think I would've been there that long.... I was wrong. I was so hungry adn orny but I made it through.
Friday morning, I arrived at 7 am to start the first group of examinations. I was running with my head cut off at times and then at other times sitting around doing nothing. This went on for the remaining days of the boards which were from Friday through Sunday.
I took good notes and I am going to post them on my blog so I don't lose them (On the back of my anatomy notes from my 3rd exam didn't seem like a good place for them permanently)
-Patient and Candidate go right downstairs at the beginning of the exam and after the exam to avoid coming in contact with the examiners. The exam needs to remain objective and this is how they do it.
-Chief Examiner or Floor Assistant will notify the Candidates and patients of the time to come into the clinic to start the exam.
-There is 45 minutes from the start time to submission time (check-in with the examiners).
-Once set-up with examination forms and tray for the examiners, go to the sign-in sheet and write in candidate #, if you have a back-up patient, and what the time is. This is located in the instructor pod.
-The Chief Examiner will then come over to your unit and check the Health History, Process of Care form (what the patient needs to do after the board exam i.e. continue care and OHI), Submission form(both sides filled out), x-rays (BWX and PAX), anesthesia form (purple form notifying you that you passed L.A.).
-If a DDS/RDH is administering for you, you need to have their license (shows L.A.), proof of malpractice insurance, and consent form.
-There are 2 stickers with your candidate # on them at your unit. These are to be placed on your patient's clean bib before check-in and on a new bib before check-out.
-For Check-in, Have HHx form, X-rays, submission form (1st and 2nd submission filled out), Tray (barriered) w/ mirror, probe, explorer, gauze, safety glasses (not regular glasses shield cover).
- If first submission isn't accepted automatic -4 points.
-If you are late for check-in, 3 minutes will be docked for every 1 minute late. (no points associated)
-While waiting for patient to return, set up unit/tray on paper barrier, instruments, ultrasonic ($45 rental), anesthetic, disposables, and any other things needed. This takes a long time, so it is beneficial to be the first one to submit (unless you are administering L.A.). This means less stress waiting.
-Biohazard bags are in the island at each pod, and the biohazard bin will be made available.
-When your patient is done with the examiners, they will walk back into the clinic with the tray for the examiners, Blue acceptance form (has teeth marked, areas to mark probing and recession, and start and end time), and HHx form.
-The x-rays submitted remain with the examiners. You must print a copy if you want one for yourself.
-Set the examiner's tray aside while instrumenting.
-You have 2 hours for instrumenting, marking probing and recession, and getting your patient to the front desk for check-out with appropriate examiner items.
-For Check-out, Blue form (marked with probing and recession) in clear plastic sleeve, HHx form, and Tray (mirror, probe, explorer, gauze, safety glasses).
-If you are late for check-out, 1 point will be docked for every 1 minute you are late.
-While patient is being checked-out, clean up area, unit, and instruments.
-Ultrasonic remains at the unit for the Floor Assistant to pick up. If the ultrasonic came in a bin return it to the bin and leave it at the unit.
-Instruments do not have to be sterilized but must be in a sealed instrument bag. If you want them sterilized, put your candidate # on them and bag them yourself. The Floor Assistant will sterilize them and return them in the room downstairs where you and your patient were seated originally before the examination started.
-As a time saver and advice, run your instruments through the ultrasonic first, then clean up your area, and before you walk out of the clinic with all your items, bag your instruments to be processed through the autoclave. This is especially important for the morning group as the afternoon group will be minutes behind you.
-Barrier and dispose the chair exactly the way it looked before you arrived before you leave the clinic.
-Before you leave the clinic with all your items, submit your white packet before. This contains a carbon copy of the process of care, badge, and a carbon copy of ITC form if applicable) The ITC form notifies the Chief Examiner and Candidate of 2nd submission acceptance or late check-in/check-out. In other words, you'll know if you have one of these.
-Go directly downstairs to wait for the examiners who are with your patient AFTER the exam is complete. The patient will be sent down with everything on the tray in a sealed bag. You will not get the tray back since it remains in the clinic
-The Floor Assistant will deliver the sterile instruments into that same room once they are complete. This generally takes about 20 minutes once they are bagged since the sterilizer is to be run constantly regardless of fullness.
-The left-handed chair was designated for left-handed candidates, but don't count on it. I don't know if this was because the Chief Examiner was nice or if it is standard.
First I was able to be a Local Anesthesia board patient thursday for my peer-pal (the Senior student one class ahead of me). I did this and was able to experience what it was like, then I had Floor Assistant orientation. I learned what was expected which I already knew reading through the Floor Assistant manuel. I had to get the clinic ready for the candidates for the boards in the morning. I barriered 12 chairs for the candidates and 4 chairs for the examiners. I didn't eat lunch that day becasue I didn't think I would've been there that long.... I was wrong. I was so hungry adn orny but I made it through.
Friday morning, I arrived at 7 am to start the first group of examinations. I was running with my head cut off at times and then at other times sitting around doing nothing. This went on for the remaining days of the boards which were from Friday through Sunday.
I took good notes and I am going to post them on my blog so I don't lose them (On the back of my anatomy notes from my 3rd exam didn't seem like a good place for them permanently)
-Patient and Candidate go right downstairs at the beginning of the exam and after the exam to avoid coming in contact with the examiners. The exam needs to remain objective and this is how they do it.
-Chief Examiner or Floor Assistant will notify the Candidates and patients of the time to come into the clinic to start the exam.
-There is 45 minutes from the start time to submission time (check-in with the examiners).
-Once set-up with examination forms and tray for the examiners, go to the sign-in sheet and write in candidate #, if you have a back-up patient, and what the time is. This is located in the instructor pod.
-The Chief Examiner will then come over to your unit and check the Health History, Process of Care form (what the patient needs to do after the board exam i.e. continue care and OHI), Submission form(both sides filled out), x-rays (BWX and PAX), anesthesia form (purple form notifying you that you passed L.A.).
-If a DDS/RDH is administering for you, you need to have their license (shows L.A.), proof of malpractice insurance, and consent form.
-There are 2 stickers with your candidate # on them at your unit. These are to be placed on your patient's clean bib before check-in and on a new bib before check-out.
-For Check-in, Have HHx form, X-rays, submission form (1st and 2nd submission filled out), Tray (barriered) w/ mirror, probe, explorer, gauze, safety glasses (not regular glasses shield cover).
- If first submission isn't accepted automatic -4 points.
-If you are late for check-in, 3 minutes will be docked for every 1 minute late. (no points associated)
-While waiting for patient to return, set up unit/tray on paper barrier, instruments, ultrasonic ($45 rental), anesthetic, disposables, and any other things needed. This takes a long time, so it is beneficial to be the first one to submit (unless you are administering L.A.). This means less stress waiting.
-Biohazard bags are in the island at each pod, and the biohazard bin will be made available.
-When your patient is done with the examiners, they will walk back into the clinic with the tray for the examiners, Blue acceptance form (has teeth marked, areas to mark probing and recession, and start and end time), and HHx form.
-The x-rays submitted remain with the examiners. You must print a copy if you want one for yourself.
-Set the examiner's tray aside while instrumenting.
-You have 2 hours for instrumenting, marking probing and recession, and getting your patient to the front desk for check-out with appropriate examiner items.
-For Check-out, Blue form (marked with probing and recession) in clear plastic sleeve, HHx form, and Tray (mirror, probe, explorer, gauze, safety glasses).
-If you are late for check-out, 1 point will be docked for every 1 minute you are late.
-While patient is being checked-out, clean up area, unit, and instruments.
-Ultrasonic remains at the unit for the Floor Assistant to pick up. If the ultrasonic came in a bin return it to the bin and leave it at the unit.
-Instruments do not have to be sterilized but must be in a sealed instrument bag. If you want them sterilized, put your candidate # on them and bag them yourself. The Floor Assistant will sterilize them and return them in the room downstairs where you and your patient were seated originally before the examination started.
-As a time saver and advice, run your instruments through the ultrasonic first, then clean up your area, and before you walk out of the clinic with all your items, bag your instruments to be processed through the autoclave. This is especially important for the morning group as the afternoon group will be minutes behind you.
-Barrier and dispose the chair exactly the way it looked before you arrived before you leave the clinic.
-Before you leave the clinic with all your items, submit your white packet before. This contains a carbon copy of the process of care, badge, and a carbon copy of ITC form if applicable) The ITC form notifies the Chief Examiner and Candidate of 2nd submission acceptance or late check-in/check-out. In other words, you'll know if you have one of these.
-Go directly downstairs to wait for the examiners who are with your patient AFTER the exam is complete. The patient will be sent down with everything on the tray in a sealed bag. You will not get the tray back since it remains in the clinic
-The Floor Assistant will deliver the sterile instruments into that same room once they are complete. This generally takes about 20 minutes once they are bagged since the sterilizer is to be run constantly regardless of fullness.
-The left-handed chair was designated for left-handed candidates, but don't count on it. I don't know if this was because the Chief Examiner was nice or if it is standard.
First screening experience (March 9, 2012)
I have never screened for patients to meet my requirements before, so this was a good experience to learn for the time when I really need to know how! I wasn't planning on screening with the rest of the class this day because so many people were interested. I had my mid semester counseling with Prof. Costley who mentioned the screenings. I, then, learned how important the screenings were. Yes, they are good to find patients and meet requirements, but what about if I don't find patients who suits my needs? At least I tried! I figured this would be my only saving grace at end of semester conferences if I didn't meet my requirements. I caught on to her lead very quickly. It was that day that I realized I needed to find 3 patients to screen and be there the whole time. Prof. Costley was giving of her time for this opportunity, and I needed to take advantage of it.. for the experience and what I mentioned above. As the time grew closer, more and more people decided they didn't want to do the screenings because it's hard to find patients who are willing to come in and it's hard to tell them why we're doing it. Either way it didn't matter how "hard" it was going to be, I had to put forth an effort and get as many people to schedule as possible.
I was able to do it! I got 3 patients scheduled in my chair for the time frame of 8-11. That gave me 1 hour per patient to get the x-rays needed taken, probe readings measured, an accurate perio description done, and had Prof. Costley to check and verify what I did was good.
The morning of the screening, my nerves took full force. I wasn't sure what I was doing because I wasn't well informed, so I decided to just try and go with it for my first patient. Sure enough, it went fine! I was able to get everything completed in enough time to see my next patient. My second patient was full of questions and things he thought he knew. This would've been more than fine during a regular cleaning period but not really during a screenign since there is such a short amount time time given. I did the best I could, and I think I made him happy. My 3rd patient arrived early so a girl who's patient no-showed went ahead and took him back for me. She got started, and when I was done with my patient, I was able to go help finish him up. All in all, this experience went really well! I was so proud of myself for having a full schedule and getting all that I needed to get done completed. I was able to classify 3 patients as Class II and help one girl in the program to meet that requirement. While I had arleady seen my Class II patient and was screening for my Class III, I felt really good about this day and knew I worked hard and did the best I could!
I was able to do it! I got 3 patients scheduled in my chair for the time frame of 8-11. That gave me 1 hour per patient to get the x-rays needed taken, probe readings measured, an accurate perio description done, and had Prof. Costley to check and verify what I did was good.
The morning of the screening, my nerves took full force. I wasn't sure what I was doing because I wasn't well informed, so I decided to just try and go with it for my first patient. Sure enough, it went fine! I was able to get everything completed in enough time to see my next patient. My second patient was full of questions and things he thought he knew. This would've been more than fine during a regular cleaning period but not really during a screenign since there is such a short amount time time given. I did the best I could, and I think I made him happy. My 3rd patient arrived early so a girl who's patient no-showed went ahead and took him back for me. She got started, and when I was done with my patient, I was able to go help finish him up. All in all, this experience went really well! I was so proud of myself for having a full schedule and getting all that I needed to get done completed. I was able to classify 3 patients as Class II and help one girl in the program to meet that requirement. While I had arleady seen my Class II patient and was screening for my Class III, I felt really good about this day and knew I worked hard and did the best I could!
11th Patient
Goal: Complete 4 quads Class IB, 1 set of BWXActual: 4 quads Class IB, 4 BWX and 2 PAX, Blood Glucose PE
My dear friend came in to let me clean her teeth to meet my requirements. I have been so fortunate to have such great friends and family to support me through this program. I was able to get so much accomplished and serve her as well. I was able to pass off my Blood Glucose PE which I was nervous about because no one likes to be stuck for fun, but Kim didn't bat an eye when I asked her. I was able to complete everythign within the alloted time which made her happy as well. This was such a good experience and a confidence booster. Kim had such great teeth and oral hygiene! There really wasn't anything to nag about which made it so nice! :)
My dear friend came in to let me clean her teeth to meet my requirements. I have been so fortunate to have such great friends and family to support me through this program. I was able to get so much accomplished and serve her as well. I was able to pass off my Blood Glucose PE which I was nervous about because no one likes to be stuck for fun, but Kim didn't bat an eye when I asked her. I was able to complete everythign within the alloted time which made her happy as well. This was such a good experience and a confidence booster. Kim had such great teeth and oral hygiene! There really wasn't anything to nag about which made it so nice! :)
Monday, March 5, 2012
10th Patient
Goal: Complete IB in one appointment, possible sealant experience, 4 BWX
Actual: Completed IB in one appointment with time left over :), 4BWX and 1 PAX, and 4 Sealants placed!
I was a little nervous for today because this was my first patient I actually wanted to finish in one appointment. I was nervous for the actual patient because it seems like family/friends have a harder time with me than other people (I'm pretty sure I already explained why before this post). I was able to complete 4 BWX and 1 PAX without any retakes which was such a relief and good on time. My patient was very jumpy during the probing and scaling. She had gingivitis so I explained to her why is hurts. I think she understood after that and got motivated to control her oral health. Today was a good self-esteem booster. I was able to meet my goal and do a little more. I want to be able to continue to increase my time, so I can see 2 IB in one appointment.
Actual: Completed IB in one appointment with time left over :), 4BWX and 1 PAX, and 4 Sealants placed!
I was a little nervous for today because this was my first patient I actually wanted to finish in one appointment. I was nervous for the actual patient because it seems like family/friends have a harder time with me than other people (I'm pretty sure I already explained why before this post). I was able to complete 4 BWX and 1 PAX without any retakes which was such a relief and good on time. My patient was very jumpy during the probing and scaling. She had gingivitis so I explained to her why is hurts. I think she understood after that and got motivated to control her oral health. Today was a good self-esteem booster. I was able to meet my goal and do a little more. I want to be able to continue to increase my time, so I can see 2 IB in one appointment.
7th patient Final appointment
Goal: Complete Class II quads (3), PEs Anterior #2, Ultrasonic #2
Actual: Completed Class II (3), PEs Anterior #2, Ultrasonic #2
Today was such a good day! I came prepared to get my patient completed today and ready to pass off a couple PEs. My patient had a really hard time holding still in the chair as I was scaling because she was really sensitive to the ultrasonic and hand scalers. I tried to be kind, and because of this, I missed a lot of the anterior maxillary calculus. Professor Costley was my instructor for today. She noticed 11 missed areas. She asked Karen (a TA) to come over and help me get the calculus removed. This was the highlight of my total dental hygiene experience! I loved having her right there with me. Since I am left-handed and she is right we were able to sit in the right positions and not move. We passed instruments back and forth and was able to get all the calculus off! I was so impressed with this experience! It made my whole week! I know my patient had a sore mouth, but I made sure she knew how great of a cleaning she got and told her how thankful I was that she allowed me to do this. I think by the end and after a few days she appreciated the cleaning and knew what a great value she received. I wish I could express how excited I was able this experience. I really felt what calculus feels like and was taught a few tricks to get it the first few times.
Actual: Completed Class II (3), PEs Anterior #2, Ultrasonic #2
Today was such a good day! I came prepared to get my patient completed today and ready to pass off a couple PEs. My patient had a really hard time holding still in the chair as I was scaling because she was really sensitive to the ultrasonic and hand scalers. I tried to be kind, and because of this, I missed a lot of the anterior maxillary calculus. Professor Costley was my instructor for today. She noticed 11 missed areas. She asked Karen (a TA) to come over and help me get the calculus removed. This was the highlight of my total dental hygiene experience! I loved having her right there with me. Since I am left-handed and she is right we were able to sit in the right positions and not move. We passed instruments back and forth and was able to get all the calculus off! I was so impressed with this experience! It made my whole week! I know my patient had a sore mouth, but I made sure she knew how great of a cleaning she got and told her how thankful I was that she allowed me to do this. I think by the end and after a few days she appreciated the cleaning and knew what a great value she received. I wish I could express how excited I was able this experience. I really felt what calculus feels like and was taught a few tricks to get it the first few times.
Monday, February 27, 2012
8th and 9th Patient day
Goal: Complete 2 IA, 2 sets of BWX, and sealants
Actual: 2 IA, 2 sets of BWX, and sealants on 1 of my patients
I was a little bit nervous for today to come because I was planning to attempt to see 2 patients in one day. I only had one chair to use because the overflow was taken, so that added extra stress to get done in time. I saw my first patient and everything went well... well kinda. We had a few kinks in the x-ray room with the electronics and Shick was difficult to get for my patient and his tiny mouth. I was able to get 4 sealants done today on this patient, but I had to wait 20 minutes for the dentist to check. I had completed the whole appointment waiting on him. Sheesh! Otherthan that it went great!
My second patient was so great! I was worried he was going to be difficult because he is little and jittery, but he actually did very very well! The x-rays went really well and so did the cleaning. I was able to complete him very quickly without any problems. I got done with clinic early and was able to clean up and turn in my chart on time today! What a great day!
Actual: 2 IA, 2 sets of BWX, and sealants on 1 of my patients
I was a little bit nervous for today to come because I was planning to attempt to see 2 patients in one day. I only had one chair to use because the overflow was taken, so that added extra stress to get done in time. I saw my first patient and everything went well... well kinda. We had a few kinks in the x-ray room with the electronics and Shick was difficult to get for my patient and his tiny mouth. I was able to get 4 sealants done today on this patient, but I had to wait 20 minutes for the dentist to check. I had completed the whole appointment waiting on him. Sheesh! Otherthan that it went great!
My second patient was so great! I was worried he was going to be difficult because he is little and jittery, but he actually did very very well! The x-rays went really well and so did the cleaning. I was able to complete him very quickly without any problems. I got done with clinic early and was able to clean up and turn in my chart on time today! What a great day!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
7th Patient 1st appointment 2/22/2012
Goal: Complete IB, 4 BWX, 4 PAX, and 2 PEs in one clinic session
Actual: 1 quad Class II, 4 BWX, 4 PAX, 2 PEs- Diagnodent, and Explorer #2
Today was making me nervous because I had created such a challenging goal but thought it was fair for how well I had been doing in clinic. I started off my appointment with x-rays. I needed to complete another Shick experience but had a tough time getting it to fit in her mouth and get a good x-ray. I was able to get good BWX, but I needed help getting the maxillary anterior teeth. I kept cutting off the apex. When I was taking the x-rays I noticed radiographic calculus which made me super excited. I mentioned what I saw in the films to my patient (which let's be honest, meant nothing to her) and told her I hoped she was a Class II. I wasn't confident in my findings, so I told her my instructor would let me know. My patient was so great and very patient with me and this experience. I finally completed this and moved on to the OD process. When I was taking probe readings, my heart sank. I thought she was a IB and really wished she was a Class II. I still had the radiographic calculus in the back of my mind and wasn't sure about bone loss. When my instructor came over, she noted bone loss on the mandibular arch. I immediately was so excited and couldn't contain myself! (Thank goodness my patient was another family member) My instructor helped me get the anterior PAX, so she asked to see them and verified 2 more quads of a Class II! I was so excited I could feel my heart racing! I wanted to do a little dance but luckily I was able to contain that :) There was quite a bit of calculus and my instructor reminded me I only had 15 minutes until the first scale check. I was only able to complete 1 quad and missed 4 areas of calculus, 2 of which I knew I missed because I couldn't get it... to be honest my insturctor struggled to get it herself!
Although my goal wasn't met, I was so glad to have such a great clinic day! I am thankful for such great reliable patients that are so willing to help and support me! I was so tired after that but so relieved! I couldn't go home I had CA that day which was another success! :)
Actual: 1 quad Class II, 4 BWX, 4 PAX, 2 PEs- Diagnodent, and Explorer #2
Today was making me nervous because I had created such a challenging goal but thought it was fair for how well I had been doing in clinic. I started off my appointment with x-rays. I needed to complete another Shick experience but had a tough time getting it to fit in her mouth and get a good x-ray. I was able to get good BWX, but I needed help getting the maxillary anterior teeth. I kept cutting off the apex. When I was taking the x-rays I noticed radiographic calculus which made me super excited. I mentioned what I saw in the films to my patient (which let's be honest, meant nothing to her) and told her I hoped she was a Class II. I wasn't confident in my findings, so I told her my instructor would let me know. My patient was so great and very patient with me and this experience. I finally completed this and moved on to the OD process. When I was taking probe readings, my heart sank. I thought she was a IB and really wished she was a Class II. I still had the radiographic calculus in the back of my mind and wasn't sure about bone loss. When my instructor came over, she noted bone loss on the mandibular arch. I immediately was so excited and couldn't contain myself! (Thank goodness my patient was another family member) My instructor helped me get the anterior PAX, so she asked to see them and verified 2 more quads of a Class II! I was so excited I could feel my heart racing! I wanted to do a little dance but luckily I was able to contain that :) There was quite a bit of calculus and my instructor reminded me I only had 15 minutes until the first scale check. I was only able to complete 1 quad and missed 4 areas of calculus, 2 of which I knew I missed because I couldn't get it... to be honest my insturctor struggled to get it herself!
Although my goal wasn't met, I was so glad to have such a great clinic day! I am thankful for such great reliable patients that are so willing to help and support me! I was so tired after that but so relieved! I couldn't go home I had CA that day which was another success! :)
6th Patient Day 2/13/2012
Goal: Class IA, 2 BWX, and Sealant PE
Actual: Class IA, 2 BWX, PEs- Sealant and Air Powder polish
I had my day planned out so I would see 2 children. My first patient's mother text me over the weekend saying her child got sick and didn't think it would be a good idea to have her daughter seen that day. I agreed and told her I would let Sierra know and see if she could see her another day. I will follow up with her next month to see if she had been seen.
I was still able to see one child that day. She happens to be in my family which made me nervous since family usually acts up when another family member is providing a service for them. I realized this when doing hair and I've noticed a little when watching other peers seeing family in the clinic. It makes sense though. Family are more relaxed to whimper or make you feel nervous not to make you feel bad but to tease and play. Either way I wasa little nervous.
When she came back I asked her if she was ready to take x-rays. She was such a good sport about it. I was able to get Shick x-rays with the first shot and she did great! I was so proud of her. I relaxed a little and knew she would be great for the rest of the appointment. I was able to get her cleaned in one appointment and was able to place sealants and use my air powder polish on her teeth to prep them for the sealant! She was so great! I got so much accomplished and I was able to pass on the sealant experience to one of my friends as well.
This day went really well for me! I had a little boost of confidence. This was such a good experience for her and for me.
Actual: Class IA, 2 BWX, PEs- Sealant and Air Powder polish
I had my day planned out so I would see 2 children. My first patient's mother text me over the weekend saying her child got sick and didn't think it would be a good idea to have her daughter seen that day. I agreed and told her I would let Sierra know and see if she could see her another day. I will follow up with her next month to see if she had been seen.
I was still able to see one child that day. She happens to be in my family which made me nervous since family usually acts up when another family member is providing a service for them. I realized this when doing hair and I've noticed a little when watching other peers seeing family in the clinic. It makes sense though. Family are more relaxed to whimper or make you feel nervous not to make you feel bad but to tease and play. Either way I wasa little nervous.
When she came back I asked her if she was ready to take x-rays. She was such a good sport about it. I was able to get Shick x-rays with the first shot and she did great! I was so proud of her. I relaxed a little and knew she would be great for the rest of the appointment. I was able to get her cleaned in one appointment and was able to place sealants and use my air powder polish on her teeth to prep them for the sealant! She was so great! I got so much accomplished and I was able to pass on the sealant experience to one of my friends as well.
This day went really well for me! I had a little boost of confidence. This was such a good experience for her and for me.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
5th Patient Final appointment
Goal: 2 Quads Class V, 1 PE- Intraoral
Actual: 2 Quads Class V, 1 PE- Intraoral
Today went very smooth. I was able to finish my patient in 1 hour and 15 minutes. I finished her left side, selective polish, and Fluoride Varnish. I had to wait a little bit for my instructor for the first scale check because someone was passing off a PE, so I was able to complete all my charting during that time. I only missed 2 areas of calculus. I was able to feel what she felt with an explorer but had a difficult time feeling what I felt with a scaler. I have a feeling this will be what I struggle with. I need to learn to get deeper inside the pocket and adapt a little better to access what I'm trying to get. I am thankful for my experiences of missing calculus (even though it hurts my grade) because I am able to feel where calculus lies on each tooth and in different areas. I felt like my biggest battle at the beginning of the semester was tackling the paperwork. I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on what is expected for the paperwork, and I'm getting faster and more efficient at writing it down because I've memorized the way they have it organized. Overall I feel good about the way today went. I hope I continue to get better, faster, and more efficient!
Actual: 2 Quads Class V, 1 PE- Intraoral
Today went very smooth. I was able to finish my patient in 1 hour and 15 minutes. I finished her left side, selective polish, and Fluoride Varnish. I had to wait a little bit for my instructor for the first scale check because someone was passing off a PE, so I was able to complete all my charting during that time. I only missed 2 areas of calculus. I was able to feel what she felt with an explorer but had a difficult time feeling what I felt with a scaler. I have a feeling this will be what I struggle with. I need to learn to get deeper inside the pocket and adapt a little better to access what I'm trying to get. I am thankful for my experiences of missing calculus (even though it hurts my grade) because I am able to feel where calculus lies on each tooth and in different areas. I felt like my biggest battle at the beginning of the semester was tackling the paperwork. I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on what is expected for the paperwork, and I'm getting faster and more efficient at writing it down because I've memorized the way they have it organized. Overall I feel good about the way today went. I hope I continue to get better, faster, and more efficient!
Monday, February 6, 2012
5th Patient first appointment
Goal: 2 Quads Class II, 4 BWX, 4 PAX, 2 PEs
Actual: 2 Quads Class V, 4 BWX, 4 PAX
I received this patient from my peer pal. She was screening for board patients and came across her. She said she was a Class II, but wasn't a good board patient so she referred her to me. I was so excited to finally see a Class II. This patient was super cooperative with scheduling and confirming. I felt really good about this because I have had a bad experience with flaky patients. My patient showed up right on time and mentioned she only had $32 for today. I was able to explain the importance of x-rays since it had been a while since she had been seen by a dentist. She agreed t o4 BWX and 4 PAX. She did so well in the x-ray room with a small mouth using Shick. I was so glad to have this opportunity. I also noted the slight loss of lamina dura and got excited. She may actually be a Class II! I took her back to my chair and started the OD process (extra/intra oral exam for cancer, dent eval for caries, and perio statement). I was finding deeper pockets and felt good about all of it other than she didn't have much calculus supragingivally. I got a little nervous about it. Sure enough, my instructor comes over, bursts my bubble, and tells me this patient is a Class V. :( Sad day for me. This will make 3 Class V patients I've seen. Hopefully, this will count for something. I feel like I'm getting farther and farther behind. I was hoping to pass off PEs and get ahead of the game.... She was a great patient and super sweet though! I guess I can't be too picky, right?
Actual: 2 Quads Class V, 4 BWX, 4 PAX
I received this patient from my peer pal. She was screening for board patients and came across her. She said she was a Class II, but wasn't a good board patient so she referred her to me. I was so excited to finally see a Class II. This patient was super cooperative with scheduling and confirming. I felt really good about this because I have had a bad experience with flaky patients. My patient showed up right on time and mentioned she only had $32 for today. I was able to explain the importance of x-rays since it had been a while since she had been seen by a dentist. She agreed t o4 BWX and 4 PAX. She did so well in the x-ray room with a small mouth using Shick. I was so glad to have this opportunity. I also noted the slight loss of lamina dura and got excited. She may actually be a Class II! I took her back to my chair and started the OD process (extra/intra oral exam for cancer, dent eval for caries, and perio statement). I was finding deeper pockets and felt good about all of it other than she didn't have much calculus supragingivally. I got a little nervous about it. Sure enough, my instructor comes over, bursts my bubble, and tells me this patient is a Class V. :( Sad day for me. This will make 3 Class V patients I've seen. Hopefully, this will count for something. I feel like I'm getting farther and farther behind. I was hoping to pass off PEs and get ahead of the game.... She was a great patient and super sweet though! I guess I can't be too picky, right?
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
4th Patient Second appointment TODAY!
Goal: 2 Quads Class V
Actual : 2 Quads Class V
My patient, again, came early for his premed which was great. I was able to get him in the chair on time and get right to work. I went over the OHI with him, and he seems to be doing better with his flossing and oral hygiene in general. I was so proud of him. I completed the cleaning and was able to talk to him about the importance of fluoride in his daily life. He had a few areas of suspicion so I wanted to stress the importance of fluoride. He was very receptive to this and was willing to get the fluoride I recommended. He didn't want x-rays to check the other teeth because he can get them at the VA. I hope he follows through and takes care of himself.
Actual : 2 Quads Class V
My patient, again, came early for his premed which was great. I was able to get him in the chair on time and get right to work. I went over the OHI with him, and he seems to be doing better with his flossing and oral hygiene in general. I was so proud of him. I completed the cleaning and was able to talk to him about the importance of fluoride in his daily life. He had a few areas of suspicion so I wanted to stress the importance of fluoride. He was very receptive to this and was willing to get the fluoride I recommended. He didn't want x-rays to check the other teeth because he can get them at the VA. I hope he follows through and takes care of himself.
3rd Patient Second Appointment 1/30/12
Goal: 4 quads, 2 PEs
Actual: 4 Quads Class 1B, 3 PEs
Today went really well. I was able to get through the rest of the cleaning and do OHI with her. She seemed receptive to the OHI. I hope I made a difference in her dental experience. She did really well with her anxiety, and I was able to complete the universal 1, selcetive polish, and peer scale check PEs today. I feel like I am getting closer to completing a patient in one appointment if I work a little more efficient. I had plenty of time after she left to do other things, so I am going to start working extra hard during the first appointment to get them completed instead of wasting time during the second appointment.
Actual: 4 Quads Class 1B, 3 PEs
Today went really well. I was able to get through the rest of the cleaning and do OHI with her. She seemed receptive to the OHI. I hope I made a difference in her dental experience. She did really well with her anxiety, and I was able to complete the universal 1, selcetive polish, and peer scale check PEs today. I feel like I am getting closer to completing a patient in one appointment if I work a little more efficient. I had plenty of time after she left to do other things, so I am going to start working extra hard during the first appointment to get them completed instead of wasting time during the second appointment.
4th Patient First appointment 1/25/12
Goal: 4 BWs, 2 Quads, 2 PEs
Actual: 2 Quads Class V, 1 PEs
Today I was able to see my second Class V patient. Since I had a little experience with this I wasn't as nervous. He was easy to get a hold of and actually came to the clinic Monday for his premed (because all of his MDs have retired). I had a good feeling about this patient. I showed up early this day and was able to get completely set-up when I saw him up front 30 minutes early to get his premed so it would be in his system 1 hour prior to instrumentation. What an awesome patient! Today went really well. He did refuse x-rays, so I wasn't able to get those but I was able to get the ultrasonic 1 PE passed off thanks to Instructor Caldwell who reminded me that an ultrasonic helps with moderate supragingival calculus. This worked so well! My patient was hard of hearing, so it was difficult to talk to him and make sure he understood. I showed him plenty of OHI this day to help him keep his teeth clean. He was very appreciative. When I walked him out he wasn't understanding why I needed to bring him back. I was able to call later that day to explain to his wife why I needed to see him again. She was very sweet to explain to him and make sure he would be here for his next appointment. Overall, it was a good day!
Actual: 2 Quads Class V, 1 PEs
Today I was able to see my second Class V patient. Since I had a little experience with this I wasn't as nervous. He was easy to get a hold of and actually came to the clinic Monday for his premed (because all of his MDs have retired). I had a good feeling about this patient. I showed up early this day and was able to get completely set-up when I saw him up front 30 minutes early to get his premed so it would be in his system 1 hour prior to instrumentation. What an awesome patient! Today went really well. He did refuse x-rays, so I wasn't able to get those but I was able to get the ultrasonic 1 PE passed off thanks to Instructor Caldwell who reminded me that an ultrasonic helps with moderate supragingival calculus. This worked so well! My patient was hard of hearing, so it was difficult to talk to him and make sure he understood. I showed him plenty of OHI this day to help him keep his teeth clean. He was very appreciative. When I walked him out he wasn't understanding why I needed to bring him back. I was able to call later that day to explain to his wife why I needed to see him again. She was very sweet to explain to him and make sure he would be here for his next appointment. Overall, it was a good day!
3rd Patient First appointment 1/23/12
Goal: Complete 4 BWs, and 2 Quads, and 2 PEs
I had such a hard time getting my patient to confirm her appointment over the weekend for today and had a bad feeling today was going to be bad. Well my gut feeling was right. My patient actually did confirm but then cancelled her appointment 1 hour before clinic started which made for a scramble. I was able to call my mother-in-law to see if she was willing to come (I prepped her that weekend). She said she would but was a little worried about getting lost on campus. One good thing about having an unemployed husband, he was able to drive her up here. We decided that weekend to work on our kitchen counter tops and redo them. He was hard at work to finish up some of it then he needed to prep for class that night. Well I ruined his whole plan for that day. HE thought I was only going to be an hour in clinic today so he didn't get any studying done for class and was scrambling after clinic was over... AWFUL! While I was waiting for them to arrive (1 hours later) I was able to pass off my sharpening PE. Anyway, my mother-in-law comes in with a little anxiety (who doesn't have a little doing something new). I tried to be professional and treat her well. I was able to get 4 BWX and 1 Pano.... with issues of course. When it rains it pours. I had to retake 3 BWX and the Pano touched her shoulder, so I had to retake that as well. The rough part about that it all of them were conventional which meant a lot of developing :( Dang it! Such a time waster. By the time I needed to walk her out, I was able to complete her full Hx, HHx/Rx, and OD. I wasn't able to get to the OHI which was a blessing for her that she didn't even know about. Oh well. I survived an awful clinic and get some x-rays to go toward my requirements. Thanks to her! She has been such a blessing in our lives this month. She has saved us with dinner many times and now Clinic! Wow What a Woman!
I had such a hard time getting my patient to confirm her appointment over the weekend for today and had a bad feeling today was going to be bad. Well my gut feeling was right. My patient actually did confirm but then cancelled her appointment 1 hour before clinic started which made for a scramble. I was able to call my mother-in-law to see if she was willing to come (I prepped her that weekend). She said she would but was a little worried about getting lost on campus. One good thing about having an unemployed husband, he was able to drive her up here. We decided that weekend to work on our kitchen counter tops and redo them. He was hard at work to finish up some of it then he needed to prep for class that night. Well I ruined his whole plan for that day. HE thought I was only going to be an hour in clinic today so he didn't get any studying done for class and was scrambling after clinic was over... AWFUL! While I was waiting for them to arrive (1 hours later) I was able to pass off my sharpening PE. Anyway, my mother-in-law comes in with a little anxiety (who doesn't have a little doing something new). I tried to be professional and treat her well. I was able to get 4 BWX and 1 Pano.... with issues of course. When it rains it pours. I had to retake 3 BWX and the Pano touched her shoulder, so I had to retake that as well. The rough part about that it all of them were conventional which meant a lot of developing :( Dang it! Such a time waster. By the time I needed to walk her out, I was able to complete her full Hx, HHx/Rx, and OD. I wasn't able to get to the OHI which was a blessing for her that she didn't even know about. Oh well. I survived an awful clinic and get some x-rays to go toward my requirements. Thanks to her! She has been such a blessing in our lives this month. She has saved us with dinner many times and now Clinic! Wow What a Woman!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
2nd Patient final appointment
Goal: complete the other 2 quads, Fl, and sel/pol
I forgot to set my alarm clock last night to make sure to be up at 6 to get ready and be to school by 7:30 for clinic set up. I woke up 5 mintues before my alarm was "supposed" to go off and I noticed it wasn't set. I panicked but was also so grateful I woke up on my own with stress of how clinic will go. I was off to school in good time and was able to get completely set up for my patient before she arrived. I got my patient back and immediately got ot work. I was really proud of myself for the way today went. I was able to pass off 2 PEs, anterior scaling #1 and explorer #1. The LL quad on the posterior was so hard to scale on the buccal side, but I was able to do it on my own without missing a piece back there. I missed some on the lower anterior teeth which seems to be my norm. I need to get better at this. BUT YAY! I did the posteriors so well! My patient, again, was so great and patient. I was able to get her out the door 45 minutes early which made her so happy :) I am able to get caught up and feel good about clinic.
I forgot to set my alarm clock last night to make sure to be up at 6 to get ready and be to school by 7:30 for clinic set up. I woke up 5 mintues before my alarm was "supposed" to go off and I noticed it wasn't set. I panicked but was also so grateful I woke up on my own with stress of how clinic will go. I was off to school in good time and was able to get completely set up for my patient before she arrived. I got my patient back and immediately got ot work. I was really proud of myself for the way today went. I was able to pass off 2 PEs, anterior scaling #1 and explorer #1. The LL quad on the posterior was so hard to scale on the buccal side, but I was able to do it on my own without missing a piece back there. I missed some on the lower anterior teeth which seems to be my norm. I need to get better at this. BUT YAY! I did the posteriors so well! My patient, again, was so great and patient. I was able to get her out the door 45 minutes early which made her so happy :) I am able to get caught up and feel good about clinic.
2nd patient of the semester 1/11/12
GOAL: Complete OD, 4 BWX (maybe pano), and do 2 quads if my patient is a IB.
Today went really well. I was able to complete the OD with no complications. I took 4 BWX conventional film, but no pano was taken because my patient didn't want one. I found after the OD that my patient was actually classified as Class V. I was nervous for this because I didn't know what to expect with scaling. My instructor gave me the confidence to complete 2 quads and I was able to in 40 minutes. I was really proud of myself and was definitely a confidence boost. My patient was very sweet throughout the appointment and didn't cause me any problems. She was very relaxed which helped me be relaxed since I have never worked on anyone I didn't already know. I felt like today was a success. Everything went smoothly unlike the last time I had clinic.
Today went really well. I was able to complete the OD with no complications. I took 4 BWX conventional film, but no pano was taken because my patient didn't want one. I found after the OD that my patient was actually classified as Class V. I was nervous for this because I didn't know what to expect with scaling. My instructor gave me the confidence to complete 2 quads and I was able to in 40 minutes. I was really proud of myself and was definitely a confidence boost. My patient was very sweet throughout the appointment and didn't cause me any problems. She was very relaxed which helped me be relaxed since I have never worked on anyone I didn't already know. I felt like today was a success. Everything went smoothly unlike the last time I had clinic.
Monday, January 9, 2012
1st Patient day in Spring 2012
GOAL: complete the scaling on the UR and UL, take 16 PAs to complete a full mouth series, sel/pol, and Fl.
Today definitely came with a few kinks. Right off the bat, I took my PA x-rays then processed them in the Scan-x. I was confused with the way the films looked because they were so fuzzy. Instructor Vining notified me that the processor was set on Pano so the definition wasn't there and told me to retake them since they weren't diagnostic. My patient was my husband and I could tell he was a little irritated. He knew it wasn't my fault, but he had an understanding of radiation so it bothered him. I completely understand why not to mention the discomfort of PAs in general. I was sweating and my stomach hurt. I felt like such an idiot. Once I completed this, I noticed I needed retakes but Instructor Vining said we'll have to keep them the way they are because of the radiation policy of the clinic. The OHI process went well and so did the scaling. I only missed one spot. I was able to polish and place fluoride varnish. My husband hated the varnish... oops! The walkout process was such a headache for me today. I forgot how to do it and the system changed so Instructor Vining wasn't sure how to do it. After we figured it out, I put it to memory. I think next clinic will be easier to remember.... hopefully! :)
Today definitely came with a few kinks. Right off the bat, I took my PA x-rays then processed them in the Scan-x. I was confused with the way the films looked because they were so fuzzy. Instructor Vining notified me that the processor was set on Pano so the definition wasn't there and told me to retake them since they weren't diagnostic. My patient was my husband and I could tell he was a little irritated. He knew it wasn't my fault, but he had an understanding of radiation so it bothered him. I completely understand why not to mention the discomfort of PAs in general. I was sweating and my stomach hurt. I felt like such an idiot. Once I completed this, I noticed I needed retakes but Instructor Vining said we'll have to keep them the way they are because of the radiation policy of the clinic. The OHI process went well and so did the scaling. I only missed one spot. I was able to polish and place fluoride varnish. My husband hated the varnish... oops! The walkout process was such a headache for me today. I forgot how to do it and the system changed so Instructor Vining wasn't sure how to do it. After we figured it out, I put it to memory. I think next clinic will be easier to remember.... hopefully! :)
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