11/28/2011

This was last clinic day. I was able to go over the chart from last clinic day and fix the errors that I made. That helps me realize what I need to work on.  I feel like my hardest sheet to fill out is the perio blue sheet.  I am not completely comfortable with it yet.  The rest of clinic was going over CA duties, safety and clinic manual quiz. It is amazing how much we have covered this semester. Reading through the clinic manual at the end was very helpful because I felt like I understood it better as I read through it again. I look forward to next semester so that I can get more comfortable putting all of what we learned together. I also finished my x-ray practical exam today and I was disappointed a bit on my bwx.  I missed a premolar on one shot. I felt like I could have done a better job on my film placement.  I am finding out that when I am so nervous I don't do as well. I plan on working on that more next semester.

11/21/2011

It was real pt day.  I have been looking forward to this day, but I was surprised that I was a little more nervous than I expected.  One problem was having my x-rays done so late in the day, it put my tx plan and walk out paper work even farther behind.  I forgot to have the pt sign that she took the x-rays, I am like a dinosaur with all the computer programs.  I hope they become more familiar with use. I also am unsure about recording suspicious lesions that I noted on the x-ray sheet, but didn't record onto the green sheet or under dent. In retrospect I am pretty sure I did that wrong. What I did right....well some paper work (I hope), probing was accurate, recession measurements, and dental charting.  Probing took me a long time. I wish that I had a chance to disclose, but will do that next time.  I found it difficult to be responsible to read the x-rays because it is a real person and not just dexter. We charted occlusal suspicious lesions in class but, but I didn't have it in my brain that if I thought I saw inter proximal caries that I should also mark that on the green sheet and note suspicious lesions on the treatment record. I am glad that we have another year and half to remember all of this and get to the point that it is comfortable and not so overwhelming.  My pt. was a good sport to come in.  I owe her some chocolate.

11/16/2011

Today is my daughters 16th birthday!!  Yes that makes me older too.  In clinic I was the operator again and I finished scaling the last two quadrants, selective polished, flossed, and applied fluoride varnish.  It was good learning time for me. I am getting more and more comfortable, specifically with the posterior scaling.  It is tricky along the distal of 2, and 15. The instructors are very helpful to show me pointers in sitting positions, fulcruming, and even using the mirror to hold oral tissues out of the way.  I am excited about Monday because we get to work on someone besides ourselves.  Lori is my pt and doing me such a huge favor I owe her a lot of chocolate... or something.

11/14/2011

I was the operator today. It went well.  I got through probing, (my least favorite) we also had to do a new HHX sheet and so I took the BP, P, R, which was also good review for me before we have our real pt on Monday. Scaling went well. I learned some new tricks, and sitting positions to be able to see the linguals better on the mandibular molars. I found some calculas on #5, it did have a rough texture so it was good to feel the differences.  I missed one probing number, and a little plaque on the anterior linguals around the lingual bars.  It was helpful to have the disclosing agent left on the teeth.  It is a good way to start.  Next Monday I have a real pt come in and I am wanting to feel more comfortable with the flow of all the charting, instructor checks and treatment planning, and walk outs.  I hope that I can keep this all straight. I am currently reading over the clinic manual so that I can remember all of the rules.

11/9/2011

It was second day of me being a mock pt.  Erin did a great job. She is so good at adapting around the tooth when she is scaling. It felt like she got better and better as she went along. She also kept well within her time frame.  I am looking forward to next week to be the operator.  I feel like we have learned a lot this semester and I now want the chance to put it into practice.  I found someone to be my patient for Nov. 21, a friend of mine is coming in.  It is all scheduled into eaglesoft, including the x-rays. I also passed off my sharpening PE. 

11/7/11

I was the patient today for the mock pt day.  Erin was the operator and she did an awesome job. She is very good at adapting when probing and scaling.  Her feed back was that it was not as bad as she thought it would be.  I think that charting and instructor checks are starting to get more comfortable.  I am sad because my sharpening stone broke today. It just slipped off the counter when I picked something up.  I am taking a set of instruments home today and the typodont so I can re-familiarize myself with scaling again.  Next Monday I am the operator.   

11/2/11

We are getting closer to our mock pt day.  I am looking forward to when we can walk through from start to finish.  It helps to seal it in your memory in a chronological order.  I passed off my fluoride, air/powder polisher, and sealant today. I am planning to have my neighbor come in for Nov. 21 so I will confirm that and schedule it in eaglesoft.

10/31/11

I passed off the selective polishing and eagle soft tx plan.  We learned how to use sealants.  I put two sealants on Megan premolars, it was not as hard as I expected.  She placed 4 sealants for me.  I want to be able to bring in my little niece and nephews when they get their perm. teeth in and seal them.  Less cavities.  We also took x-rays on each other today. I was really happy because I didn't have to do any retakes, they all turned out on the first take.  (pat myself on the back)  I like taking x-rays and find it comes easier than other things that we are learning. Over all it was a very productive day.

10/26/2011

We did a lot today.  The air/power, polisher, flossing, brushing, and varnish.  I was looking forward all this time to using the polisher.Don't ask me why, just because. It is nice for a change to put something the patients mouth that won't jab or poke their gums while we are practicing.  Jacque was very patient as I experimented with all of this. She also showed me how to floss around her lingual bars with a floss threader.
I have to say as a patient I really dislike the varnish. I had my teeth all smooth and clean and that stuff feels like yuck. Good thing it is good for my enamel or it would be brushed off by now.

10/24/11

Today we learned how to make a treatment plan on eaglesoft.  The program was easier to use than I expected.  I also passed off OHI and the intraoral camera.  I read through that PE, but sometimes I get a brain freeze and I couldn't remember where you recorded it on the treatment form.  I will remember now.  It is recorded under the Tx as intraoral photo, indicating the structure photoed and what instructions were given to the pt.  I need to find out what you do with the printed version.  Do I send it home with the pt or put it in the chart.  Am I taking the photo to help the dentist see a structure better for diagnosis, or am I taking pictures so the pt can see problem areas?  Or maybe it is used for both. I am going to research this and find out.

10/19/2011

Today I was able to pass of my curet PE.  I feel like that I am more comfortable with it, but find it too big to use with classmates, I am curious how it would work with someone with a 5 + pocket.  I can see how it would help with that, but it is difficult to use now.  We also worked on TalVal OD, and charting.  The repetition is helping me to remember from class time to class time, and the student manual is making more sense when I review it. Yeh this is a long wknd, and the sun is out.

10/17/2011

Today at clinic we put together almost all the things we have learned so far.  It was great practice.  We first went over the pt HH form, through charting HHx and HHxRx, to OD recording extra,and intra oral exams, dent, and perio.  We also probed, and recorded.  Then OHI showing PFI and BFI, pts education, goals, and instructions. We ended with StatusRx. I would love to have that kind of practice again.  I think that we would get faster and more efficient with it,and put it into my long term memory. Hands on help me to visualize the information that I read over in the book too.  It just makes more sense.
I also tried to practice with my curet for a few minutes. I didn't get much time but I have a question about placing the tip of the working end properly onto the tooth. It is hard to get that 70 degree angles.  I am going to go over that at home, and then check with a instructor. Over all it was a good day

10/12/2011

I felt like we got a lot done today.  We went over OD on the dental hygiene assessment sheet and entered our Pod partners information into their chart.  It was good practice identifying composite fillings and sealants.  Every time we start some thing new I always feel so awkward.  But during pod rap the 2nd years said that is normal, they used the analogy of starting a new job.  Every thing is new and hard at first but it eventually comes more natural after awhile.  I liked that, very encouraging.  I happily passed off ant. scaling!!!  I like scaling, except for the lingual because of the mirror.  I plan on practicing at home more with the mirror image, and that will help me get used to it.

10/10/2011

Note to self.  On disclosure day make sure your alarm clock goes off, because 15 min to get ready also means a very short tooth brushing time, resulting in very purple teeth.  It was a good example of how not to brush.  After she took my PFI I brushed how I usually do and that was more helpful to see where typically I may miss.  We had a new partner today, and she did a great job with her anterior scaling.  I need some more time practicing, sometimes if you are second I feel like the time is cut short.  I plan on taking my instruments home to be ready to pass off on Wednesday.  It's all good.

10/5/2011

Celebrate today, I passed off my probing PE,  and explorer.  I had practiced at home a lot this week and was really worried about it because it is so different in clinic actually working in some ones mouth.  (at home the lighting is so bad I can't really read the probe.)  But good news is, I feel much more comfortable about it. Also thanks to Karen and her distal bump on the explorer I was understood how to find the right working end.  Thanks for sharing Karen! Note to self, I do think practicing at home is helpful even though it is just on a typodont. 

10/03/2011

Clinic today was scaling (anterior teeth) The practice went well, I just need to remember to do upward strokes instead of circular. I do find scaling and exploring more comfortable than probing.  I will pass of my probe PE on Wednesday, I am nervous about that.  I find it difficult to probe and read the lingual anterior teeth.  I am taking my instruments home again to practice on a poor family member, however it is difficult to see probing measurements because of poor lighting.  Tonight we will be back for a CE class from 6:30 - 8:30 it will be a long day. 

9/28/2011

Clinic today was good to learn more skills on probing. I think that I have a better feel for it, thanks to Karen... thanks to our TA's.  I see that when I come mesial to the tooth, to tilt my fulcrum along with my wrist to be able to angel in tight enough. The difficulty is going to be going fast enough.  I also like the space probe poem.  I am no longer going to count lines  up, but count spaces down. Logically it is much easier to count what you can see rather than trying to count what I can't see.
I passed off the intra oral PE. 

9/26/2011

Clinic today we learned how to explore.  I like it better than probing, it felt more comfortable.  I felt like I could use at least another 30 min.to practice it.  I did feel like I got the explorer in the col area. However when I when I tried  probing again it felt difficult to come mesial to the tooth and keep the angle right.  I need to practice the lingual posterior teeth the most so that I can pass off my PE.  I am also starting to feel more comfortable in my chair.  (if that makes sense?)
I plan to practice all of these at home this week to feel more confident, especially probing.

sept. 21, 2011

It was probe day!  We each had a turn, but I feel like I didn't get enough practice time.  I could use an hour or two more on a person. (my poor family)  I am looking forward to this weekend at UDHA.  This week has not been as stressful as last.  We are about finished with our case study, I have an anatomy test, no more classes this week, but will need to get ready for the Dent 2207 test. 

Sept 19/2011

Clinic today I got to be the "guinea pig" can't say I enjoyed that when every one craned their necks to see my Fordyce's spots, and gingivitis.  I swear I saw eye rolling in the crowd.  I did like doing an intra oral exam to  put a picture in my mind to all of the vocabulary words.  I passed off my vital signs PE and forgot to say  for the HHXRX that pt needs vitals done each visit. That should stay in my long term memory now.  Other than that it went fine.

Sept, 14, 2011

Today was the extra oral PE, and I passed off the health history PE.  We have found that it is very helpful to review our PE's with one another in our pod before passing it off.  What ever helps!  This week is very busy because of several tests on top of the workload. I like taking BP, it is easier than I thought.
Things are going well, just a lot of work. 

Sept 12/11

Today we learned how to take the blood pressure of our patient.  I learned that it is easier to hear the systolic and diastolic readings when I release the valve slower.  By my second try I felt more comfortable with finding the proper readings.  I passed off two more PE's.  Radiology was overwhelming today because of bisecting. Paralleling is better!  I also used the digital sensor, I liked having immediate x-ray pictures available. 

Wed Sept. 7

After clinic today I decided I do not need to be as scared as I thought I should be.  I passed off two more PE's. I am caught up!  Thanks goes out to my 2nd year mentor Kelsey.....when I felt over whelmed she was there to answer a few questions.  It is funny how stress can make a big deal out of little things.  Thanks Kelsey for de-stressing me. :)

wed Clinic

Today was a good day.  We learned chair side positions, and how to hold our instruments.  I will need some practice working with a mirror.  I passed off my first two PE's.  YES!

First post

I did it!