DONE! That's pretty much all I have to say! I am officially done with clinic this semester. And boy does it feel great! I can't believe how fast it went by! At the first of the semester I thought I would never make it through the first week let alone the first semester! But I did and I am definitely ready for a break!
We went over the grading rubric for Tal-Eval and how we will be scored next semester with our patients. It was a little stressful to think of having to see actual patients next semester, but I don't want to think of that now. I just want to enjoy the break.
We also learned about emergency preparedness and how we are to react in different situations. I hope I don't have to ever deal with an emergency because I don't know if I'd be able to stay calm! And that is the first step, so I would definitely fail. It is definitely good to know though because I am less likely to freak out if I am prepared and know what to do.
Lastly we learned about CA (clinic assistant) duties. Which was pretty straight forward. We get the opportunity next semester to be the CA twice. We help out where needed, make new charts, sterilize instruments, answer calls, and the list goes on and on.
I have definitely learned SO much this semester. I look back on all that we've gone over and think, Wow! I do still have some improving to do but that will come with the next three semesters!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
It's Here!
It came! After 15 weeks of learning different skills, they were finally put to the test today! It was our REAL patient day today! I'll admit, I was nervous for today! The thing that worried me the most is not having diagnostic radiographs and hurting my patient. Luckily I just messed up once and it was on my radiographs.
My peer pal was my first patient, and I am so glad it was her! It took away the stress of having to find a patient and making sure my patient actually showed up! I knew that she would be there and be on time! I was so relieved when she volunteered to be my patient. I wanted to just give her a big hug! Another bonus was that she was able to help me along, and give me pointers throughout the appointment.
All in all I felt pretty good about my patient treatment day. I felt like I was able to move through the flow of things nicely and quickly. I am so glad that I signed up for radiology first! I was able to have the room available when I wanted it and get them over with. I did struggle just a little on the radiographs. I had to do two retakes. I struggled getting the contact between 14 & 15 open. Professor Costley helped me finally be able to get it and of course it turned out perfectly! I learned that I can come a lot more mesially than I would think.
Probing also went faster than I was anticipating. Plus I got a few good pointers on how to improve my probing in the future. For the most part today was not as bad as I was anticipating! I was sure I was going to totally bomb the day. But I survived and got through everything I needed to for the day. Now I can relax and enjoy Thanksgiving! :)
My peer pal was my first patient, and I am so glad it was her! It took away the stress of having to find a patient and making sure my patient actually showed up! I knew that she would be there and be on time! I was so relieved when she volunteered to be my patient. I wanted to just give her a big hug! Another bonus was that she was able to help me along, and give me pointers throughout the appointment.
All in all I felt pretty good about my patient treatment day. I felt like I was able to move through the flow of things nicely and quickly. I am so glad that I signed up for radiology first! I was able to have the room available when I wanted it and get them over with. I did struggle just a little on the radiographs. I had to do two retakes. I struggled getting the contact between 14 & 15 open. Professor Costley helped me finally be able to get it and of course it turned out perfectly! I learned that I can come a lot more mesially than I would think.
Probing also went faster than I was anticipating. Plus I got a few good pointers on how to improve my probing in the future. For the most part today was not as bad as I was anticipating! I was sure I was going to totally bomb the day. But I survived and got through everything I needed to for the day. Now I can relax and enjoy Thanksgiving! :)
Monday, November 28, 2011
Round Two
I was the patient again today! And it was just as great as last time! But I did have radiology after clinic so I didn't get to come in street clothes or with painted nails. :( But I did still get to relax and take a little nap while my teeth were being cleaned.
It is always a good experience to be the patient. I get a new insight on how I should treat my patients. I definitely get a reminder that I need to be soft and not dig at my patients teeth! I have a new resolve to make sure I keep my grasp and strokes light when I don't have to remove any calculus.
In radiology we learned about panoramic films. I have been taking pano's the wrong way my whole life! Granted, I was never really taught the proper way to take a pano, so I should be cut a little slack, right? But they are pretty involved and it takes a lot of remembering to make sure you get all the steps.
I also learned how to take a conventional pano. At my dental office we only use digital and it goes right to the computer, so no developing whatsoever. It definitely is so much nicer than loading film. It is actually pretty tricky to load a pano in the daylight loader! There is not enough space in the loading area and you can't see what you're doing! Hopefully I will get faster at it, because it took me a good amount of time to load it.
It is always a good experience to be the patient. I get a new insight on how I should treat my patients. I definitely get a reminder that I need to be soft and not dig at my patients teeth! I have a new resolve to make sure I keep my grasp and strokes light when I don't have to remove any calculus.
In radiology we learned about panoramic films. I have been taking pano's the wrong way my whole life! Granted, I was never really taught the proper way to take a pano, so I should be cut a little slack, right? But they are pretty involved and it takes a lot of remembering to make sure you get all the steps.
I also learned how to take a conventional pano. At my dental office we only use digital and it goes right to the computer, so no developing whatsoever. It definitely is so much nicer than loading film. It is actually pretty tricky to load a pano in the daylight loader! There is not enough space in the loading area and you can't see what you're doing! Hopefully I will get faster at it, because it took me a good amount of time to load it.
A Day in the Patient Chair
So I finally got a break this week, and boy was I excited! I don't have a single care in clinic, which means I can focus all my stress on class instead of clinic. This week I get to be the patient. The best part... I get to have painted nails!! Oh I have missed nail polish so much! Plus I could wear street clothes and have my hair down so I have at least one day when I don't look like frump.
Amanda was my hygienist today and she was just the best! She was so professional and cute! I felt very calm and relaxed in the chair. Maybe a little too relaxed at some points ;). Poor Amanda had to deal with me falling asleep, I hope I didn't bite her or anything when I was zoning off. But I guess that means she was doing a good job since I wasn't jumping out of the chair.
I was actually surprised at how fast the appointment went. I thought for sure I would be laying there for hours and just be counting the seconds until I could leave. But it really wasn't bad at all! Plus I got another head and neck massage, and you can never complain about that! :)
I can't say enough how great it was to be able to go to clinic today and not have to worry about PE's, ergonomics or anything! It was just a relief! I wish I could have more days like this! ;)
Amanda was my hygienist today and she was just the best! She was so professional and cute! I felt very calm and relaxed in the chair. Maybe a little too relaxed at some points ;). Poor Amanda had to deal with me falling asleep, I hope I didn't bite her or anything when I was zoning off. But I guess that means she was doing a good job since I wasn't jumping out of the chair.
I was actually surprised at how fast the appointment went. I thought for sure I would be laying there for hours and just be counting the seconds until I could leave. But it really wasn't bad at all! Plus I got another head and neck massage, and you can never complain about that! :)
I can't say enough how great it was to be able to go to clinic today and not have to worry about PE's, ergonomics or anything! It was just a relief! I wish I could have more days like this! ;)
Friday, November 25, 2011
Continuing Care
Amanda was kind enough to agree to come back and let me finish scaling her mouth! And I was able to finish her all up today! It's such a relief to finally make it through one whole appointment with my patient.
Since I had just seen Amanda on Monday I just had to do a visual check for OD and I didn't have to get an instructor for an OD check. This made the appointment go by a lot faster and gave me more time to scale, which I needed since I had three quads to scale.
The TA's were really helpful today, I was really grateful for their advice and tips on scaling. I found that it's best/easier to scale one quad at a time. I was starting in the anterior's and then going posterior, but I found (with the help of the TA's) that it is easier to start posteriorly and work forward! It's little tricks like this that I learn when I am able to actually scale a whole mouth. I learn what works for me and what doesn't. I was also able to figure out my fulcrums and see what works best for me.
I finished scaling, did selective polishing, and a fluoride treatment! Then I was done with sometime to spare in clinic. With this extra time I passed off my final PE! Oh it feels so good to know I don't have to worry about anymore PE's this semester!
Mock Patient Day
Today was mock patient day, and I was so relieved to be the clinician first! I am able to get it over with! Amanda will be my patient for the week! I am so grateful for her! She is always so patient with me and gives me some good feedback which I appreciate!
I was a little more nervous then I thought I would be, especially because I've already worked on Amanda. But I made sure I got to clinic early enough to get set up and have some extra time to just relax. I only had to get through an OD appointment today which made me relax a little!
When the time came to actually get Amanda back I felt like I was all over the place! I just tried to keep a smile on my face and hide that fact that my heart was pounding a million beats per minute! After about 20 minutes into the appointment I started to calm down and felt more comfortable. Probing still takes my whole life to do! I don't think I will ever get faster at it! But the good news was that I still remembered how to do it and I felt pretty comfortable with it as well! :)
I was able to get through the whole OD appointment and scale one quad! Which was a bonus! Plus I didn't miss any calculus! Another success! I'll see Amanda on Wednesday and finish her up and get my last PE passed off! Which is fantastic! I can't believe how fast this semester went by and that in a few weeks I'll see my first patient!
I was a little more nervous then I thought I would be, especially because I've already worked on Amanda. But I made sure I got to clinic early enough to get set up and have some extra time to just relax. I only had to get through an OD appointment today which made me relax a little!
When the time came to actually get Amanda back I felt like I was all over the place! I just tried to keep a smile on my face and hide that fact that my heart was pounding a million beats per minute! After about 20 minutes into the appointment I started to calm down and felt more comfortable. Probing still takes my whole life to do! I don't think I will ever get faster at it! But the good news was that I still remembered how to do it and I felt pretty comfortable with it as well! :)
I was able to get through the whole OD appointment and scale one quad! Which was a bonus! Plus I didn't miss any calculus! Another success! I'll see Amanda on Wednesday and finish her up and get my last PE passed off! Which is fantastic! I can't believe how fast this semester went by and that in a few weeks I'll see my first patient!
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Sharp to the Tip (or toe)
On November 2nd in clinic we learned instrument sharpening. We had gone over sharpening in class the week before so it was nice to finally have it introduced in class before we had to practice it in clinic. It is important to make sure we always have sharp instruments. When we have a sharp instrument we decrease the chance of causing tissue trauma to our patients. Sharp instruments increase our tactile sensitivity by allowing our grip to be looser, and we have less chance of burnishing the calculus we are trying to remove.
There are a couple of different ways to sharpen your instruments. We learned the moving stone-stationary instrument and stationary stone-moving instrument methods. I personally prefer the moving stone-stationary instrument method, but that could be because I've used that one the most.
When sharpening it is important to remember to keep the original design of your instrument when sharpening. Every time you sharpen you create new facets in your instrument, the goal is to keep the facets as close to the original design as possible. You do this by maintaining a 110 degree between the face of the blade and stone. Also you want to prevent wire edges so you will always end with a down stroke when sharpening.
Every time we see a patient and use our instruments we should check them for sharpness. This will help us maintain sharp instruments and make it easier to keep the original shape. You can test the sharpness of your instrument either with a plastic test stick or using a light. Either one works well, and they are both pretty easy.
There are a couple of different ways to sharpen your instruments. We learned the moving stone-stationary instrument and stationary stone-moving instrument methods. I personally prefer the moving stone-stationary instrument method, but that could be because I've used that one the most.
When sharpening it is important to remember to keep the original design of your instrument when sharpening. Every time you sharpen you create new facets in your instrument, the goal is to keep the facets as close to the original design as possible. You do this by maintaining a 110 degree between the face of the blade and stone. Also you want to prevent wire edges so you will always end with a down stroke when sharpening.
Every time we see a patient and use our instruments we should check them for sharpness. This will help us maintain sharp instruments and make it easier to keep the original shape. You can test the sharpness of your instrument either with a plastic test stick or using a light. Either one works well, and they are both pretty easy.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Our Grooves are Sealed
Yesterday in clinic we learned how to place sealants. I have actually placed sealants before so it wasn't entirely new to me. But it was good to get the proper technique down and to get more practice (plus receive a few sealants myself). We also did another fluoride treatment and I've decided that I like the gel in a try a lot better than the varnish.
I was the patient first today and Ashlee was my hygienist. Yesterday actually went pretty fast and we were able to get a lot done. She first checked my teeth to see if any needed sealants. I had six teeth that could have sealants placed (and I found out I'm getting a cavity on #15 occlusal :/). Ashlee placed two and Karlie placed another two since her partner didn't need any. I was excited to get sealants because I have some deep grooves and I always get food and seeds stuck in them! Then she polished my teeth and taught me how to brush and floss.
I then got to work on Ashlee and I was able to place one sealant on her. One thing that was new to sealants for me is to check the bite. In private practice we usually just send our patient on their way and tell them that their bite will feel normal after a couple of days. But in clinic we had to check the bite and then adjust the bite so it feels normal. I am glad we did this because it's super annoying to have a high bite! I was able to pass off my selective polishing today as well and use fluoride trays (which I've never done before).
We got out a little early which was nice since it was Halloween (plus I was ready to get home!). The weeks keep flying by and I can't believe it is already November! Where did October go! I am almost 1/4 of the way done with the program! Crazy!
I was the patient first today and Ashlee was my hygienist. Yesterday actually went pretty fast and we were able to get a lot done. She first checked my teeth to see if any needed sealants. I had six teeth that could have sealants placed (and I found out I'm getting a cavity on #15 occlusal :/). Ashlee placed two and Karlie placed another two since her partner didn't need any. I was excited to get sealants because I have some deep grooves and I always get food and seeds stuck in them! Then she polished my teeth and taught me how to brush and floss.
I then got to work on Ashlee and I was able to place one sealant on her. One thing that was new to sealants for me is to check the bite. In private practice we usually just send our patient on their way and tell them that their bite will feel normal after a couple of days. But in clinic we had to check the bite and then adjust the bite so it feels normal. I am glad we did this because it's super annoying to have a high bite! I was able to pass off my selective polishing today as well and use fluoride trays (which I've never done before).
We got out a little early which was nice since it was Halloween (plus I was ready to get home!). The weeks keep flying by and I can't believe it is already November! Where did October go! I am almost 1/4 of the way done with the program! Crazy!
A Pretty Penny
Last Wednesday in clinic was great! I was able to get all caught up on my PE's. It is such a relief to finally be all caught up (well at least to the point I could be, we got 3 more PE's today). I feel like I'll actually be able to enjoy this weekend because we have a little bit of a break.
We learned how to do selective polishing. There are two different types of polishing. There is the traditional prophy angle with prophy paste or the air powder polisher. And that I have never heard of! It is pretty cool even though it tastes bad and is a pain to set up. First you have to put on your "Advanced PPE" this includes aprons, hair nets and the whole nine yards! The air powder polisher is good for heavy stain. We started by polishing a penny. This made me want to bring in all my change and polish them since they looked great! We then moved to the big leagues and used it on our patients. It is a little awkward to do since you have your HVE and the air powder polisher tip in both hands. It gets a little hard to see at times which is frustrating!
We also placed fluoride varnish today. I do not like that stuff at all! It kinda makes me sick, and the feeling on your teeth is just annoying. But I do see the benefits of it. It is left on the teeth a lot longer so you get the fluoride for longer than you would with gel or foam. So I guess I just have to take the bad taste for the extra fluoride.
We learned how to do selective polishing. There are two different types of polishing. There is the traditional prophy angle with prophy paste or the air powder polisher. And that I have never heard of! It is pretty cool even though it tastes bad and is a pain to set up. First you have to put on your "Advanced PPE" this includes aprons, hair nets and the whole nine yards! The air powder polisher is good for heavy stain. We started by polishing a penny. This made me want to bring in all my change and polish them since they looked great! We then moved to the big leagues and used it on our patients. It is a little awkward to do since you have your HVE and the air powder polisher tip in both hands. It gets a little hard to see at times which is frustrating!
We also placed fluoride varnish today. I do not like that stuff at all! It kinda makes me sick, and the feeling on your teeth is just annoying. But I do see the benefits of it. It is left on the teeth a lot longer so you get the fluoride for longer than you would with gel or foam. So I guess I just have to take the bad taste for the extra fluoride.
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