I set everything up to pass off a handful of PE's. I had called and confirmed my patients and they said they were coming. They didn't come but I found someone to come in. Another 1B woop-dee-doo!! I don't know why all I can get in my chair is 1B's!! I have set up the sealant, diagnodent, airpowder polisher at least 4 times now and have not been able to use them!! I'm ready to go so where is my patient?????

I was able to use a periodontal file again today. I have used it in the past but never passed off the PE. It is still different to use. I haven't quite got use to the way it adapts. I like using it though and I have noticed ho much it helps. Still learning....

Feliz dia

Casi estamos ya. Today my morning patient was great. She was in a big hurry though to get back to work. My afternoon patients are new and so I am hoping for some good prospects. It will be nice if I am able to pass off some much needed PE's. I am excited to take the DH test=)! Muy divertido. Que bueno.

Can't believe the semester is almost over. Clinic has gone well and been a great learning experience. I hope next semester can be equally as good. Its been fun learning different things from each instructor.

Casi ya

Well today turned out to be a great day. My afternoon pt ended up being 13 instead of 4 so that threw a twist on things. I was ablt to pass off 1 PE and I also took one x-ray. It was a good day and i like having instructor Perry because I like the way he teaches. I feel like I can learn a lot from him and I appreciate his suggestions,even if he does make me nervous.

One more day....

Crazy snow day here at the VA. I had a very easy day. Only got to clean 1B. I have enjoyed reading articles for dental hygiene. They offer some good advice and I like the additional insights to help in clinic as well as my future profession. It is also fun talking to the patients about the newest research. Some are interested other aren't. The only problem I have incountered with reading articles is that they sometimes have contradictions. This makes it confusing to know which one is more accurate. The more I learn the more I realize everyone forms their own opinions. So you can take what you learn with a grain of salt and if you like it stick with it and if it doesn't work find something that does.

Crazy fun...

Today my patient was very interesting. I was able to get him finished. My afternoon patient no showed. I was able to call one of my patients that was scheduled a few weeks out and he came in. I only planned to do an OD. He is a great patient to practice on. He has perio and is motivated to take care of it. He came with his girlfriend and they were nice. I took full mouth x-ray's on him. He has some radiographic calculus. He will be coming back so that I can work on him later. His bone loss was slight but his tissues are very infected.

Yet again!

Another week flew by and I continue to have good experiences in clinic. I have my appointment today with instructor Perry so I guess I will know how I am doing after that! Hahaha. I hoped that I would get a LA experience today but it was a no go. Oh, well next week. My patient today had very gritty calculus and it felt like sandpaper. It was also very difficult to remove but she was a great patient. I really enjoyed working on her. I did pass off my Arestin PE today which was fun. I like placing that stuff. This morning we had lab and it was quiet beneficial to practice the curved ultrasonic tips. We also chewed the wax which I found quiet grotess. Yuck! We placed arestin on hotdogs. Always some great experience.

Se la vi!!!

Clinic and the VA continue to roll right along. I am very good at what I do. I have a lot of control and I know how to apply lateral pressure. I am able to remove very tenatious calculus and enjoy the feelings of accomplishment. I will continue to build on my skills and abilities. I'm good at what I do and I like it!! I will continue with confidence to the end....

Crazy day!

Today was eventful and stressful all meshed together. I saw 3 patients and was able to complete them all. That was relieving. It was interesting and quite tiring to say the least. How am I ever going to see 8 patients in one day? This semester rocks and I have really come a long way and learned a lot and had fun doing it.

Cancelations

This morning my patient was great. He was an easy 1B but he did have a bar of calculus along his lower linguals. My patient for this afternoon forgot to come even though I called her to confirm yesterday. I am hoping that I will be able to see my other patient today. He said he is coming in 25 minutes but it will be more like 45 minutes but I'll take him when he comes. I hope to get a good classification out of him and get some things done today. There are a lot of us with no shows today.

Happy class II

I saw a class two this morning and it was a great experience. I feel more and more comfortable with scaling and charting. I need to get faster at probing but other than that things are going great. My afternoon patient had not seen a dentist in so long that she had lots of problems and she was in pain. I was only able to clean #14 and 15--two teeth that need extracted. I will be seeing her in 2 weeks to clean the rest of her mouth.

First patient

Today was great being back in clinic and getting the instruments in the mouth again. I was a bit of a thumbly fingers but after a minute it all came back just like riding a bike=)! I had a good time with my patients and I was able to complete both of them but they were easy 1B's. It was a great time being back in clinic.

Back to School

Today is my first day blogging because I forgot my username! Luckily it came to me. Anyways for the first day of clinic we cleaned our units to make sure that they are working properly. We worked on each other for some practice. We sharpened instruments and got ready for our first week of seeing patients.

April 21

Today I cleaned a 1A patient. He was 11 years old. Very good patient but I was discussed at the condition of his mouth. His gums were more infected than my class 3 patient. He had an incredible amount of build up! I was able to get him done and he was very cooperative. Then I was planning on finishing 2 quads of Lindy's patient but she no showed on us even after I had called and confirmed! So I had the rest of clinic time to chart and clean up.

April 16th

Today I was CA. It was very fun and busy. Most people had 2 patients and since there was no open ops. they had to strip it down fast and set it up again. I was able to do a sealant also which was nice. I can't believe how fast this semester went. It is always fun to be CA and see how things are running from a different perspective.

Today my patient showed up 1 hour late. I was still able to finish what I needed to but I wasn't able to see my other patient. It was fun because she is from Rosario, Argentina so it was way fun to talk to her. She was very nice. She had lots of build up and very sore, red and inflammed gums. I could blow air on them and they would flap open. She bleed a lot. It was an okay day. I can't believe this semester is almost over. Man the school year went fast. I hope next year goes just as fast. I still need to find a 1A patient.

Where are the kids?

Today I had another 1B. She was awesome but unfortunately I don't need 1B's and that seems to be all that ends up in my chair. I was able to get some PE's passed off and so little by little I am starting to see some progress. I continue to keep my fingers crossed that I will be able to complete my requirements so that I can play this summer. I need to focus and plan out exactly which PE to pass off on which day. I also hope that I can see the classifications that I need. This has been and will continue to be a great learning experience. I am excited to go to the VA hospital next semester. I am not excited to fill out the packet on the other hand. It is LONG!

April 7th--clinic fun!

Today was crazy. I had called and confirmed my patient on Friday. I had also arranged for another patient to come because I was seeing a 1A. Well my 1A no showed. I felt bad because his brother was Katie's patient. Luckily she had someone to see also. The only bummer for me was that it didn't help me pass off any of my requirements. So its really getting down on days and I have lots of requirements left. So as luck would turn out, my patient for next Monday mixed up the days and came in today. I wasn't able to do anything, why? I don't know other than everyone was on the edge. Enough about today, I just keep my fingers crossed that I meet all my requirements.

My patient made it...

My patient today finally kept her appointment. I was glad to be able to fit her in and get her teeth cleaned for her. She has maintained perio. She is 87 years old but she is doing really well for her age. He daughter-in-law came in with her today. She was fun to talk with. Today was a quiet day in clinic. It didn't seem like very many people were here today. It was a really good chance to get things done. I learned to just "pop" it off today...taught by instructor Vining. Things are going really well in clinic. I still need to take some x-rays but I really like the days that my patient doesn't need x-rays. It just frees up so much time to scale.

March 31

Today was fabulous. I am also happy that summer is almost here. It snowed today. My patient is hard of seeing and ran into the sink. I wish I would have known that before I got started because I really felt bad. I would have at least helped guide him. He was a great patient and very friendly. Overall I feel good about clinic. I am setting goals on how I am going to accomplish all the requirements and scheduling out the PE's. I only have a few more clinic days left. If I look back over it, I can see that I have progressed but I feel that I still have a long way to go. Little by little it is all coming together and I enjoy the learning experience.

Just another day

Today I got permission to switch clinics so I would be able to accommodate my patient. Well it turns out that she called in a few hours before and said she couldn't make it. I couldn't believe it. I really thought she would come through but I learned my lesson...she's not going to. So I'm moving on and finding new patients. I was able to clean my bosses teeth which was really nice of him. I hope I am able to get my classifications done though because I need class 2's and many other requirements. I was also able to complete a few PE's but I have many more to go. My goal for Wednesday is to scale at least two quads of class 2 and pass off at least one more PE. Got my fingers crossed that my patient comes and the he is a class 2!

One more down

Today was great. I was able to finish my patient. I feel really good about how things went. I was able to accomplish my goal of passing off some PE's. I still have a lot of work to do so hopefully I will be able to get it all done before the semester ends. I feel like everyday I am progressing but I still manage to forget small things that really upset me...like charting etc. I fell that I am making effective use of my time. Yeah for another day and another chance to get things done and learn. Now its time to study like mad!!

Craziness

Today I thought I had two patients scheduled and I was wondering what I would do because I would only have time to see one of them. I got here and ready to go and then no patient. I couldn't believe it. I called them and neither one was able to come in. I started calling people and had no luck. Finally I found someone that didn't have teeth. I was able to clean her denture for her and educate her on home care. Then I walked her out and was able to see another patient. She had a lot of build up but was only a class 1b. She was very cooperative and I also was able to take a pano! Wahoo!

First 1A!!

Today was very challenging but rewarding. I feel like I was actually able to get something done today. I passed off some PE's and I placed my first sealant. I also saw my first 1A patient which was so nice. I need to start seeing MORE of them!! I learned a lot today placing a sealant. My tip fell off and all the clinpro came flying out of the tube. Yikes! Good thing my little patient was wearing her saftey glasses because they were plastered. I also had a good experience taking x-rays. What a great day!

Que cosa!!

This morning my patient wasn't here so I gave her a call and she told me she had a rough weekend and wasn't feeling up to coming in. I was so let down. I didn't know what to do so of course I started calling everyone that I could and no one was able to come in. Well it turns out that I switched my clinic time to afternoon. I called my boss and told him I wouldn't be able to make it in today. I called my aunt Pat and uncle George but they weren't able to come in either. I finally called my aunt Donna and she saved me. Bless her heart. I got her done and was able to pass off 2 PE's which I was really relieved about because I have been needing to pass them off. I also passed off a requirement for digital x-rays. She was a great patient and I was glad she was able to come in and that I was able to fulfill some more of my requirements.

Aaahhh what a day!

Today my patient needed to premedicate, but she didn't so I wasn't able to work on her. She is a sweet lady though. I was able to take some x-rays and that was a new experience. Trying to get a good film with missing teeth prove difficult sometimes. She happened to be related to instructor Vining so she was really happy about that. I'm not sure what classification she is so I will find out next time she comes in. When I dismissed her there was someone waiting in the waiting room to be seen. I brought him back and got x-rays taken and an OD check and then we were out of time. It was crappy. He was so upset because he drove from Logan, waited along time to be seen and then didn't even get his teeth cleaned. The best part is that it wasn't my fault but he sure was not happy. Well, the day was choatic and so I am quiet relieved that it is over.

Another down, many more to go!!

Today went REALLY well. I saw my patient for the first time and she was a class 1B. She got her at 8:30 and I was done and had her walked out by 10:00. It really speeds things up when you don't do x-rays. I felt like it is starting to click today. I didn't miss any deposits of calculus and I was really happy about that because she really had quite a bit of buildup. So slowly but surely I am learning. I also passed off 2 PE's which was nice but I have about 5 more to pass off in the next 2 appointments so I really need to prioritize on passing off my PE's so I don't get down to the end like this and still have lots of work to do. Live and learn, I will do better next time.

Cancelation made good

This morning I got a message from Mrs. Campbell saying that my patient had canceled. I nearly had a heart attack...j/k. But it was stressful because I was at work and am not allowed to use my phone so I didn't have time to look for a new patient. It ended up being okay. I called my patient for next wednseday just to see if she would be able to come in today. She said yes. When I got here it was actually her husband. It was very kind of them to help me out like that. I was able to get everything done except for x-rays because all of the rooms were taken. He had to get back to work so I wasn't able to do them. The appointment went really well and I feel that I am making good use of my time. He was walked out by 2:30 and so that was good considering he was late.

Lab day...

Today we had lab and no patient. It was relaxing but at the same time I kept thinking oh, it would be nice to have this day to pass off some PE's or get more quads/requirements completed. We learned about the proper way to clean dentures. We also were taught the diagnodent which was new to me. I found it quite interesting. It is a machine to detect decay. Then we learned about coding and how to maximize the patients insurance as well as bring in money to the office. (makes both sides happy.) Then we learned about ultra sonic scaling. I used the purple tip for the first time and really liked it. I also practiced with the slim line. I feel confident with the ultra sonic scaler. I am going to set the goal of passing off a PE on Wednesday since we don't have school on Monday because of Presidents day.

Completed

Today was able to complete my patient. I got 2 class II and 2 class IV quads done. It was really a good experience and I relt that I was able to get a better fulcrum and activating stoke to get the tenatious calculus removed. She was so good to keep her mouth open. She bleed a lot but she said it wasn't hurting. It is always nice when you don't have to take x-rays because it seems like you have so much more time to clean the teeth and spend more time in the mouth. I wanted to pass of PE's again but it didn't happen. Hopefully I will have more time to start really focusing on the PE's so that I am able to complete all of them by their due dates.

Loved her!!

My patient today was great. She was so fun and we really hit it off at the start. She had a very healthy mouth. She is from Texas. She likes to do a lot of the same things as I do, like travel. I also set up so pass off some PE's today but due to the lack of time, that didn't happen. I did do Chelsea as an exam patient and I felt good about that. I am really progressing in clinic and I am loving every minute of it. My goal is to keep on a keeping on. I am having success with all my patients showing up and finding new ones to keep my schedule full. I haven't seen any children yet but I have some good ones lined up. I need to practice instrumentation with more lateral pressure. I'm getting more aggressive in the mouth for which we all should be grateful.

Still snowing

Today I am clinical assitant. When I got to school today no one was here and a lot of patients canceled. The rest of them showed up really late. It has been food to be clinical assistant. I feel overwhelmed though because I need to pass off so many patients and PE's. I guess it all comes with time. It is fun to walk around and stalk shelves and help the other girls chart. It is good to see how things go from this perspective. It is still snowing so I guess we will see what happens later today.

Class 4

Well today I was able to complete the maxillary arch. It felt like a great accomplishment. My goal now is to complete the bottom arch in one more appointment. I also did my first full mouth set of x-rays. It was another good learning experience. I was able to use them to see how deep the pockets are. I feel like I am learning and progressing but I need to be patient with myself and learn to take it step by step. It is starting to sink in more. More of a routine and not so fluffy. It was really good practice today with the ultra sonic and I wish so bad I would have passed off a PE because I haven't been able to up to this point and it makes me nervous that I wont be able to get them all done before the due date. So my goal is to have my next 1B patient be an exam patient and also to pass off one PE.

Hip Hip Hooray!

My patient today showed even though it is snowing and the wind is crazy. She hadn't been in for almost a year. She is very sweet. She has 2 quads a class 2 and 2 quads a class 5. I only go through OHI but that was because she showed up late and then I had to wait for an OD check. I messed up on the walkout statement which was way frusterating. I am excited to get in there and start scaling. Good times.

Braces!!

Today I had an 18 year old boy with braces. He never flosses and so as you can imagine he really had a lot of build up. He was a good patient and I was very pleased with how well the appointment went. I was able to get him done all the way. I also found 2 cavities which was fun that I actually saw them and then had the dentist confirm that. I taught him how to use super floss and suggested that he go on fluoride. I recommended prevident which is prescription strength fluoride containing toothpaste. The downfall of the day was that my probe broke. It almost killed me. I also am upset and disturbed by the "service" that supposedly that kid thinks he is getting for free, but he is not!! I have no idea what to do about that. I have cleaned 8 quads and taken 12 BWX thus far so I really hope I can kick this up and get it finished.

Class 3 baby all the way!

Today my dear sweet patient was a class III. It was a total learning experience. I really had no idea what I was in for. When he got there and we got going I noticed right away the plaque and calculus build up. He had several teeth with mobility and the gaps where he had missing teeth was tipped and it was hard to distinguish between them. He took a good long time just to go through and chart restorations. He had several areas with really deep probe depths. He is 73 years old and has poor oral hygiene. It was really quite the learning day. It took a long time to fill out his patient chart. I am way excited that I found my class III today. It is going to take several appointments to get him taken care of. I set a goal of cleaning one side of his mouth and then I will just go from there. He is a great patient and very nice.

Completed

Today I was able to complete my patient from last Wednesday. I REALLY need to work on my posture. Sometimes I'm not sure how the patient should more to make it easier so I just hunch and try to make it work. I need to practice indirect vision and correct positioning. I really need to focus on rolling the instrument around the tooth. Maybe I need to develop new muscles in my finger for better dexerity. One more day of practice many more to go!!

Welcome Back!!

Today I had a hard time remembering everything from last semester. Major brain freeze. I DID get my x-rays signed this time (unlike last time) and I feel like I really improved on the scale check unless it was just the good patient that I had. I got the UR quad scaled and I used selective polish. I also was able to do a varnish. Things went well and I am looking forward to getting back into the swing of things! My schedule for January is starting to get full so that is a good thing.