Real Pt. Day

So...Kyle my husband was my patient. It was overall, a good appointment. Except I never want to take digital bitewings ever again. I was having trouble getting the contacts open, I like using my rin kit much better.Charting and probing ended up being quite an ordeal on Kyle. He has had a stainless steel crown on for 8 years!!! You heard me right, 8 YEARS!!! So you can imagine the problems it has caused. Anyways, it was good practice for me on charting and probing. I gave him the super floss and interdental brush for the ridiculouse temporary and he has been very diligent with them, so hopefully we can get him a new crown that will allow the attachment fibers to re-attach. Overall it was a good appointment and I felt pretty good about it.

GOOD JOB KARA

So I was Kara's pt. and she was awesome! She was so confident and everything went very smooth. She was very prepared and everything was great. I have a weird thing going on in my mouth these days. The central frena above the Max. centrals has been so sore and swollen and it has now migrated to my canines and also #3 and #20 and now I have noticed 2 palpable nodes under my mandible on the right and another one just to the right of my ramus. What the? Yeah so kara suggested I swish with warm salt water so it has been helping. Anyways, great job Kara!

YIKES

So monday was my mock pt. day but I was so happy to see that Kara Hall was my patient:) I know I can learn a lot from her so I was happy to have her in my chair just in case I needed a few reminders (just a few). But overall, I felt pretty good. I got one quad done and Kara only jumped once during probing! ha sorry about that. However, I felt like I was constantly asking questions. I need to get confident in myself and do what I been taught and everything I have studied so hard about! So that will be my new goal, BE MORE CONFIDENT!

SHUT THE HECK UP!! 2 WEEKS LEFT!!

Yee Haw it's almost time for a BREAK!!!! Wow it's funny how excited I am about it. One semester down, I was getting worried there that I wasn't going to make it through but here I am still truckin along:) So, clinic was good, we mostly just passed off our P.E.'s which went very well. Clinic is so fun, and can i just say how much I love my class? Seriously, everyone is so cool everyone just makes it so fun, I really do love school it just kicks my butt sometimes. So I'm getting stoked about having patient day!! Fun fun

Sealants

So I feel so official now that we learned how to do sealants. They were easier than I thought. We also learned how to use the air-powder polisher. I think I will appreciate that more when I get some more pt.'s with some more stain. I passed off some P.E's and have 3 for wednesday so wish me luck with that.

First Official appointment

So today I worked on Mindy and she was a great patient, thanks Mindy! I felt good about everything except for probing the linguals!!! Gosh, I thought I had a hang on them but apparetly not, she kept saying ouch so thats not good:( But I did well on scaling, I only missed two small places so I felt good about that and it was an overall good experience so I'm glad we were able to do this before jumping in with a real pt. I aslo passed off universal and polishing P.E's and the light is now being seen at the end of the tunnel. Some nights I just DREAD studying! It is getting harder to do it these days, 4 and a half more weeks till break!

Sit back and relax...well kinda

So monday I was Katie Gibbons patient and she did sooooo good! I was so proud of her, she finished the entire appointment:) It was awesome to see that we actually know what we are doing and peicing all of our P.E.'s together to make an actual appointment! For wednesday my goal is to complete the entire appointment and try to do it all from memorization withouth having to look at anything. I know what I am doing I just need some confidence. And I also have to pass of my universal and polishing P.E.'s so that should be easy.

Adaptation, angulation and articulation, what the?

So I like had a mind freaze today passing off my P.E. but Kim had mercy on me and helped me out. Once I remembered what the heck it was suppose to look like it came back, just like riding a bike:) I like when Prof. Costley helps in our pod, I feel like I really learn everything like posture and movements. I passed off my P.E.'s today with flying colors, yipee, and now my life is focused on radiology. Yeah this class is my very LEAST fav, I wished I liked it better but I just don't. So I decided I will always have an assistant who will take my x-rays for me, that's cool right? So does that mean I don't have to take radiology anymore? ha I wish.

Passed

Yay so I passed my charting P.E. so that was a relief and I actually did really good:) I also passed my instrument design so I am on track, not ahead just on track but that's ok, (it really freaks me out not to be ahead but I just have to do what I can do, give it my best) Ok and we worked with the Barnhart today and I love it! It really does fit perfectly around the tooth and I am feeling more comfortable with my indirect vision on the linguals, I really really enjoy clinic.

Dental Screening P.E.

So I was so worried for the Dental Screening P.E. today but I feel pretty confident about it after actually doing it. I need to give myself more credit and trust myself and my abilities. I studied and practiced and read the clinic manual so there is no reason why I wouldn't do great so I just need to relax, take a deep breath, do my best and my best is enough. I also was able to work on Alisha today and it was so fun, it started clicking today, the scaling and exploring. I really really enjoyed it. Goal for next time, pass of my Instrument design P.E. and it should be a cake walk.

Yay for scaling

Today we actually got to scale, I have been so excited for this day and left a little let down:( jk I just thought it looked so simple and IT IS NOT! There is much more to it then you would think. I am trying to use my index finger for directing the scaler when it should really be my index finger and thumb and my middle finger is only used for support so I don't slip. So I need to practice using my rist for movement rather than the middle finger, and also focus on keeping the blade in the right direction. I was kind of hooking it instead of bringing it in an upward motion. So, those are my goals. I brought some tools home to practice on my typodont.

Instruments and mixed dentition

So today we talked about our instruments and learned how to distinguish between them, what to use them for and when they are used. I felt good about this, it all made sense to me and it was easy to see the diff. However, earlier in class we looked at a picture of mixed dentition and we were suppose to be able to chart it. Which were primary or deciduose and also, what numbers or letters they were. Yeah, this I don't know. But since I have WAY too much to focus on for now, I will just worry about it when it comes up in my P.E. or on a test. Until then, I can't stress about it. Some things come easy and I am able to remember them well, and somethings, even though I have learned and read about them, for some reason, will NOT stay put in my storage space in my brain. Those things I have to go over and over and over and over until I feel confident it is stored in my brain for good. I passed off my explorer P.E. and it went well, Professor Costley taught me some good tricks in determining which end to use. My goal for wednesday is to get ahead!!!!!!!! I feel so much better when I am atleast ONE P.E. ahead of the due date.

Clinic Fun

So kids are so easily entertained. We developed my sisters film and apparently her 4 year old got a hold of the camera. We have been cracking up. He took a picture of his nose, then his 1 year old sisters nose, then his ear, her ear, his belly button, her belly button, his toes, her toes, ha ha i just thought it was so funny. Anyways, so clinic is my fav. today I passed of instrument grasp and it finally feels natural to me. At first it was so awkward and I was totally blanching but now it just feels right and I don't want to do it any other way. I worked on Pamela today and it was nice to see in someone else's mouth, I usually work on Kelsie so I got so use to her mouth, it was good to change it up a little. I like OHI. I think it is so important to communicate to our patients what they are doing right and what areas could use some improvement. I like that we set a goal with each of them and that they demo the way they have been brushing so we can help them make modifications or changes that can make the most of their daily brushing. It's so cool all the different kinds of brushing aids that are out there, they have thought of everything to help make cleaning our mouths more convienient and also, for the more difficult mouths, a more successful way of cleaning.

HITTING THE WALL

In work out terms, when you have pushed it to the limit, given it all you can give, there is no more left, you have just HIT THE WALL. You just simply run out of energy and have nothing left. This my friends, is exactly what I have been trying to avoid since the first day of school. Some days I get pretty close and I have to take a step back, calm my racing mind and catch my breath. Just stay focused on today and tomorrow. That is as far ahead as I can allow myself to look. ONE DAY AT A TIME. I have to stay on top of things so I don't drowned in it all. I must Stay organized. Utilize my time wisely. Get plenty of sleep. Exercise. Crockpot. (thank goodness for the invention of this bugger) These are key to NOT hitting the wall. This is all efforts being taken to control my stress and anxiety. Ok, now thats out of the way, Clinic today was a success. I passed off my intra-oral PE and my Eagle Soft tx plan PE. They went really smooth. We learned about PFI and how to calculate it using the disclosing tablets. They were awesome, I think that is the greatest way to show your patient what is going on in their mouths and I believe it will motivate them to do better. My goal for wednesday is to pass off 2 PE's.

ChArTiNg

Today in clinic was good,this is my favorite thing about the hygiene program, CLINIC! You just see...and do:) over and over till it's engraved into your mind, it's not stressful and complicated like the other classes around here!jk thats just the best way I learn, see and do. We charted using the green form today and I had a hard time distinguishing between a composit and a sealant. I kept thinking there were composits and Mindy would tell me no, that one is another sealant. So Kelsie didn't have any fillings at all so hopefully I will be able to work on someone who does so I can tell the diff. between them. Today I passed of the Extra Oral P.E. so next week my goal is to pass off the intra.

HE'S HOME!!!!!

Hip hip hooray my hubby is home! Phew, that takes a lot of worry and stress away right there. Today was awesome in Clinic, we are moving along and learning so much. Today we learned how to chart our findings. As everything else, we will need to do it over and over to fully understand so I'm not too worried about not doing it perfect the first time, I felt good about it, felt like I learned and understood, now I just need to do it a couple times to get it exactly right. My goal for next week is to pass of the Extra oral and intra oral P.E.'s, this should be easy.

Probe, get it?

So can anybody say FRUSTRATING!? So it's like I know what they want me to do, I GET IT, they tell me over and over, they show me over and over, I know what its suppose to feel like and look like but for some reason i just can't do it! Its our first time so I'll cut myself some slack today but not for long, the col area is whats getting me. Practice makes perfect. I passed off my 2 PE's today, the HHX and the vitals and I could finally hear the systolic! hip hip hooray! So my next goal is to practice probing and get confident with the col area, I should probably take my probe home and practice on whoever will let me in their mouths until Kyle gets home and can be my permanent study buddy, bet he can't wait:)

Open wide! Adapt and roll

This was the key for todays clinic, adapt the working end, walk walk walk and roll. Not too difficult, I really liked it. It just made sense once I was in the mouth and could actually put what I learned to use. I had to keep telling Kelsey to open bigger, she was probably like uh...my mouth doesn't get wider than this! Sorry, kels. So I found that when it didn't seem right, it was because my fulcrum was off, so once I figures that out it made sense:) So didn't pass off any P.E.'s today, apparently we didn't plan enough time to pass them off which really puts a damper on my schedule this week, I just wanted to get the Vitals and HHX PE done and out of the way so I could focus on my tests and DH quiz's but no, now I need to continue refreshing my memory and worry about passing them off. Hate to stray from my agenda when every minute of every day is accounted for, could ya tell? So my goal for wed. is to pass them both off.

HOLD UP

So take a deep breath, keep breathing. That is my new goal for the week. I am super stressed about all the tests next week, I need to get studying! Once I do, I will feel better about it, "If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear" good line to keep in mind. Today in clinic was awesome:) I really liked using our instruments, felt like a hygienist. So my goal for Monday is to pass off 2 PE's I need to get going on them. Say ahead.

CAT GOT YOUR TONGUE? UH NO, JUST AN OVER SIZED FRENULUM

Ok, trying to put on the brakes and learn what has been taught to me the last couple clinics. I seem to be struggling with vitals(still trying to actually hear with my stethescope), health history (uh...what do I write and where do I put it) intra-oral exam (familiarizing myself with the names of the structures in mouth) and the extra-oral I feel okay about, I just still need to work on remembering everything that needs to be checked. Soooo much to learn, how do I fit it all in? My days are devoted to hygiene and I still can't find enough time to learn it all. Just keep truckin I guess. My goal is to pass off my Vitals P.E. on Wednesday. My family is sick of me taking their blood pressures but hey, that's the price they have to pay for being related to me:) they're great, gotta love em.

p.s. also found out today that I am "tongue tied" a little condition called ankyloglossia

Hair net shmair net

Today in clinic was our first day of actually looking in a mouth! So today was probably my favorite day so far. Except for the fact that I had to wear a hair net and barely passed my post-apt. PE. So my goal for next clinic and from now on, it to have appropriate hair:) It's just hard for me cause I look like a dude when my hair is completely slicked back. So yes, my new goal is to NEVER NEED THE HAIR NET AGAIN! I passed off the chair positioning PE also and that one I feel really confident with. Another goal of mine is to always stay at least one PE ahead of the due dates. That should help me keep my sanity.

Sept. 8th 08

Today I passed off my Eagle Soft P.E. so that was nice to get done:) I'm the type that likes to stay ahead because I'm so panicked to fall behind so I am all up to date today, yeehaw. We also practiced taking vital today and wow, struggles once again. I could not hear the heart for the life of me. Poor Pamela, I kept having to do it over and over, her arm was numb, sorry Pamela! She was a good sport, she helped me. So yeah, I came home and did it to my parents and I did very faintly hear it so guess I need to take a trip to the doc and get the ol' ears cleaned out. I really think that would help. My stupid allergies get me all stuffed up so maybe that could be it? Probably not but lets just pretend. So thanks for everyone's help and patience with me today!

Clinic Day 3

So...today I passed off exposure control set-up PE and the personal protective equipment PE. It was good, still learning, can't wait till this all makes sense.

Clinic Day 2

Day 2 in clinic was pretty cool, we got all suited up in our dental gear and learned some new PE's. Today we learned how to set up and tear down and the positioning of the chair when working with a patient. It makes sense but I just need to keep reviewing it. I feel like I have soooo much to review, learn and read that it's like when I get home, I don't know where to start. I just need to take things one day at a time. Get those things done each day and try not to look too far ahead or else thats when I panick. So, taking it one day at a time. That is my first goal for the program.

Clinic Day 1

So first day in clinic was much better than I had expected actually. We were taught what PE's even were so that was good, and they seem pretty basic so I want to pass them off asap so I can get them behind me and on to the next. It's just overwhelming, I think if I can stay up on everything and keep organized I will feel alot better about things.

Yikes

School starts monday. Not sure how to feel about it yet, I'm stoked to be in the program but I'm not gonna lie, scared to death.