No more being the patient

Today was the last day I have to be the patient!! Linda did really good, but I'm just glad I don't have to sit in the chair and open my mouth for 3 hours anymore! Now I just have to worry about getting patients for next semester.

Mock day 2

On Monday I cleaned Linda's teeth. It was a really good day. We were able to get done way early. I passed off my sealant PE today. It went good, I just had to adjust it a lot, I think Linda has a deep bite. This was my last day working on my fellow students. Next Monday is real patient day!

It's not easy being the patient

Today I was the patient for Burke. I learned that it's hard to keep your mouth open for four hours! My jaw is kind of sore. Burke did a lot better than the first time, I think he's starting to learn to not be so aggressive. Overall today was a good day.

Mock Day 1

On Monday I worked on Burke and started from the beginning and scaled two quadrants. I was pretty nervous, but it really wasn't that bad! I'm really proud of myself. I thought the instructors were a little too strict though, because we've learned how to adapt our scalers, but we've never really learned how to remove calculus or learn how to really detect it. So I thought they could've lightened up a little and realized this is still all very new to us. I hate writing in the charts!! There's so much you have to put in them, I'm always worried I'm going to leave something out.
So today I'm Burkes patient, so I hope everything goes good...

Sharpening

Today we learned how to sharpen our instruments. It's harder to do than it looks. The majority of the day we just passed off the air powder polish PE and the fluoride PE. We had extra time to practice which is much needed. We got done early again today. YAY!!

Sealants

Today we learned how to do sealants. It was such an easy day today because I already know how to do them. And we got done early, so that's an extra bonus! LOVE IT! We're getting closer to doing a real patient, I'm pretty nervous!

Sand blasted teeth

Today we learned how to use the air powder polish. I totally hated it! I stings your tongue and cheeks and makes your whole face wet. I've never even seen one used in an office. We also learned how to prophy polish and use varnish fluoride. I hate the fluoride they use, it makes your teeth look like you have yellow staining and then it comes off in chunks. It was disgusting!

Ultrasonic

Today I was partnered up with Burke. I thought I was going to die. He was so rough he made a blister on my lip from pulling it so hard and for some reason he was so nervous, he was shaking so bad. I'm not going to lie I was scared. I tried to tell him he was rough, but I don't think he knows his own strength. I was kind of frustrated today because we had two PE's to pass off, so we only got like ten minutes to practice the ultrasonic. I feel like we have all these PE's and there's so much pressure on getting them done on time, that we don't get the practice we need. I think something needs to be changed because the majority of what we do in our proffesion is scale. We don't write pages and pages in the patients' chart when we go out in work in offices. I just think we clinic should be set up more like how it's going to be in real practice.

SO MUCH FOR A PRACTICE DAY!

We were supposed to practice, but we ended up doing the same thing we did on Monday. Don't get me wrong, it's good to go over how to chart everything in the chart, but right now I'm more worried about working on scaling. I feel like I can't do it at all. I know I'm not going to be perfect, but lately I've been feeling like there's no way I can be a Hygienist anymore :( I think it's retarded that we aren't required to scale on a real patient this semester, but the second day of next semester we're going to start treating patients. I don't think I'll be ready to do that.

Putting everything together

Today was kind of a review day, we started from the beginning and went through HHX, HHRX, and OD. It was nice to see how everything comes together, since we learned everything in sections. I'm still nervous to do all this on a real patient. I was kind of disappointed today, because I really wanted to practice scaling, but we ran out of time! VERY FRUSTATING!

Dental Screenings

Today we learned how to chart findings, like fillings, decay, crowns, implants and so on. There's so many different ways we chart everything, I just hope I can remember everything. We got done early, so we were able to practice, which was much needed!! I passed off my instrument classification PE off, which wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

Purple Mouths!!

Today we used disclosing agents on each other. My teeth didn't really have any staining, which is a good thing. We learned how to chart the PFI and perio. statement. I was able to pass off my anterior scaling PE and my angulation and adaptation PE, if feels so good to be ahead of schedule. I'm kind of frustrated becasue no one really went over how to chart under the OHI, especially since we get graded on charting everything right.

Good Day

Today I passed off my probing and exploring PE's!! I'm so glad probing is out of the way! I was so nervous I wasn't going to pass. I still think I need more practice. We learned how to scale the posterior teeth. OUCH! There was a lot of bleeding! It's a lot harder than doing the anterior teeth. I just worry we won't have that much practice with everything before we see a real patient., it's pretty frustrating.

Scaling is scary!!

When I found out we were going to scale each other today, I was frightened! But it wasn't too bad! I actually make my partner bleed more when we explored, which is funny because you would think it would be the opposite. I practiced probing again, but I still don't feel too confident, maybe I'm too hard on myself. I guess I'm too much of a protectionist sometimes. But the PE for probing is due Wednesday, so I better get good at it real soon.

Packaging Instruments

Today was a pretty easy day. We went over our instruments so we can start becoming familiar with all them. We got done way early so we had plenty of time today to pass off PE's, now I'm actually ahead of schedule. YAY! I was nervous to pass off the intra-oral PE, but when I started studying it and after I practiced it on Brooke, I did just fine. I practiced probing again today, but I still feel like I can't do it, it's making me so frustrated.

exploring causes bleeding!!

HaHa. There wasn't too much bleeding; on me anyway, I can't say the same thing for my partner, Brooke. I seriously made her bleed everywhere! :) I definitely liked it a lot better than probing though. I still need to work on which end of the explorer is used for different areas of the mouth. I was able to pass off two PE's. The Pod instructors rotated today and we have Kim now, which is great!

PROBING

We learned how to probe today. I feel so frustrated! I just don't get the concept of changing your angles. I seriously want to cry! :( I really hope I can get it down soon. Today was just not a good day, I sucked it up in clinic and radiology. I need a break...

On Monday we learned how to do intra-oral exams and fulcrums with our instruments. The intra-oral exams were really hard because there is so much to remember! I hope I can remember everything. The fulcrums weren't bad, I felt like they just came natural. I wanted to pass off a PE but we didn't have time because everyone still had to pass off their Health History PE's. The only thing I need to do is for sure go over my intra-oral exams.

Extra Oral Exams

Today was a really fun day in clinic. We learned how to do Extra oral exams to check for any abnormalities and we also learned how to properly use the dental mirror and fulcrums. My goal today was to know and feel comfortable with doing Extra-oral exams. I feel like I can do the whole Extra-oral exam without looking and I know where each structure, gland, and nodule is. I wish we could do the Extra-oral exams everyday before we start clinic because it was so relaxing!! Today was also a really productive day. I passed off two PE's, I passed the Health History PE, which is a huge relief!!

Blood Pressure

Today in clinic we learned to take blood pressure, pulse and respiration. I used to have to take vitals when I worked at for a Chiropractor, but I never really felt totally confident doing it. We practiced on three other people today and I feel a lot more confident. I feel like I actually know what I'm doing. I felt like I learned a lot today, not only did I learn how to properly take vital, but we reviewed how to write a HHx and an HHxRx. Which was much needed. My goal today was to pass off the positing PE, but we ran out of time, so I guess I'll have to pass it off Wednesday.

Health History

My goal for today was to learn how to write a HHx and HHRx in a patients chart. I felt like today went alright. I feel kind of overwhelmed with looking up medications, I'm still not sure what I'm supposed to write in the chart. I feel like there's so many things I have to try and remember, I hope it will come to me with practice.

Today in clinic we learned the different positions for sitting while working on a patient and we also started going over health historys. My goal today was to pass off the set-up and tear-down PE's, which I did! :) It feels really good to be ahead of schedule for once, I wish I could say the same for my other classes.

My goal in clinic today, is to become a pro at setting up and tearing down my Op. My plan is to just practice everything until I feel like I have everything down. Everything went as planned, I feel like I can pass off my PE for setting up and tearing down with flying colors. Next time I want to practice taking my instruments to the sterilization room and putting them into the ultrasonic cleaner. I need to remember the only time I can leave my little cubicle is when I'm taking my dirty instruments to be sterilized.

Today was a very productive day in clinic. My goal today was to learn how to put my proper Personal Protective Equipment, properly use the air and water syringe, the saliva ejector and the HVE on the Typodont: also, my goal was to learn how to properly set-up and tear down my operator. My plan was to just practice everything until I feel very comfortable using them. I felt like everything went really good. I still feel like I still need a little more practice on all the steps of proper PPE when setting up and tearing down my operatory. So next time I practice proper PPE I need to remember to flush air lines: for some reason I couldn't remember to do that!

Today was my first day of clinic, my goal for today was to get settled into my Op. My plan was to get familiar with where everything was and to put all my instruments away. Today went really good, I am now familiar with where everything is in clinic and I am familiar with how to work my Op. I also feel pretty comfortable using Eaglesoft. So, I feel today was a very productive and good first day.

orientation

Today we had our orientation for Dental Hygiene. I've been here for about four hours now and I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed. I think we were supposed to have a lunch break today, but it is now 1:30 and I am starving. My breakfast bar I had this morning is not cutting it.