11/29/07

You know you're not as fun when your titles are no longer "ode to Joni" but just dates. I feel sucked dry of everything that I have and I am ready to enjoy some fun. I think a vacation is somewhere in my near future.
Today I learned that you can't just generalize patients. I saw a four-year old this morning and just figured that she didn't have any calculus. Well she did, and I looked dumb. So make sure that each patient is thoroughly examined.
I also was reminded that since I am a health care professional, it is my responsiblity to see more than just teeth. I need to observe the whole body and treat the whole patient. Who knows, I could do some good in the world that way.
I am excited for next semester to be over. I will miss everyone and this environment and I won't miss everyone and this environment. It's a love/hate relationship at times. I just feel that i am ready to be the responsible hygienist. I think that I still use the instructors as a clutch. I am ready to get out and start really thinking for myself. However, I still feel that there is so much that I need to learn and that I will go through a period of feeling inadequate. But I will do as Joni tells me to, "FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT".

11/15/07

Today was most interesting. It was just an off day for me. I couldn't seem to get everything off again. I realized yet again, that I need to be more thorough when I work. It's hard to keep going when you feel crummy, frustrated, and tired.
I got to practice some of the additional skills that I have acquired and it worked!!
I also got to administer anesthetic today. I did all right on the left IA, but on the right, mmmmmmmmmmmm....not so good. I learned that when achieving osseous contact, instead of withdrawing and repenetrating, you must swing more laterally until you pass the bone then swing back out to the premolar region.

Mocking bird

We completed our mockboard exams this week. I passed which was a relief, however I realized how easy it would be to fail. I have learned that you have to be absolutely sure your patient qualifies, that you x-rays are diagnostic, and that you paperwork is complete. You have control over these variables and have the opportunity to not loose any points for these. It would also allow you to mis 4 deposits of calculus.
I have also learned that exploring is an essential skill to have. If you are not good at this it is likely that you will miss areas you could have gotten off. I missed two deposits last time, but none of which I could actually feel without some assistance. The other difficult thing, was that they were spicules, hardly anything, maybe .005% of the tooth surface was covered by it. You have to make sure you explore each place to ensure success.
I also feel slightly more confident. I passed. With multiple large deposits on each tooth, all that was left behind were bery small amounts. The thing that worries me however, is the subjectivity of the examiners. What if one feels something that feels like calculus, but really isn't? Doesn't really matter, I get docked points. That makes me a little nervous. I know that as a student examiner, I wrote down teeth that I thought had deposits but really didn't.
A good strategy for cleaning is to take a larger ultrasonic tip and go after the large stuff a little more agressively. Another is to have really sharp instruments. Also, you need to be agressive when scaling (not enough to cause tissue trauma -5 points), lastly, explore carefully and take the time to make those areas smooth.