November 29, 2006

I saw my first real patient today! My goal was to scale at least one quad, but I didn't quite get one quad done. My dad was really nice and spent his afternoon in my dental chair. I felt pretty good about today, but I still wish that I was a bit faster. I am glad that I at least got to scale a couple of teeth though. I think that probing is what is slowing me down right now. It feels good to have my first patient done. My goal for next time is to evaluate today's appointment.

November 27, 2006

My goal for today was to pass off my PSR PE. I got to pass that PE off right at the end of clinic. I am officially done with all my PE's! I got to be Shandee's patient. All I can say is that I feel bad for my patients because they have to sit or lay in the chair for a long time! It was nice to just sit there though and not have to do anything. I am a little nervous for Wednesday. We are seeing our first real patients. My dad is my patient, so I guess that makes it a little better. My goal for Wednesday is to scale at least one quadrant.

November 22, 2006

Today, my goal was to work quickly and get as much done as possible with my mock patient. I didn't work as quickly as I would have liked to. I only got 1 1/2 quads scaled. I think that probing is what took me the longest to do. Working on my mock patient today really opened my eyes to only how much time we have with our patients. Overall, I felt ok about today, but I still need to get faster at probing and filling out paper work. I am really excited about Thanksgiving tomorrow! My goal for next time is to pass off my PSR PE.

November 20, 2006

Today, my goal was to learn emergency procedures. We went over our responsibilities and the instructors responsibilities during emergency situations. We also went over the contents of the emergency medical kit and what the different things are used for. And then we discussed signs and symptoms of different medical emergencies. It was fun to role play and decide what to do in different situations. I think it is good to always be prepared for an emergency situation. My goal for next time is to work quickly and get as much done as possible on my mock patient.

November 15, 2006

Today, my goal was to learn how to do sealants. I got to do sealants on Laurie! First, I air powder polished #2, 3, 4, and 5. Then, I sealed those four teeth. I thought it was really fun. I have assisted with a lot of sealants, but it was great to finally do them myself. My goal for next time is to learn emergency procedures.

November 13, 2006

Today, my goal was to learn how to use the air/powder polisher. First, we used the air/powder polisher to shine up a penny. It was a lot of fun. Then, we got to practice on a person. I was amazed at how messy it was! It is a good thing that we use the high speed suction with the air/powder polisher. I had the air/powder polisher used on me, and by the end, I had sodium bicarbonate all over me! It was all over my face and down my neck. I really didn't like the taste of it either! My goal for next time is to learn how to do sealants.

November 8, 2006

My goal for today was to learn how to sharpen my instruments. The first part of class we learned how to sharpen our instruments. I thought the hardest part was keeping the right angle with the stone. I like using sharp instruments! I also got to pass off three PE's. First I did my universal instrumentation PE, then I did my selective polishing PE, and last I did my fluoride PE. I feel like I got a lot accomplished today. My goal for next time is to learn how to use the air/powder polisher.

November 6, 2006

My goal for today was to do a fluoride tx on a patient. The fluoride tx went well with my patient. I think I put just a little bit too much fluoride in the tray, but it wasn't too messy. I got to practice my posterior instrumentation a lot with my universal instruments. I am feeling a bit more comfortable with it, but I still struggle with the mesial surfaces because I catch the gingiva sometimes. I did selective polishing on the mandibular teeth. I would like to get faster at polishing. My goal for next time is to learn how to sharpen my instruments.

November 1, 2006

My goal for today was to use short 2 mm strokes during instrumentation. I didn't get a chance to do any instrumentation, but I got to do selective polishing. We went through and did everything from HHX to OHI, and then I did a little bit of selective polishing. I also got to pass off my intra-oral camera PE. I like using the intra-oral camera. My goal for next time is to learn how to give someone fluoride.