Here it goes...

What a great way to start clinic. I was able to clean an easy 1B and 5 without many problems. I'm glad I started off with easier patients. It helped ease me into the routine again. By the end of the day I felt like I didn't have a summer off at all! My class 5 patient was an older gentleman who went on and on about how great I was and then I received a few compliments from my professor as well so my confidence is boosted up...all ready for it to be shattered as soon as the problem patients start coming. At least I know that I am at least somewhat competent.

THE VAMC

Wow...the VA has an incredibly huge and nice dental clinic. This morning we had orientation which was helpful, but somehow I still didn't have any idea what I was doing once I got a patient in my chair. I felt very scared and nervous to see a patient here. Not sure if it's just a new environment or what, but I haven't felt that scared since my first patient ever! Luckily it was a relatively easy class 5. He was such a nice man, but unfortunately he had about every medical problem in the book and he was pretty much dying from cancer. He was old and frail, but we made him comfortable and I felt like I was able communicate pretty well with him. Through the health history interview, I found that he had two artificial joints. (Sidenote: one thing that's GREAT about the VA is the fact that most of the people go to the VA for all their medical needs so everything you ever need to know about them medically is at your fingertips.) My patient had had the surgery done at a different facility so there was nothing written in his chart. Luckily I asked and even more luckily, I knew that they had just changed the regulations with artificial joints and he needed to be pre-medicated. I felt so elated knowing that I was able to catch that and prevent any further complications.

Welcome Back!

I reread my last post and realized I must have forgotten my "summer goal" the day school ended. Oops! Hopefully it'll come right back. I'm feeling anxious but excited for this year. MY LAST YEAR OF COLLEGE! Cannot believe it. Today we worked on instrument sharpening and then we paired up to get back into probing and exploring on each other. I found out I've been exploring wrong this whole time. Apparently the curved tip is supposed to curve around the mesial surface... I could definitely tell a difference! I feel much more competent with instrument sharpening, though. It was nice to get one-on-one instruction. Well, wish me luck! I'm off to the resource list...

April 14, 2010

My patient was about 45 minutes late but I was still able to finish her today. An easy 1B was a great way to end my first year of clinic. I feel like I've really improved my scaling techniques and knowledge, I am just worried about retaining what I have learned through the summer so I can continue to improve next year instead of starting all over again. My goals for the summer are to review my instrumentation books and to practice on my typodont at least a couple times a week. Till then...au revior! (sp!)

April 12, 2010

Finished my requirements today. What a sigh of relief. I saw a 9-year old girl, attempted to take a pano (pano machine was broken, also left her goggles on..oops!), did a few sealants (yes!), finished my 1A requirements and then finished my class 3. Lesson for next year: get my requirements done as early as I can. Treat the beginning of the semester like it's the end!

April 7, 2010

My patient today used to be a class 3, but now...yup you got it, another class 5. She was very sweet. She spoke just a little English so I hope I didn't take advantage of that by getting her to do my blood glucose test! I just asked her if she had been tested before and she said she would like to...so I did! I was also able to take 8 PA's on her. (She had never had x-rays, at least in the last few years she had been coming to our clinic.) Something interesting: I had never wondered whether something was a cavity or an amalgam before! It looked so much like an amalgam, but it was a cavity. Oh and on a wisdom tooth. All 4 wisdom teeth=my new worst nightmare. I wasn't able to finish her and I have no more room to fit her in (and neither does anyone else) so I feel awful. I hope she can come in the fall. Oh also, I was so amazed by her homecare! From what I could tell from my evaluation and reading past chart notes, she has been doing so well since she first came in as a class 3. I could even tell that she flosses regularly! I never see that!

April 5, 2010

Had another class 5 today....argh. It went well though. I was able to take BWX and PA's! Finally, I'm in desperate need! I passed off the last of my Class 2/3 PE's. Yes! Those have been haunting me. I barely finished in time. I need to do better at getting faster. I'm at a lost at what to do different though. Call ahead for a health history? Probe faster? When instrumenting, don't come out of the mouth as much!? I have no idea.