Probing

Today we did probing. It doesn't seem to hard. The only problem it seems like I am having is rotating the instrument from the distal to the Mesial. I seem to want to stay in the same postion. If I got it right for one surface I don't want to move it and screw it up going to a different surface....AHHHHHHH!!!
Well...it will be my goal to figure that out.
I also tried going from exploring to probing and that was a joke. I really thought I had the technique on exploring but today was another story. So I really need to work on that as well.

Exploring

I feel like I am lasurating my patient...Jamey. Exploring is still tricky for me but I am getting the hand of it better. I need to work on controlling my pinky finger a little better. I seem to flare it a ton. Dena had her fingers taped together to help her learn not to flare. I think I should try that next time.
We also did our health history PE's today. I didn't get mine done so I need to finish it and bring it back. Poor Tamera Tooth is a very sick patient. Almost every question was circled yes. I hope when real patients start coming in they are not that sick. Oh well if they are I'll be ready for them.

Clinic

I hate to sound like every time I blog I am complaining...but it seems to be getting harder and harder. I do need to say I am catching on to things from the other clinics though. Today we explored each other. I am sterilizing a set of instruments to practice on my husband.
Cassandra was a great patient to work on. She was very patient with me when I caught her tissue and she gave great feed back when I did catch her and I didn't know.
Hopefully by next clinic I will feel more comfortable handling instruments and folcruming...which still seems impossible for me to do. I'm sure things will come to me on there own time with practice.

Intra oral examinations

Today we learned how to do intra oral examinations. We switched partners so we could practice on at least two different people. It doesn't seem to hard to go through but there are a lot of inner parts of the mouth that as a clinician you should know and be aware of for the signs of diseases. For the most part I know what and where they are but there are a few I need to practice.
This program doesn't seem to give even a tiny break to catch up or even try to retain all the other information that was taught. My goal is to get better organized and really do my best to stay on top of everything. Life just seems to get in the way and "Life Happens."

Folcruming

I had no idea how hard it would be to folcrum. I just didn't seem to be getting the technique. I even had instructor Vining sit one on one with me to show me closer but I still didn't get it. I need more help and practice with this technique.
I'm hoping by next week clinic I will have some kind of form down to do folcruming better with. This and chair positioning is my handicap right now. I know I need lots of practice to get to the point where I feel comfortable with it.
Again I just need to practice, practice, practice. You know they say that repetative learning and hands on is the best way to learn.

BLood Pressure

Clinic this afternoon we took our pods blood pressure. I don't think it's all that hard to take someones blood pressure except it gets really hard to hear the heart beat when there is other noise going on. Sometimes I couldn't hear it at all. But I'm sure I'll get much better with practice.
We also went over chair positioning. Since I am left handed it gets a little difficult. Some positions I am more comfortable doing with my right hand and others I feel better with my left. I know I need to pick a side and stick with it. My goal for next time is to feel better about chair positioning and which hand I feel better instrumentating.

Today in clinic we went over health history. We received an assignment yesterday to make a health history and the pt. had, I think three different drugs she was taking. We worked the assignment out as a group but it took us like 3 hours. I am really hoping it gets easier. In the office I work at we don't even chart half the stuff we have to here.
It will be nice to prevent and protect the pt. better as I become a clinician. I just really need to learn how to review and chart a health history quicker so the pt. isn't waiting on me for hours.
My goal is to get quicker before we start seeing realy pt. To accomplish it I will review the drug book and the health history format to get the procedure solid.
Today my lab partner was Micah....Dena choose someone else....for reviewing each others history.