9-18-07

My first patient today was 1B. She had great looking tissues. They were very stippled, pink and tight. She did have calculus that was very difficult to get though. Since her tissues were so healthy and tight I had a hard time getting interproximal and subgingival. I first thought I did a great job since it was a 1B but when I had my scale check I had missed all the mesial and distal surfaces subgingival. The instructor and I tried to get proximal enough to remove the calculus but non of the instruments we thought would work didn't work. So she went to get a McCall that had a thin working end which allowed us to get to the calculus. It was a good learning experience.
I really need to learn the area specific instruments so I could be more useful as a clinician. It is hard to just talk about in class. It is better for me to visualize and experience it on a patient.
My second patient canceled last minute so luckily Lilly had someone waiting in the waiting room who wanted her teeth cleaned. She was a class III but didn't have a lot of her teeth. So it was considered only 2 quads of a class III. But she was a great patient to help me learn and see the proximal surfaces and where calculus likes to hide.

9-11-07

Today my class III patient returned. Since I only got one quad on her done last visit I was really going to try and finish her but that is just wish full thinking. I got the two quads on the UL and LL finished. My instructor said she could be a mock board patient on the LR quad but I didn't do so well at scale check with the UL and LL so I hope I can find a better mock board patient that won't be so difficult.
My second patient was spanish speaking also. She was very nice and really wanted her teeth cleaned but she told me at the appointment that she could only stay an hour. So I only got x-rays and probing done. We classified her as a class III. So I got another class III which will be great. Get the hard quads done with first. I'm hoping she could be a board patient. Even though we were told a class II would be a better patient for boards or mock boards, I haven't been able to come across one.
I'm hoping my skills will improve with these difficult patients. And my understanding of which area specific instrument to use.

First patient in Second year

My first patient as a second year was a great patient. Last year we had a very hard time finding a class III but my very first patient of the year was a Class III. I only got one quad done on her since I had to wait for an instructor to give local anesthetic and I was pretty slow on probing and taking x-rays. But I was so excited she was a class III. She came off of a list from Mrs. Campbell so I should thank her.
My goal is to improve my time in probing and taking xrays. Next time I have a class III I would like to get at least 2 or 3 quads done. I know there is no way I could get all quads done (even though I have about 2 and 1/2 hours.
My patient in the afternoon no Showed. I even drove to her house to give her forms and a map to bring help her remember and get to the clinic ok. She wouldn't even answer her phone when I asked lilly to call. I was so stressed out. My first day of clinic and I already had a no show. So I called my husband, who I was going to use as a back up but not this soon in the semester. So he came and was my patient. He was a 1B and 1 quad of a 2. So it turned out ok but that is the worst when patients no show.

First day of clinic

Today in clinic we got associated with rules and procedures again. We also went over instrument sharpening and passed off our instrument sharpening PE. Today was a long day but pretty laxed.
Next week we jump right in and see our first patients. I have two new spanish speaking patients scheduled. I am really nervous since I need more practice on my skills and I don't speak spanish. Thankfully Lilly from midtown is around to help when she can.
I almost forgot we had to blog so I'm glad we went over rules and procedures today. We'll see how it goes next week.