One and Done!

Today I finished a 1B in ONE appointment!! I was so THRILLED. :) Today I approached clinic with a different attitude and mentality. First, I decided to not compare myself against anyone else but only against myself and the circumstances I face for the day. Second, I decided to set "mini" goals for myself throughout the appointment to ensure that I stay on task. I found that by doing this I was not only a lot more calm and relaxed, but I was able to get a LOT more done! I think it is easy sometimes to get discouraged and feel like you aren't doing as well or getting behind when other students around you are finishing patients, passing off PEs, etc. However, I found that when I continually compared myself to others I was getting more and more discouraged. Today I found how unrealistic it was to compare myself to others. As we are all in different places with our requirements, there is NO way to even make comparisons - it is like comparing apples to oranges to peaches to pineapples!

I am glad I was finally able to get to this place and feel good about myself. I am excited to keep progressing further and continue solidifying my skills as a hygienist! :)

Dad's Rock!

On Monday 2/25, my patient was my Dad. It was really fun for me to be able to bring him in and show him what I have been doing with my time thus far in the program! :) My Dad's opinion is something that has always been very important to me. So, being able to bring him in as my patient on Monday and have him express how proud and impressed he was with how I was doing really made me feel great! Also, being able to clean his teeth made me really excited about one day being in private practice and being able to make sure my ALL of my family is well taken care of in regards to making sure they stay on top of coming in for their regular cleanings. Lately I have really found how passionate I have become about bringing patients to a "healthy status". I think it is important to keep this passion alive throughout my years of practicing as a Hygienist. I need to make a commitment now to ALWAYS remember to treat EACH patient as a INDIVIDUAL and not a "mouth"!! I am going to be a hygienist who strives to make a difference each and every day and NOT get into a "routine".

I LOVE HYGIENE!!

Two CUTEST Girls!

Yesterday in clinic I saw two 1A patients. They were the cutest little girls. I was a little nervous at first because they were younger so I was afraid of them being nervous to be seen since they didn't know me. But, it ended up being a really good appointment. They were both very responsive and actually had fun!

I have really found that I really enjoy treating children. I have always believed in the importance of making each experience a child has at the dentist a positive one. I truly believe that the more positive the experience is for a pedo patient, the more likely that patient is to establish and continue good OH throughout their life. I think one of the biggest reasons why patients don't regularly see the dentist is because they have had negative experiences in the office.

I think I have improved a lot since the first of the year. However, I think it is important that I remember to focus on quality not quantity. Sometimes I feel like I am running out of time or am afraid I will get behind so I rush through things faster than I should. I think I need to remember that each appointment is ultimately about EDUCATING the patient and the ensuring that they have a POSITIVE experience. If I make these things my first priority, I think I will be in good shape! :)

Husbands are great patients!

Today I finished my husband. 4 more quads down... Wahoo! :)

Today's appointment was really fun. It was nice to be able to treat my husband, I felt more comfortable and less pressure than when I treat strangers. This was great but also made me aware that I am more stressed when treating strangers! I am excited to get to the point where I feel THAT comfortable with strangers! :)

I finally got my loupes and today was the first day I was able to use them. I LOVE LOUPES !! :) I never realized how beneficial they could be. They were a great learning tool and helped me to really see how effective my instrumentation was and how I can improve. I'm excited to use them more!!

Wed 2/8... Another patient finished!

I keep forgetting to post my blogs! Oops!

Today I finished another 1B patient. I missed an area on the distal line angle and even thought I was a little discouraged at first, I was grateful for the great learning experience. Missing this area really helped me to become more concious of my instrumentation. It helped me to really focus and pay attention to how and where I am instrumenting. See.... Missing calculus can be a good thing! :/

Last Wednesday's Patient

I forgot to blog about my patient last Wednesday! My patient came about 20 minutes late... Yikes!! When my patient finally showed up, I surprised myself. I stayed calm and collected and was even able to get 1 quad scaled in 15 minutes - made my day! It's been exciting to see my skills become more refined and my demeanor more confident as the semester progresses. I have found that i am truly enjoying what I do - it has been very fulfilling!

After I got my OD check, I was somewhat discouraged because I missed some areas when charting dent. I realized it will just take more experience to be able to identify restorations. I need to not get discouraged and just realize that this is a learning experience and sometimes the best way to learn is by mistake!!

Bitewings and Panos :)

Today in clinic I took 4 BWX and a pano. I was excited because I didn't have to take any retakes. Saturday we had a children's clinic and some of the second years let me help take bitewings on some of the children, I think it really helped me to become more comfortable taking x-rays. I also got a lot of good feedback from the second years and that was also very beneficial.

I also got to scale one quad and didn't miss any areas. Scale checks are always so nerve racking for me! I was grateful i did not miss any areas but I would have been OK if I did. i know that missing areas is sometimes the BEST way to learn and refine your skills. i need to keep this in mind and not beat myself up WHEN I miss areas in the future.

I'm on my way to becoming a hygienist... Yay!

Monday Clinic... 4 more quads down - a LOT more to go! :)

In clinic on Monday I finished a 1B. It ended up being a really good clinic day! I didn't miss any areas and passed off 3 PEs! YAY :) It has been fun getting into pt. treatment.... the more days of clinic we have the more comfortable I seem to get with my instrumentation and patient skills. I am excited to be on this journey and can't wait for the FUN days ahead! I LOVE HYGIENE!! :)