My first class III

Wow!  I had no idea how hard a class III was going to be.  I convinced my patient to have x-rays taken today since it had been a year.  He seemed reluctant at first, but I turned on the persuasion and he consented.  I am up to 9 sets of bitewing x-rays!  My patient had quite a bit of calculus that I was having a hard time maneuvering around while I was probing.  Most of my measurements were accurate, but there were some that were way off.  I just need to have an instructor show me how to get around it to get accurate readings.  Then I started with his cleaning.  I only did one quadrant of his mouth and he was even missing two molars in that area.  I couldn't believe how hard the calculus was to get off.  When I had my scale check, I had missed 5 areas!  I had started with my ultrasonic, which did a great job of getting stuff from inside the pocket.  My instructor advised me for next time to use the left/right ultrasonic tips.  She said those will help me a ton with his tenacious calculus.  I sure hope so, because that stuff was hard to get off!!!  My patient isn't coming in until my second to last clinic day.  I sure hope that I can get everything done in that amount of time.  Fortunately that is my longer day so I have more time to complete things.  I am looking forward to trying out the other ultrasonic tips.  I hope that that helps my instrumentation.  I really need to use more of a horizontal stroke while working on tenacious calculus.  I will get better, I know I will.  It is just a matter of time.

Trying to do too much

I tried to do too much yesterday.  I saw my son for a cleaning and then had two other boys come in for panoramic x-rays.  I felt so scatter-brained.  Don't get me wrong.  I had a fabulously productive day, but I just felt like I had no control.  We are supposed to finish filling out one chart before even bringing the next patient back, but that just wasn't going to happen.  The two boys were there and ready to go and my room wasn't even clean yet.  Fortunately I got my son completed, Diagnodent and Sealant PEs passed off, two bitewing x-rays taken, and the two panos taken.  I realize that I have got to be better at prioritizing my time.  I felt like I was being efficient by having my x-ray room set up before seating my patient, having all of the sealant material ready to go, but things still just didn't flow as well as I would have hoped.  I did mess up on one of the panoramic films too.  Darn it!  Instead of placing the drum on L1 I placed it on L2.  I won't be making that mistake again.

I am hopefully seeing a class III patient tomorrow.  I will be taking x-rays on him as well, most likely vertical bitewings.  Fortunately I have my peer pals records from his previous appointments to refer to.  I hope that my OD goes well so that I can at least scale one quadrant.  I will really have to be on my A-game to get that much done.  Cross your fingers for me that all goes well.  I am nervous about probing such deep pockets, but it will be a great learning experience.  Bring on the class III!!!

BRACES!

My patient today had braces.  That is difficult to work around.  She was even sweet enough to take out her wires for me.  I was able to take Schick x-rays on her as well.  They turned out fantastic, if I say so myself.  I was really proud of myself for how awesome this pictures were.  I can finally say though that I have taken some digital x-rays.  WaHoo!  I think I could have done a better job of managing my time.  If I had made sure that I had everything set up (my x-ray room and OH aids) then things might have gone smoother.  I was the first person signed up in x-ray room 1.  I could have had that set up before I brought her back.  That would have made things go faster.  Because of this little things that I didn't make sure of I now have to have her come back to finish her last two quads.  I did get her right side cleaned.  It was hard with the brackets though.  Especially probing.  It was really difficult to maneuver the probe around the bracket on the facial.  I now know what to expect when I have her come back.  She does a really great job of cleaning her teeth with brackets on.  She also  has her interview for the program this coming Monday.  I really hope that she gets in so that I can be her peer pal.  I plan on being the best peer pal there is.  I think it is important for a peer pal to advise the first year student coming in.  I could have used a little more advise and help, but I didn't ask for it and my peer pal didn't offer it.  I'm not going to sugar coat things either.  This is a hard program.  Not impossible, but hard.  Especially with a family.  I am looking forward to graduating!  That will be a great day.

I am going to finish up my sister on Monday.  I am hoping that she can bring in her daughter for me to do a couple sealants.  I can pass off a PE and help my niece protect her teeth.  I have two quads to finish on my sister, polish, floss, and use that fabulous fluoride.  Fluoride is fantastic and can do some much for teeth, but I wish they could make it taste better.  If they are going to create something that has to stay on the teeth from 4+ hours, it should taste decent to have it there!  There you go fluoride companies.  That is your challenge for the year.  Make something that tastes better!  Not the melon flavored crap that I have on my teeth right now!