Last Clinc Day...

Today is my LAST CLINIC DAY of 2010!! WAHOO!!! Holy cow! Time has flown!! I have done so many quads and I am definitely ready for a break!! I am just seeing an easy 1B today, I felt like I needed to take it easy and save all my harder patients for next semester! It has been a good semester and I have accomplished a lot! I feel like I have grown a lot with my skills and have learned a lot!! I am excited for next semester and can't believe that I graduate in 4 MONTHS, 4 WEEKS, and 2 DAYS!!! But who's counting??

Another Class IV

Today I saw a true, true, true class IV. All four quads were IV. I only worked on the lower left quad, and it literally took me 2.5 hours just for one quad. There was radiographic boulders on every...single...tooth! If I had been alone, in private practice, I literally would have broken down in tears! It was SO HARD!! He told me he hadn't been to the dentist in 40 YEARS!! Oh my gosh, I about died! Connie stayed with me the entire time and assisted and I couldn't have done it without her! I was EXHAUSTED!!!

Class III, Class III, Class III

Yep, I saw 3...count them THREE, class III patient at the VA today. That was rough! All of them had their OD done, so all I had to do was clean. Clean, Clean, Clean. I felt pretty good about it though, and it gave me a lot of experience!!

Mock Boards...

Today was mock boards! It was pretty stressful but I think overall it went very well. I think I did a good job cleaning my patient. I know there was an area on the distal of #18 that I could still feel a roughness and I tried with all my might and couldn't get it. So I just ended up submitting him. After I thought about why I didn't use my FILES?? Really?? I totally could have gotten it off with them, oh well, live and learn!!

First Class IV

HOLY COW!!! I am in awe. I have never really had a patient with deep pockets, so I wondered if I was probing correctly...well today I was walking the probe along, mesial...3, facial....12, distal...12, WAIT, WHAT?? A 12??? I will say it again, Holy Cow!! I was even able to use my curved slimlines on the deep pocket and furcation! I loved it! It was awesome!

Chair Positions!!!

EEK! I am struggling with my chair positions! WHY? Why after all this time are they giving me trouble? But it's so true that you can't do proper cleaning unless you are in the correct postion...I'll keep working on it...

Getting Better

Last year I saw a patient that was a perfect board patient! She had radiographic calculus on a lot of surfaces and I remember trying to do a cleaning and all I did was debride. It was the hardest patient I think I ever had to work on at that time. Well I saw her again today and it was much better. I felt like I did a good cleaning until my intructor came over and told me I basically missed every mesial surface. But at least I was consistant. I know I don't get mesials very well and it's because I am not comfortable with my position and with the way the instruments need to be held. She sat down with me and showed me the best ways to get the mesials and I learned a good lesson that day!

First Class III of the Semester

Today I saw my first class III of the semester. There was a lot of subgingival calculus that was hard to remove. I missed quite a few spots the first time because I think I am at the base of the pocket and I am really resting on a ring of calculus. I learned that I need to really get my explorer in deep enough so I can tell what I am feeling.