clinic Journal #14

Mockboards was a very good experience. I was really stressed out but managed to get all the paperwork together and correct and managed to pretty well on scaling. My patient was totally awesome because it took a really long time and he was very patient and super nice even when I had to go back and scale a few teeth because I had missed some areas os calculus. I am so grateful to WSU for providing us with these practice sessions for boards. I think I would really be frustrated if this was the real board exam, even though I would have passed with an ok score but still my goal is perfection and to get a 100% on the board exam so hopefully I can live up to that goal. It is pretty lofty but secretly my goal is just to pass but if I tell myself that then I won't try as hard. Just remember toward the face and try as many different instruments as possible to get the teeth feeling as smooth as possible.
I hope I find a patient as great as the one today, which by the way would have qualified!!
And hopefully I find a patient but I am not stressing, I just need to concentrate on technique and the rest will fall into place!!

clinic journal #13

Well, I am kind of freaking out because I don't have a mock board patient and for some reason everyone that I have seen so far has not even had any of the qualifications and not even enough calculus. I really want to find someone that has the qualifications so that I can get a good experience and know what I am doing before the real board occurs. I guess I am going to have to scavenge around some white trash neighborhoods looking for the right patient.
I also think that the instructors might be trying to get us motivated for the boards but all they are doing for me is freaking me out more. I think that I just need to stay calm and focus right now on my requirments and on getting my scaling technique perfected and not worry too much about the boards but of course I will always have that in the back of my mind as something important that I have to look ahead for but the freak out sessions by our instructors, I think, are really not necessary.
Other than that things are going great. My scaling time is good and so far I have not missed any areas but hopefully I didn't just jinx myself!!!

Clinic Journal #11 and #12

This was my last day at the VA for this semester and it is totally bitter sweet. I will totally miss my VA group they are the best people in the whole world and I totally got to know them so well and they are all so AWESOME!!!! I hope that we will still get together as the VA group during the rest of the sememster. And what can I say about professor Hanson, she is fabulous!!! She has taught me so much and I have had so much fun doing it. I think I will miss all the VA crushes and especially Ron and his wonderful personality and attitude about dental hygiene. Just kidding!!! Just wanted to note that so I could remember!!!
Just remember, toward the face, toward the toe.






It was kind of fun at WSU clinic today, I worked on two patients that I knew but had no idea who they were until they got into the chair and I recognized them. My last patient was very interested in entering the program and so I totally got into telling her all about it and all about the big contoversy about the Orem hygiene school. One thing that was weird about my last patient was that she had beautiful teeth but her gingiva were really edematous and bled alot. She seemed to have really good oral hygiene and she had no medical conditions that would indicate her being more prone to ginigivitis. At even the slightest touch she would gush blood. I hate seeing people with great teeth but bad tissue. One factor is her lack of dental flossing. That might even be a huge factor, I guess I will see when she comes back for her recall appointment.
My first patient had so many broken teeth and so many broken amalgam fillings that I just was wondering how she even ate anything and how she got through the day with that much pain. She needs tons of work but she is on her way, through midtown, to a healthy mouth.

Journal # 9 and #10

So, The Va was a great experience. I always look forward to all the unusual people that I meet and the many quirky things that they do and say. One of my patients was talking about crystal meth and smoking marijuana and I wasn't quite sure what to say to him.
I guess I just don't know how forthcoming I should be when patients are opening up so much. I would not like to offend them or make them feel stupid. I think in class or clinic we need to go over what you say to a patient that brings up illegal drug use and the appropriate way to inform them of the consequences of such drug use. I also think that I need a refresher course on the affects of drugs on the oral cavity along with the entire body. Probably just general affects nothing detailed but in order for me to best help my patient I need to understand the affects and a good way to discuss it with them and a good way to bring up the subject if it is mentioned on the health history.

Also, another patient of mine was performing stupid human tricks with his back for my entertainment. It was very entertaining!!!







My experience at the WSU clinic was awful today, I had two patients scheduled and both patients had high blood pressure like not just a little high but like "Im having a stroke" high. So of course I am trying my hardest to find other patients to come in. I am even stalking one girl who is waiting for the weber state shuttle. I think I talked to her like a billion times to try to convince her to get her teeth clean because the dentist at WSU had wanted her to have one more before she was treated by him. But, she wouldn't come. So my attempts to get a morning patient failed but I did find someone for the afternoon but when he showed up he was one anticoagulant medications and had very high and consistently high blood pressure, his physician is out of the office until monday so basically I was kind of out of luck!!! As I was reviewing his record and his past blood pressure readings I noticed that he was consistantly having high readings but that he was still treated and there was no documentation of a physician consult. He was very upset. None of my patients really understood why we monitor their blood pressure and that high BP can be a sign for other underlying dieseases that can be life- threatening.
It was a crappy day but a good leaning experience that hopefully will not be repeated!!!