Last day and Reflection

Today was an exciting day because it's our last clinic day of the semester but also kind of a sad one because we won't be seeing each other for a month. Our instructors kept us busy with a clinic manual test, an emergency prodedues module, and also teaching us the duties of the clinical assistant. It was super busy but lots of fun! We were told that real patient treatment will begin our second day back in clinic which is Jan. 7th. That made us all super nervous!! We are incharge of finding and scheduling our own patients. So... if anyone knows anyone who needs their teeth cleaned for a super low cost, please contact me and let me know!! My clnic experience was Amazing. I learned so much! I've really enjoyed working with the other girls and with all of the instructors. Dental Hygiene is an Amazing program and I reccomend it to anyone!!

Real Patient Day!!!

Today was Awesome!! We were able to work on our very first "real patient". In other words... someone besides a fellow classmate! My mom was willing to be my guinea pig and she did a Great job! It was so much fun to show her the "in's and out's" of the clinic. I was able to finish and complete her OD and get one quad scaled. All of my probe depths were within 1mm of my instructor which means I passed with flying colors! I took 4 BWX on her and did great with them too. It was a lot of fun to work with her and to put all that we have learned thus far into practise. After the appointment, we went out to lunch with Casey and her mom. It was tons of fun!! I'm so glad today was such a success! It was great encouragement for the upcoming semesters and patients! :)

Final Mock Patient!!

Today I had my first and last official mock patient. I had the opprotunity to work on Sarah and she was marvelous!! She was so helpful with my charting and she cleaned my unit. We had a fun time talking and getting to know each other better too. I had a really fun time working on her and doing the whole thing. I was really nervous at first because I had to treat her like an official patient but once I got started, things just started rolling. One of my instructors complimented me on my sclaing. She said that I have really good technique. I was super excited to hear that. Thank you Mexico!! Today was a complete success!! I really had a wonderful day!

I was the Mock Patient!

Today in clinic was so fun! All I had to do was lay in the chair and keep my mouth open wide! Sarah was my hygienest and she did a great job! We had lots of fun together. I helped her with her unit clean up and instruments. It was a pretty relaxing day! I really enjoyed it!

PSR

Today was a good day.... we learned all about PSR and how we probably will never really need to use this index! :) It deals with probing and how we can just probe a few teeth to determine whether or not we need to probe the full mouth. It's been interesting to learn. I was also able to pass off my sealant PE on Casey today. She was a Great patient and it was fun to work on her! She's the Best!!

Air-Powder Polisher!

Today was super interesting. Jess was my patient and she was wonderful. We had a fun time together! We got to practise using the air-powder polisher on each other. It was easy to use to it tasted nasty. It's a mixture of salt, water, air, and mint flavoring. Not the best thing ever! We both had some fun spraying each other and getting salt everywhere! It was great! After we did that, we both passed off our fluoride PE and we both passed with flying colors. We had to do a half mouth varnish and the other half foam/gel. It was another tasty treat! After that Jess practised doing a sealant on me and I did one on Denver. It was lots of fun! However the consistency of the sealant bugged me and I got a little too think on the distal of Denver's. She thought I missed a spot but luckily Kim agreed with me and it was just fine! Today was busy but it was fun! We only have a few days left of clinic and I can't hardly believe it. My mom will be my first patient in 2 weeks from today and I'm really looking forward to it. It will be a wonderful experience!!

Mexico Adventure

I am sitting here in a beautiful home in Casas Grandes, Mexico. Me, my dad, who is a Dentist, along with my brother, came down to Mexico yesterday for a service trip. An Opthamology team of 3 came too. Today was our first day to work in the clinic and it was a very humbly yet happy experience. We saw a bunch of people who needed teeth extracted or others who have never had there teeth cleaned in their lives. My dad allowed me to scale as many people as I could and this was Amazing. I felt terrible that people were living with all the buildup and sore gums but it was an incredible learning experience for me to work on them. I actually got to click tartar off and see results of my work. I couldn't believe all that I was seeing. Fluorosis is a Huge problem down there and it was sad to see how it has affected the color and strength of some of these people's teeth. I am so thankful to be here and to help so many people in need. Tomorrow we will be working at the clinic again and I can't wait! I love to help others in need and especially those with dental concerns. I will never forget this trip and the many things I've learned here in Mexico.

Mock Patient

Today was our first day to go from HHX to Status Rx on our treatment record... which translates to having our very first patient experience. I worked on Abby for the very first time and she was Awesome! She told me certain places where I need to roll and adapt my tip better along the interproximals. She was very helpful and we had a great conversation about boys! She is Awesome! I feel bad though because I'm going to be in Mexico on Wed. so she will have to work on a TA. but I really looking forward to going to Mexico and having a wonderful experience there. I was also able to pass of my Universal scaler and selective polish PE. Kim, an instructor, showed me how to use my McCall which has a tip instead of just using my Barnhardt, which has a toe. She said the McCall will get in the interproximals better so it was fun to use another new instrument. Today was an all around good and very successful day!!

Gigantic Tongue!! ;)

So today in clinic.... it was a wonderful day!! Full of lots of laughs and even some tears! But tears of laughter! Casey and I had such a BLAST!! We worked on each other for the very first time and we both did a way good job! We got lectured on the importance of selective polishing then we got to polish each other. Casey totally made fun of my tongue because it is Gigantic! We made some pretty hilarious inside jokes today. We are BFF's!! Casey's mouth is still super purple due to the disclosing solution... she put about 40 too many drops in! My mouth was pretty purple but not too bad. We just had an all around great day together! Oh, and we just found out that we are going to China together next summer for our bachelors study abroad. It is going to be AMAZING!! She's the Best!

Nebraska Success!!

Today was Awesome in clinic! I had to pass off my Nebraska scaling technique and it Rocked!! We had to scale the anteriors, both maxillary and mandibular. I had Jess as my patient and she was just wonderful! Today was an all around success and I'm super happy! Kim, our instructor, showed me how to use a Montana Jack on the lingual surfaces and it helped out a ton! I'm excited to keep learning new instruments to scale with. I'm Loving clinic!! I'm going to work on Casey, my BFF, on Wednesday and I'm super happy about it! :)

Universal Scaler

Today was another Fabulous day!! We were taught how to use our Barnhardt scaler which is used to clean the posterior teeth. This particular instrument has a rounded toe instead of a pointy tip so I felt really comfortable with using it for my first time to scale posterior teeth. This instrument, like the Nebraska, felt really natural to me. Today was a very encouraging day and one that I have greatly needed!!

Anterior Scaler

Wow!! Today Rocked!! It was so much fun!! We learned about our Nebraska scaler which is used to scale all anterior teeth. It felt so natural in my hand and I really enjoyed actually being able to clean some plaque off. All the girls were super encouraging and very helpful with our techniques. It was a huge learning day but it was really exciting! I loved it!!

Explorer Victory!

Today was really stressful but it ended well!! In clinic, we had to pass off our explorer instrumentation and adaptation. I was really, really nervous about it. Jess was my patient and she was so helpful. She helped me figure out which working end to use and she told me where I needed to roll quicker. She helped out a Ton!! Prof. Costley came and helped me too before I did it for an assignment. I finally just told myself I was ready and so I did it! I passed off my exploring PE!!! I've been stressing over it since day 1 of learning how to do it. It was a super successful day! Now for the rest of the week... my parents just left this morning for Hawaii and they'll be gone for a week. I'm really excited for them because my sister Jami and her husband went with them. I'll be taking care of my sister Alacia and also my 2 nephews and a niece but I don't get them til later on in the week. It will be So Much fun!! I really looking forward to spending time with them. It's going to be a busy week but it will be fun. I really happy that I was able to pass off my assignment today and I'll be able to enjoy the rest of the week! :)

Nasty Disclosing Day!!

Today and Monday were Awesome!! We disclosed each other and had to do a PFI. For those of you who don't know... disclosing is checking all of the surfaces on each tooth that have plaque on them and the way to figure that out is.... to swish with yummy purple stuff and it turns the entire mouth purple and the plaque turns pink. It was Amazing!! Well, actually quite gross but it was lots of fun. All of us girls were kinda embarrassed at how much plaque we still had from just brushing within minutes of the disclosing. My lower anteriors on the lingual side were the worst! Thanks to my lovely permanent retainer! We disclosed another lab partner today and did a PFI as well. I also passed off my instrument grasp PE which was nice! Clinic has been so much fun and I really enjoy all of our instructors and professors who help us. Tonight I will be studying my brains out for my Head, Neck, and Dental Anatomy Exam that we have this week.

OHI and PFI

Does anyone need to be given any Oral Hygiene Instructions?! I am now a pro at how to brush, floss, rinse.... ect. It was lots of fun to go over different aids used to keep your teeth clean and healthy. Just remember everyone... brush 2 times daily for 2 min each as minimum and floss at least once daily with a "C" shape technique!

Another Day of Probing...

Today was a much better day! I was pretty successful with my probing depths and was only off by 1mm with my instructor. Jen was super nice and was really helpful today. I feel a lot better about my instrumentation and I'm once again excited to be here in Hygiene School! I completed my first 3 tests over the weekend and did really well. My Dental Hygiene test was a little rough but my Anatomy and Radiology exams were awesome! I was so happy to have them done and be able to enjoy the weekend. Once again... Dental Hygiene School Rocks! I'm still loving it even though it is super challenging. But today proved that I can overcome the challenge and be successful!

BFI

Today we learned and talked about the Bleeding-free Index. In other words... when we probe, if we get bleeding in a certain area from the pocket, we count it as one. Then there's a big math equation and we count how many spots were bleeding and how many teeth are present in the mouth and that makes up the BFI. The higher the number the better. Everyone wants to be 100% bleeding free, right?! It was fun to do today! I'm still uneasy with probing but I know it will continue to get better!

Week 5...

Today was the Second most frustrating day in clinic. On Monday, we started using our explorer on each other. It was the hardest thing ever! I just couldn't do it right. Jen was such a good sport through it all! I just couldn't see as well as I would have liked or thought so I think that made it a lot harder. Today we used our probes and probed each other. Once again... I wasn't very good and I got super frustrated. I had to stop for a few seconds... take a few breaths... and fight back the tears. It was awful. I will definitely be taking my typodont home for the weekend and practising. These are two very important skills we do everyday in our work and I'm horrible at them. I have lost a lot of confidence in myself but hopefully with a little practise I'll get better. I also completed my first test. It was in Head, Neck, and Dental Anatomy... I did ok for the first but could have done better. It was a nice first exam and I am happy with my score. I have two other exams before the end of the week. I think I'm just feeling a nit overwhelmed and stressed. I'm still loving school and feel so blessed to be here. This week was just a rough one!

Explorer and HHx Screening

Today was pretty intense. We were taught how to use our explorer. The one's we use here are a lot different from the one's I'm used to at my dad's office. His are just a sickle explorer but the one's in school are called pig tails. They look exactly like their names. I feel super uncomfortable with my explorer. I feel as though I can't see the difference between the two ends. I got really frustrated with myself because this was really difficult for me to grasp. The instructors keep saying that it will be get with more time and practise. I sure hope they are right! I passed off my HHx screening PE today which was wonderful to complete! It was a little tricky but not bad. It was a heck of a lot better than practising with the explorer.

Instrument Grasp

Today we were able to practise how to grasp our instruments. We talked about the difference and the significance of Adaption, Angulation, and Activation of our instruments. I never realized how precise everything has to be with the tip or toe of an instrument. This is a lesson and concept I will remember forever. It is so important that the tip of the instrument is in the right place and is well adapted to the tooth. I was able to pass off my Patient/Operator PE today which was really fun. My posture is really bad so far but hopefully that will get better with time!

Extra Oral Exam!

Today was a great day!! We learned how to perform Extra Oral Exams... or in other words, really good head massages! We were taught were the different lymph nodes are found and what to expect when we feel healthy nodes or infected nodes. It was great to practise on each other and to be practised on! I really liked this lesson! We also talked about and practised our indirect vision. This is really hard for me because the direction of my hand is different from the direction it's going in the mirror. Hopefully this will come more naturally!! All in all today was Great!

Blood Pressure Clinic! (week 3)

Today we learned how to take BP, respiratory rate, and pulse. It was Awesome!! I learned how about 4 years ago so it took some time to remember how to do it. Jessica was my first patient and it took me forever to find her BP. But eventually we got it and she IS alive! Believe it or not, I have a fairly low BP. Hopefully the reason is from my 2 mile walk early this morning with my mom!! I also passed off another PE. I'm about 1.5 weeks ahead of schedule with those crazy buggers! Clinic was lots of fun today. I now am getting ready for Radiology lab and then the rest of the evening is going to be crazy!! Casey and I are going to the open house for Mrs. Campbell, then we are headed downtown to Paint the Town Purple for homecoming week! Casey just makes me smile and I love her! We are going to Party tonight!! :)

2nd Week Continued...

I now have successfully finished my second week in the program. It was lots of fun but really busy. I really enjoyed all of my classes and felt well prepared for each one. Friday afternoon we had a SADHA meeting with the Jr. and Sr. class of girls. It was tons of fun. I got meet more of the Sr.'s and really enjoyed hearing about their experiences. I also found out that I'm the Promote Your Professions co-chair for the committee. I really excited about it. It will be lots of fun to be more involved and let the community and other people know we are up there and can clean their teeth. This semester/year is going to be lots of fun. I love being a Dental Hygiene student!!

2nd Week!!

Today was an all around Great day! I didn't have class this morning but I did have clinic in the early afternoon. I came up to school however at 8 and studied until clinic. It was a much needed study time. I was able to get all of my reading done and start on a few modules ahead of time. It was Wonderful! Clinic today went very well. We practised health histories which were a little overwhelming. I had no idea that we would have to look up every drug in our DDR and record the dosage, reason for taking the drug, all of the oral side effects... ect. It was insane but I really enjoyed the practise. I passed off 2 more PE's which was lots of fun! My pod of girls are Awesome! I am having a great experience thus far in the program.

1st Week!!

Today, Friday August 29th, completes my first week of Dental Hygiene school. It was been Awesome!! The first day was super confusing and quite overwhelming but super fun! This week just flew by and I tried my best to stay on top of our assignments. Luckily, our Professors understood it was the first week so they were kind to provide materials for those of us that forgot. I'm really enjoying all of the girls and I'm so glad we all get along. I love meeting new people and this week was full of that! I loved working in the clinic and getting a feel for what clinic life will be like. Oh, and I successfully passed off my first 2 PE's which I was nervous about. It was lots of fun! I've been trying to take lots of pictures too of all of us throughout the day. We are making some Fun memories together! It was been an Awesome week! :)

1st Blog!!

This is my first blog of Dental Hygiene School!