11-29

It is our last day of clinic!!! November just flew by so fast.  We went over emergency procedures and becoming a CA.  Just thinking about it, I will only see patients next semester.  No more practicing on students.  I just hope I am not too hard on my patients.  Again, I still struggle w/ my mirror.

11-22

I got to see my first patient today.  It was exciting, but with all my excitement going on, I kept on forgetting many important things to do.  My patient was 20 minutes late, and I had to end 20 minutes early b/c I did not have enough time to scale my first quad.  Just imagine if I had those 20 minutes, I will be able to scale a quad.  Oh well... I learned my lesson.

11-15

I was the operater today.  I had enough time to scale one quad too.  Charting to forever to do.  I am so glad I had a 1/2 hour just to write down/remember in the chart.  I love scaling and probing.  I only missed on spot on scaling which I thought it was a great accomplishment.

11-12

I was a pt again!  It felt so good to get my teeth scaled thoroughly.  I got a sealant too.  Jodie did an awesome job on the sealant.  She didn't put too much on my tooth. 

nov. 10th

I was a pt.  I came from swimming, so my hair was still air drying.  It was cold in the clinic, which is not suprising.  The appt felt so long.  My legs were so jumping laying down for a long time.

11-3

I passed off a/w polish, walkout, redid dental screening, and fl.  It was not chaotic as Monday.  I need to learn to speak up.  I'm so happy that I only have 2 PE's left to pass.  I got to to x-rays on real people.  That was fun.

11-1

Sealants are a lot harder than I thought.  Teeth are so little.  I understand why dh like to have assistance during sealants; I had alot of help myself.  I can't believe it is November already.  This month went by so fast. 

11-27

Today was a bad day... I failed another PE.  There goes my A.  I haven't got any hours of sleep.  I average 3-4 each night.  I'm tired, I'm pooped out, I haven't run for the past 6 days, and I am stressed.  On a positive note, the air/water polisher tastes bad, and feels bad.  I liked how we looked like cafeteria ladies.  Very cute. I learned varnish and selective polishing too.

10-25

I needed this day.  I only got 30 minutes of sleep last night b/c I was stressed out.  Dr. Hanson came over to my unit and was pleased with my instrumentation.  She even taught me a few extra-oral fulcrums which will help me see much better.  The extra-oral fulcrums were the posterior back 2 molars of the rt. max, lt. max, rt man.  It is cupped, fist, and cheekbone kind of fulcrums.  I learned different things from each instuctor/professor.  I need to work on talking to people.  I'm more shy and reserved, but I can talk.  I can't form the words in my head, and it comes out messy.  Practice, practice, practice

10-20

I was a pt today.  It was very relaxing; I wanted to sleep on the chair.  Michel did a good job.  I was scared to pass off the universal instrument, but I passed it.  I also passed my redo ant. instrument.  I am a good visual learner when I am in the chair.  Mesial is award for me on universal instrument.

Oct. 18th

Today was like a mock pt day.  I did OHI, probing, extra/intra oral exam, and even anterior scaling.  My head was up in the clouds.  I don't know why, I did get 7 hours of sleep, just one hour short that I usually get in a day.  I didn't pass off anterior scaling, but I learned angulation (I knew about 70 degree angle, but I never knew how do it on a tooth).  After today, I was not excited about dental hygiene.  I think it was just a bad day in general.

oct. 13th

I notice a major improvement when another student is scaling me.  I am not bleeding as much.  I learned a lot on posterior scaling such as push on the tooth and pull on the toe.  I still pushing hard when is comes to scaling, but not on the mirror.  I understand so much beforehand if I don't read the materials.  Costley's quizes are killing me b/c I do so much better if I don't read the material before I get to class.  I overthink, that's why.  I like to understand perfectly.

Oct. 11

Yesterday was 10-10-10... just wanted to say that.  It was a good day.  I passed off explorer and probing.  However, I was not gentle.  It is a working progress, but at least my mirror was gentle.  I got a 64 percent on Pfi today.  Not bad for brushing w/in the last 16 hours.  I only brush once a day (at night).  It is a hard habbit to brush in the morning b/c I eat a late breakfast.  I floss though ever since last year.  I making improvement.

Wec Oct. 6th

I was really struggling today on the universal instrument.  I couldn't understand the wrist movement, toe,  etc.  I was able to understand which end of the the instrument to use.  I am going to need some extra help for this instrument.  I get easily frustratied if I don't understand, or able to get a concept down, and right now I am really frustrated.  I will practice, practice, and practice the bowling ball theory. 

mon. oct 4th

The barnhart (spell check) is coming along very good.  I am able to get the wrist movement, and enter/leave with the toe.  It's a biggie that you can actually see what your scaling on.  Leigh had a fun time taking off my year old calculus (spell check).  She, on the other hand, had a smooth surface with no sign of calculus. 

Sept. 29th

I feel really relaxed when I lay on the pt chair.  Mornings kill me b/c I am not a morning person (especially when you have radiology in the morning).  I have a light grasp on the explorer, and I am actually going below the gum line.  It was very exciting, I did not hurt the student aka Kayla. 

Sept. 27th

Eplorer is a little bit tricker than probing... visually and posture-wise.  Fulcrum is becoming easier for me.  I need to be more gentle for the extra-oral exams.  Other than that, I'm hungry and thirsty.  I'm going to study and run!!! Yes running! I ran 16 miles on Saturday, and it was relaxing.

Sept. 22nd

It is halfway through the week.  I'm about to break down, but I'll be excited for this Friday.  I'm going up to BYU-I to visit my brother and my best friend.  She absolutely refuses to get her teeth cleaned.  Probing was easier than I thought.  Michelle is a big help. 

Sept. 20th

Folcrum is hard.  I need a lot of practice b/c I'm double jointed.  I'm very stressed this week.  I haven't had much sleep, and I haven't ran for a few days.  I need to rearrange my schedule.  I will be excited to breath at the end of this week.

Sept 15th

It was a good day.  In radiology, I got my cotants open and got the distal half of the 2nd pre-molar and canine.  Burke's advice really helps.  Clinic was easy going.  I understand what is going on, and I can actually do it.  I wanted to probe though, mirrors are not good enough.  I wanted to pass the health history PE, but I was a coward.  I do so much better if I pass off PE's to Prof. Costly, which is crazy thinking.  She may be intimidating, but that helps me do much better in my PE's. 

Sept 13th

It is going to be a busy week... 3 tests... convention on the weekend.  I am a little bit stressed, but that is normal.  I recieved 100 percent on my last 2 rad exams, so I will continue to do well for the rest of my exams in all my classes.  Women's health connection was a great introduction of what I am going to expect for the rest of my dental hygiene career.  I was guessing which teeth had decay or not, since I have no prior knowledge of it.  Burke is helping me alot during the WHC.  He taught me some techniques that I will learn later.  He also helps me with x-rays.  He is like my personal mentor. 

It's September!

I am struggling with x-rays, but there are people who are helping me out.  I've been a perfectionist, and I get upset quite easily if I don't get everything right.
I am grateful for girls, because they have good handwriting.  It is a relief to know I will look at a chart and will be able to read it.  There is so much to write on charts, but it is a learning experience.  The only thing I knew it taking BP. 

More Wed Happenings

I noticed I am becoming a forgetful person, but I am learning from my mistakes.  I forgot my key, and I almost forgot my key again. 
Anyways, I am not the best at my posture.  You can either have good posture or bad posture.  In other words, you look like a duck or be like a piano player.  I had piano lessons for 10 years, and I never had the best posture.  My elbows were up, and my back was not straight. However, I will make major adjustments.  I will just imagine that my mother or my aunts are right behind me, because they were models.  If they saw me... I'm in trouble.

Monday!

I learned a couple new tricks to use the water syringe, blue boa, and the suction.  After many years as a patient for a dental office, you would think you would know how to do it.  It was tricky not to suck your partner's tongue or cheek. 
It may seem a little bit long to sterilize your environment, but it reminds me of cleaning my dad's office.  It didn't require many steps, but it is very similar.  It's those hidden spots that I forget to put on the "blue tape", like the arm rest button and the mirror. 

Wed. happenings

It was a great day.  I would never expect to work on the typeadonts (spell check) and use the water syring, blue boa, suction tubes.  I will memorize the dental hygiene parts this week.  It was exciting!  I never knew hygiene would be fast pace.  I passed my PE, and I accomplished my goal to get ahead of the schedule.  I decided that stress is a bad 5 letter word.  Instead of stress, it is stressily happy. 

Those computers!

Don't forget your password like I did.  Big mistake.  Also, don't forget your PE's.  Other than that, it was a good day.  I love learning new things.

Orientation

Wow! On your mark... Get set... Go!