Full mouth x-rays

Today my patient was late for clinic because of the snow storm, and we lost a half and hour of working time. I took BWX-rays on my patient and found that they were not very good, because she had some endentulous areas that made it difficult to get the horizontal plane equal, and still get the bone height we needed to see. Well they did not turn out very well, but I ended up getting at least all of the structures in except for 1 x-ray. Then the professor told me I should take full mouth x-rays on this patient because she would be a very good canditate be able to see all of the bone loss that is in her mouth. I tried to talk through another girl to explain this to my patient because she speaks spanish. I emphasized twice about the cost being more, and the lack of being able to get her finished and cleaned that day, and she agreed. Well come to find out she got a little irritated because I guess she misunderstood. She ended up needing to leave early, and so I was very rushed trying to get everything done. My biggest mistake was not printing out a treatment plan statement first in order to ensure w/out a doubt that everything was going to be great. I guess I totally learned my lesson on that one.

1A pt

This is for the 2-4-08 day of clinic

That day I saw a 1A patient, who I ended up doing an exam on. For some reason I thought that you werent allowed to use the polish until after the scale check. My pt had some staining on the lower lingual anteriors, and I worked really hard to get it off with the scaler, but I decided not to pursue it too much because I knew that the polish would be the easiest, most efficient way to make sure it all got off. So I didn't polish, and found out later that it is okay to polish before a scale check, and sure enough the stains came off really easily.

I wish I would have known this before, b/c it would make things a heck of a lot easier.

Completed 4 quads

Today I had my new pt cancel on me, so I had to scramble to ask a pt to come to finish getting their teeth cleaned today. I felt lucky just to get a pt that I could work on today. I am starting to feel more confident in my scaling, I just need to go a lot faster. My pt. had a lot of calc on the lower anterior teeth, and so it was hard for me to make sure I got it all off. I only missed 2 spots, so I feel really good about that, i just really need to focus on getting a lot faster. I think I went slower today because I passed off some pe's and did some extra stuff today. So I hope next time will be even better. Hopefully I can get better than a class 5 for once!

Gottsta go,
Chelsea B.

Clinic

Today in clinic I had a class 5 pt. again, and I am starting to get frustrated with being really close, but not quite there. I am just hoping I can find at least a class 2 soon, so that I don't feel so nervous. I passed off my explorer pe today. I need to remember how to do the extraoral fulcrum on the right side, in this case, you tuck your fingers under and reach the rest of the way. I did not remember this version, I thought you had to extend your fingers to cup the chin. I still feel like I am way too slow, and that I need to work on getting faster. I am trying really hard, I just can't quite make it all the way. I hope I can get something worthwhile done soon, so I can feel better about my situation in clinic.

gottsta go,
Chelsea b

clinic

Today I learned more about what a class 5 pt is, mainly because I had one. A class 5 pt is somone who has had perio disease in the past, but is now maintaining it, and doesn't have enough calc & biofilm to be a class 2 or 3.

I figured out that this is really good for the pt., but not so good for me, because then that means that that pt only counts as a 1B, which is frustrating.

Well better luck next time!

Chelsea

1st day 2nd semester clinic

ALWAYS CHECK TO SEE IF YOUR PT IS FROM FAR AWAY!!! Today my pt was from Idaho and failed to mention so until today. I had to work really hard to try to get done all in one day today, which was next to impossible considering what a newby I am. If it wasn't for Kim, I would not have gotten done. I just hate days like this because I get way to stressed out, and can't think clearly enough to get my pt done and have everything work out ok.

Well I am going to go home and take some Ibuprofen.

Chelsea

2-1 day

Today we learned how to use the gracey's and how they work in only certain areas. the 1/2 and 7/8 work on the anterior. the 13/14 work on the distal of posteriors. the 15/16 work on the mesial of posteriors. So thats the gist of how they work, fun huh!

Gottsta go,
chelsea