2ND CA EXPERIENCE

I was CA for the second time by myself last wednesday. It was a long day since I had a patient in the afternoon. The overall CA experience was good. I felt comfortable with most the stuff I was required and expected to do. I must confess I read the heck out of the students manual sections IV & V and almost memorized the duties list I had to do while being CA. I am just glad I didn't have to feel unsecure about the whole thing. I like not to be told what I am doing wrong or avoid that as much as possible. The secret? Be prepared, be prepared and be prepared. That was actually our slogan in the teaching program; if we were prepared nothing that we coldn't handle in the classroom should ever happen. Anyhow, I am counting the days to have spring brake and relax and cautch up at home. Does anybody even read my posts? Oh well, if not at least I am writing them in case someone would like to feel my dental hygiene experience.
Peace out sistars and 2 brodas!

MY FATHER-IN-LAW-MY GUINNY PIG!

Today it was a very productive day for me. My father-in-law comes all the way to Heber to help me meet my requirements and support me as a greeny hygienist. Anyhow, I was able to concentrate enough to get his cleaning done in 1 hour 30 min (used the green tip ultrasonics) and the coolest thing I liked while ultrasonicing is that the stain wiped off and his teeth looked pretty/yellow. Well, I believe that he is now more excited about getting whiter teeth than he has ever been before. But, back to business, I was able to pass my ultrasonics PE, my Glucose PE and be my caries control assignment patient. How awesome! Thank you Mell! You sure are helping more than you would ever know!

Miriam

MY PATIENT IS NOW FLOSSING

Hello people! I was visiting my patient that is pregnant who wasn't flossing. and guess what! she told me that she now flossing and that her gums looks a lot better. I just about cried because I never thought she would be complaint for flossing but you know? the fact that I told her that jer baby could be affected by her no flossing if bacteria became uncontrooled in her gums must have done a difference in her. I was happy that I could not only influence her but that I could explain the imprtance of flossing and how to properly floss. I think that explaining the rationale to our patients in more important that telling our patients that it needs to be done or negative consequences will follow. Anyhow, I am proud of my patient!

INTERVIEWING THE NEW DH PROGRAM CANDIDATES

WHat a good idea! U wish I would have had a chance to interview, I think I would have sold myself better and who knows? maybe I wold have gotten into the program a year earlier. I believe I do really well with interviews and I am able to "sell" my abilites and education a lot better than just reflecting those into a resume etc. I think that giving the candidates an opportunity to see the facility is a great idea since I didn't know where I was going or where the different classrooms where my first week in the proram. I think that having acreditation come and visit may have given our DH faculty a few new iedas (or maybe not). Anyhow, I hope the 1candidates do their best in interviewing and that it helps them in the selection process instead of terring them down.

Best wishes to the candidates!

DENTAL MED CLASS

So...I am not sure what happened on this last second test but I got stuck into the low 80s when I was a 90 on my first test. I am afraid I really needed that test review for this last test which the teacher decided not to have due to lack of time. Somedays, I think this class is super hard to follow, maybe because there are so many different drug names I am not acquanted with and so many different concepts that I have never heard of. I come from a healthy family and it has been hard to relate to come of the medications that are taken for systemic and acquired conditions/illness. Oh well, I just need to do better in the next two tests and hopefully I can even out my slip in this second test. I also hope we can make up the one class we couldn't have since our teacher was sick with pneumonia. I really hope she feels better.

P.S. Can't wait for SPring Break!!!!!!!

MY 1A PT TODAY

I was soo lucky to have had my regular patient have her son come in and be seen first instead of her. I really needed a 1A exam and a few more sealants on a patient that I have done OD on. Well, it ends up being the perfect patient! He was 12 years old, still unerupted teeth, a few suscipious lesions, sealants to be done...anyhow, I accomplish a lot of my requirements today and I was also able to help Megan G. since I had her do one of the sealants. The coolest thing of it all is that the mother (which will be my patient soon) hast 3 quads of a class II and 1 quead of a class III. Soon I will no longer have 0 quads done in my class II spread sheet which somehow makes me feel lots better! I still need three more quads and will have the rest of my requirements done by the time I need to. Hopefully everyone will show up to their appoitments. Also, I am hoping I can still finish 2 1As and 1Bs in 1 appoitment.
There is hope for clinic's grade.

VOLUNTEERING FOR GKAS

Give Kids a Smile event is a great way to ensure preventitive and oral health within ourchildren in our community. I was able to volunteer in the radiology dept. and believe it or not I think after taking lots of x-rays without my kuik-bites i detached from them! I had wide open contacts by the last hour I was volunteering. I loved Casey, a second year student, she helped me master the angulation on my patient's head (parallel to the floor) and also the PID to ensure good contacts in the x-rays. I was proud of my self specially when one of the second year students asked who had taken such perfect x-rays...and it happened to be me! How exciting! I thought once that Professor McCOnahay and Vining could give up on my lack of x-ray taking skills but I wish they could see how far I have come now! Overall, I was impressed in how many times paretns were thanking us with our volunteering hours and dedication to helping their children. I was just happy to help and feel such grateful parents. Something really interesting I noticed is how most of the children were american and not hispanics. I really anticipated to be the opposite but that caught my attention. Overall, it was a good experience to help and feel accomplished.