Exploring

Exploring is always good, it is a bit hard when you don't feel confident with the feel of the instrument. I am always nervous for my partner that day. The positioning is getting better. I still need to work on my fulcruming so that it becomes second nature. I wonder when you start to not feel like you are still half lost.

intra oral probing

I was excited to finally be starting to work in the mouth, though nervouse to be gentle enough not be harsh on my first subject. My pod partner is so awesome and we take turns talking our way through the process. I think it helps us both familiarize ourselves with what we are doing to talk out loud. I was concerned to pass off the health history PE, but it went better than I thought.

intra oral exam

today went great! I found the experience to be quite refreshing in that it was an opportunity to learn more of what my normal features are in the mouth. Having braces made the experience a learning one for my partner as well as myself in that there was an opportunity to note lesions, and measure them and describe them. It is good to learn by doing. Things are making sense to me which is a welcome thing!

extra/oral exams

the extra/oral exams were quite interesting. In all the years I have been going to the dentist, I have never had an extra/ oral exam. I think that to have this part of the exam done before doing vitals would be a good way to help the patient to relax a bit and feel a little more comfortable about being at the dentist. I do think that some consideration needs to be made for ladies that have a set hair style that the clinician not push themselves up so far that the patient's head is rubbing up against their tummy, smashing and dragging their hair around as they move around the patient. Some ladies pay to have their hair done and can only afford to have it done every week or two so they are trying to make it last as long as possible.

vitals

Today we did vitals and I thought that it would be very easy in that I was a CNA a little over a year ago, and it was. I remember that I was always concerned about pinching the arm in the cuff. It is easy to hear the beats of pulse through the stethescope. It brought back a flood of memories of working in the nursing home. The TA's were really helpful to walk me through the patient/operator positioning evaluation so that it made sense to me. I am desperate to get the techniques down so that it becomes second nature to me. Everyone is very helpful and patient! It's great!

health histories

Health histories are way more indepth than what is done in the dental office I work for. Getting an indepth background in the conditions of people is helping me to have a complete picture of overall health and how things all relate to each other. I am really glad that I have the lab partner that I do, she is so good to work and consult with. I am also learning more about myself in differing things that I can do to take better care of myself.

Running good

Today seemed to go quickly! We made our own charts, introduced to more of the equipment in the lab and our pod was able to work on passing off three evaluations. The TA's are really great to work with which helps to make learning and the occasional mistakes not as intimidating. I am finding that I am more at ease in the lab and am eager to learn more. My OJT for the last year has helped, but the why's to proceedures and positioning make sense and am incorporating new techniques into everyday practice and am finding things running a bit smoother. There can be fun in work after all!