{Instrument Classification}

The concept we learned today was not too difficult.  We layed out all of our instruments and learned the differences and what they are used for.  There are curets and sickles, tipped and toed, posterior and anterior, rigid and nonrigid.  It was nice to actually pull them all out and figure out what they are all for.  We then bagged them and got them set up to be sterilized.  I can't believe we will start using them on Monday! Exciting, but scary!  Then we had a set up race which Laken won!  Wahoo....go Laken!  Unfortunately our pod didn't win, even though we had quite the strategy going in to it.  Ha!  After the race, we were able to pass of the intraoral exam PE.  I was nervous going in to it, but once I started, I remembered everything I needed to and it went well.  Then we had a little bit of time to practice probing.  We are supposed to pass of probing and exploring next Wednesday.  I'll be honest....I'm freaking out!  I get the concept of probing....the angulation and adaptation to the tooth, but my speed is so SLOW!  I think I'm just not confident in myself and my ability to read the lines on the probe.  Ugh!  I just really hope my husband will let me torture him this weekend so I can get a quad done in 3 minutes.  That seems like such a long time, but when I get going, I feel like the time just flies.  And I'm nervous about exploring too, because our instructor on Monday only wanted us to stay supragingival and we need to go sub when we pass of the PE.  Well, I just hope and pray that there is a little time on Monday to practice that.  I'm wanting to get probing out of the way on Monday, because I don't think there will be enough time on Wednesday to do probing and exploring, especially because TAs can't pass off any kind of instrumentation.  I'm probably stressing over nothing, but I just want to be able to do these skills well so that I'm not completely lost next semester when we will be working on patients.  Well, at least Costley's test is out of the way and now I get to go study for her class tomorrow.  Yipee.

{Exploring}

Oh boy, what a day.  We started exploring!  It actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  It's definitely a challenge for me to find the correct working end, but I felt like I could catch on pretty quickly with some practice.  Our instructor had us stay supragingivally today so that we could get the feel of how to correctly angle and adapt to the tooth, so we weren't shredding eachother's gums up today.  Laken was my partner and she did awesome!  I was the operator first, so when I was done, I got to sit back and relax! Next Wednesday is when we have to have probing and exploring done!  Aaaah!  I really hope I can get enough practice between now and then.  Radiology was kind of a pain in the rear today.  Apparently we are all supposed to be proficient in taking digital films, when we have only worked with ScanX on the very first day, and Schick last week taking BWX.  I couldn't remember how to work the ScanX system on Eaglesoft because it was only shown to us once.  So, I asked a couple questions and was made to feel like a complete idiot because I wasn't perfect at it.  Gah!!!!  Luckily, I think we got it all worked out and communicated, so we should be good now.  After today I feel like I know the digital systems pretty well and could pass off those PEs with no problem.  I just don't like it when I ask a legitimate question and get eyes rolled at me.  It makes me feel really stupid and afraid to ask anything.  I was able to pass off my film mounting PE in radiology with Professor McConaughy today.  Now on to studying my brains out in hopes of at least passing Costley's exam tomorrow.  Wish me luck and pray that I don't die!  Peace out!

{Probing}

All I can say is.....I need a TON of practice!  I went over the readings in Nield, PAT, and the clinic manual last night and had it down.  Well, reading and doing are two totally different things!  We first practiced on marshmallows and candy corns to get down how the epithelial attachment should feel and the small amount of pressure needed and to angle our probes.  After that, we practiced on the typodont and tried to feel for angulation on buccal and lingual, as well as the col area.  I was freaking out a little because I had a really hard time feeling for the col!  We then watched a demo. on how to correctly probe and chart a quadrant.  Those TAs sure know what they are doing.  She made it look so easy and just whipped around those teeth like it was nothing.  Then it was our turn. DUN DUN DUN! ha!  I was the patient first with Mark as the operator.  He did a really good job and really didn't hurt me at all.  Then it was my turn.  {Freakout moment}.  Mark was so patient with me and very nice.  I did have my pressure a little too hard on him in a couple of spots and I'm really glad he let me know.  I was able to practice with some loupes and can I say...I'm in LOVE!  They were a little hard to get used to, but man, they made reading the probe SO much easier!  I feel pretty good about my angulation on the posteriors, but once I got to the linguals on the anteriors....I felt lost.  I could not keep the tip of that probe in the sulcus for the life of me.  Mark's #25 was poked WAY more than it should have been.  Having to use indirect vision doesn't make my life any easier!  Once I moved back to the linguals of the posteriors, it got a little better, but then you are dealing with saliva and the tongue.  GAH!  Well, all I can say is that I have a lot more to learn, and just need to be patient with myself.  I mean, I have only done it for about 30 minutes total.  I just need to learn how to do a quad in 3 minutes and get those measurements within 1 mm of the instructor's.  On a good note...I was able to pass of my vitals PE as well as my Extraoral exam PE!  Whoop!  Well, now I have a splitting headache, and am pretty sweaty (TMI, I know).  I'm just happy for no class the rest of the week.  HALLELUJAH! 

{Intraoral exams}

Today we were able to perform intraoral exams.  I got to work with Laken today!  Yay for that!  It was fun to be able to actually see inside a real patient's mouth, instead of the typodont.  I really need to work on my posture though.  The instructor kept having to remind me to sit up straight....I tend to lean over to try and see.  Some of the structures were a little harder to see, but overall, not too bad.  I just hope I can remember them all!  It's pretty crazy that probably in no other program are you getting this close and personal with your classmates.  Haha!  Most people don't want their friends peeking at all the nooks and crannies inside their mouth.  Today I was able to pass off my HHX/HHRx PE.  Hallelujah!!  Man there is a lot to remember with that procedure.  I just need to do my vitals and extraoral on Wednesday if we have time.    Yay for a short week!

{Extraoral exams}

Today was great!  We learned how to perform extraoral exams.  It was more like a mini massage!  It was cool to be able to feel for the different structures and see that for the most part, everyone is the same, but there are definite differences from person to person.  After we practiced on a couple of people, we had a bunch of time left over.  I practiced my mirror/instrument grasp and fulcrum.  I got a lot of really good tips on chair positions from Professor Hafen and Michelle.  They are so awesome!!  Then, I passed them both off.  It was good to practice some more and really feel the difference when you actually fulcrum correctly.  Overall, good day!  Now on to studying for Radiology test #2 and Costley's class tomorrow. It will be nice to have this week over!  Adios!

{Vitals}

Clinic today was pretty easy and straightforward.  We practiced taking pulse, respirations, and BP on each other.  Pretty sure it took two people trying about 10 times on my right arm and getting no BP.  Fabulous!  My left arm did just fine!  I'm glad I'm alive!  After that, we had a lot of time to practice past PEs.  I practiced my pt. positioning/fulcrum and instrument grasp for quite awhile.  By the time I wanted to pass them off, we were out of time.  Dang!  I will get those out of the way on Wednesday.  We also had Radiology lab today and boy was it long.  We practiced bisecting on the Dexters and I think we were all ready to drop kick them out the door by the end of the day.  Dang those crooked teeth and shallow pallets!  Bisecting is not my friend!  Now I've got to study and be ready for a quiz in Perry's class tomorrow morning, Radiology test in the evening and another Radiology test later in the week.  Awesome.

{HHx & HHRx. YIKES!}

What a day in clinic.  We went over Health Histories and how to have the pt. fill it out and what we have to expound on in our notes.  There was A LOT to remember on what to underline, what to circle, how to word everything, looking up meds, side effects, how to make them feel comfortable, the right questions to ask, and then writing down a "heads up" to the next clinician in the HHRx.  Sheesh!  And that was only 2 parts to the charting that we have to do.  There is much more ahead that we have to write down.  You could write a novel on somebody who is on 5 medications!  I can see why we do it and why documenting everything is so important.  It's just that there is SO MUCH TO REMEMBER!!!  I'm glad Prof. Costley is giving us a case study to do on all of this, because I'm definitely going to need practice.  We were able to practice on pod partners in clinic, but when we are all in pretty good health, there isn't much that you have to do.  After clinic, we watched a movie, "If Saliva were Red", and all I have to say is YUCK!  It was pretty eye opening on why it is so important to protect yourself and everything you touch.  If saliva were red, I would have to switch careers most definitely!  I'm also happy to announce I have taken my first test of the DH program and finally feel like I am a real student.  Well....until Monday!