Boards and Emotions

So last week was a blur and my emotions are all over the place. Anesthesia written and clinical went great! After recieving my "pass" certificate I find out that Pam has a few days left to live. Such a bitter sweet day. I know she's out of pain and happy, but still a very sad situation. Clinical Boards sucked. I was the only one in the whole freakin' class to have their second submission taken and not the first. On my paper, the first submission box was checked and there were X's in the spots for extra teeth, but the second submission box was checked and tooth numbers were written above the X's. What the??? I'm so frustrated. I really hope everything else was right and that I got off all the calculus. So stressful!

Class III but II

So today I had a class III but I need class II's so Dr. Hansen said I could use him for a II which is crappy because in Taleval it make it look like I have easier patients, but in reality I've had harder patients. I've done this a couple times to myself:( This patients anatomy of his teeth was hard for me. He had a lot of abfraction and abrasion and was really sensitive but didn't want to be numb. I used oraquix on him but he really needed to be anesthetized. Dr. Hansen didn't have me put down the few spots I didn't get because when she came to help me, she said she totally understood why I missed them. First of all from the anatomy and second because of his sensitivity. She helped me get some stuff off, but the others were impossible because of patient compliance. He was a nice guy, but didn't want anesthetic. The only way to get into some spots is to use anesthetic. Oh well I guess?

Anesthesia Freakin' Mockboards

So today we had our anesthesia mockboards. I haven't really studied for the written... well I've read to page 16 out of 361 pages:) But I ended up with an 80% so I passed! Ha! I don't know if I deserved to though? But the clinical part uh... I passed the PSA and I failed the IA because my angle was slightly angled up. But it wasn't super critical and now I know exactly what angle I'm supposed to be at because Dr. Hansen stopped me during it and showed me. I'm so glad she did because I would really hate to fail because of being slightly off on that angle. The PSA which is the hardest injection (most of us think) Dr. Hansen said that my angles were right on! So, I had a really positive experience and a negative one. But I feel so much better about anesthesia boards now. Now watch me screw something super easy up. Eh, we'll see how it goes:)

Sealant Clinic

So last Friday we had another children's sealant clinic. Some of the kids are so cute and others are so anxious to get the heck out of there:) We had a little boy that was so funny. We asked him if he was ready to get started and he replied... (sigh) I guess. He had little comments like this the whole time. We switch operators to keep him entertained so he wouldn't jump out the chair and just be done. Karlie did the cleaning and x-rays, then I did his four sealants and Kadee assisted me. Then I cleaned the next little girl and Kadee did her two sealants. We have a little system down. Only two more of these:) The last one is so close to graduation... I hope I can hang in there, it's getting sooo close!!!!

Another Day in Paradise

Just another day in clinic. Good news is that I'm done with class III's, bad news is my afternoon patient was a 1B oh and didn't really want to pay for his treatment. After we did everything and I told him the price for everything before I did it, he signed his treatment plan that stated $51 because we did a lot on him, he said his card hasn't been working because there was some fraudulent activity on it. WHAT? Well then why in the heck did you come to get treatment and elect all of the extra's? I was glad he did end up paying another way because I really didn't want to pay that much for a patient that I really didn't want to even see in the first place. Well... that's just how clinic goes:) Oh more good news... I did four PE's today! I have nine more to do then I'm done with them forever!!!! YAY!!!!! I can't wait for that day!

National Board Exam

Wow... that exam really uh.... SUCKED! I feel like I really failed that one. I know everyone always says that, but I really hope I'm not the one that actually does fail this one. I won't be able to show my face back at school if I don't pass. Think positive, right?! I'll do my best. I hate waiting so long to get results but oh well I guess:)

Another mock board

So this mock board went so much better than the last one even though I had the same patient:) I'm excited that I'm feeling a little more confident! I really hope that I'm able to pass all five of my boards. As soon as I have good results in my hands I can finally relax for reals for the first time in years. That will be a good day:) I hope it comes?!?!?!

Easy but stressin'

So today in clinic I saw two 1B's. This doesn't really help me with getting my requirements done, well I guess I need 12 quads, so there's 8 and I'm sure I'll run into some more. But the stress part is I have my first freakin' board exam TOMORROW!!! AH!! I'm scared out of my mind. I wish I could calm down so I could think more clearly but I don't know if that's going to happen? Oh well, if there's one to fail... it's this one. Here goes nothin'.

Boards start in 4 days. OH MY

I am scared out of my freaking mind. What is even on this board? Nobody has taken it yet. I am so scared. I take the new process of care exam on Wednesday and I couldn't be more scared to take a test. I wish we found out if we passed right after the exam... but no we have to wait two months to find out. I know I going to at least feel like I failed, but I won't know until school's almost out, then what? Ah, I'm so stressed out and I don't know what to do with myself?

VA

I think the VA likes to give me patients with health problems so I really get "good experiences." It seems like every single patient I have there has special needs and takes extra time to have the dentist com in and look three times, or they need to pre-med and then sit and wait and then their blood pressure is out of control, or they're diabetic and can't control their blood sugar. I seem to take a long time with patients because we have to add so many extra procedures every single time. But hopefully this really does help me when boards come along. I really hope all of these "good experiences" pay off:)

Mock Board

So my mockboard went okay. I still am missing spots that I can't feel and it's very frustrating. I also took my x-rays with scan-x and somehow took them backwards so I had them mirrored. So I missed 4 points because it looked like I didn't even have PA's of the quadrant I was cleaning, but we figured it out. I'm so dumb. I think my brain is really fried and I can't think straight anymore. AHH.

Class IV finally Done!!

So I had a class IV patient that has come in three times. I feel bad cause it has taken me so long but... there was a ton of calculus and very deep pockets. But I was able to pass off two different Injection PE's! Now I have done 23 injections, only 13 more to go!!! I just need to do my other PE's. I hate those PE's because I do the skill but I don't have anyone come watch me, so I don't get the credit for them dang it. Oh well. But now I only need three more class IV quads YAY!

VA what a day...

Well in the morning at the VA we were all supposed to have patients but three didn't show up. I was okay with it though. My patient's x-rays were crazy. He had severe bone loss and not very much attachment left. I don't really know how he even has teeth in his mouth still. So I was nervous to see him. But the afternoon patient came and he was a class IV! It was difficult especially because of his health problems, but I did get one quadrant done! Yeah! I still need six more quads of a class IV though. I was also able to pass off my second LA PE!! I'm trying to plug away on those PE's and get them out of the way completely:) I can't wait to be done!!!!!

What a freakin' day

Well it all started out ok with a class IV patient. I was able to give five injections!! And I did one quad with no missed spots, but my second quad was just a debridement. I have to do three and a half quads next time. I'm thinking she might end up being my mockboard patient because I don't have anyone else:( Then this afternoon my patient didn't show up. I called a bunch of people and asked people walking around and Karina called a bunch for me too. Nobody wanted to come right in. But I did find a bunch of names to call for screenings for boards:) I hope i can find at least one person. We'll see?

OH MY

So clinic was 80+ degrees ALL DAY. This day was not good. Well... I did find a class IV patient and this is the first one I have ever come across so that was a really good part of the day! My second patient was sure her homecare was terrific and didn't think she had much calculus, but she did on her lingual anteriors. I wasn't able to get all of the sheet calculus off with the way I had been shown before but Professor Wold showed me a new trick and it seemed to work well! So today wasn't too horrible, but i could really do without the heat. It's freakin' winter and HOT. Somethin's wrong with the thermostat!!!!

Stupid PE's

So today I had a class III that I did root debridement, ultrasonic, perio files, calculus removal, and extra oral fulcrums on and I didn't pass off any of those PE's. What is wrong with me? This afternoon I saw an easy IB and I was going to do my Eaglesoft PE, woops I took conventional x-rays. AH! I'm so frustrated. This is so stupid. I am so mad at myself. I hate when I get myself geared up to do a lot, and I screw it up. Dang it!!!

Mockboards:(

Mockboards weren't too fun. My patient was given anesthetic and he was still flinching everywhere, even when I wasn't doing anything that would be painful. And then I missed points on recession because I put 1mm and there was only .5. I didn't know we could even put half a mm on there. They said I should have put a 0. I missed points for missing one pocket depth too. He had a 10mm pocket. Woops, I think that was probably deeper than a 6mm to start with. Oh well. At least I learned what not to do now:) "It was a good experience." HA!

VA Again

I was able to get seven quandrants done of a class III in one day:) I was so excited. Thanks to whoever did the OD's on them. I think that one of the clinician's was my peer:) and the other worked at the VA. Thanks though! I love when I get things accomplished. It really makes for a better day!

Injections!

So we were able to give each other a PSA, MSA, ASA, nasopalantine, and greater palantine injections. I think all of us were nervous, but we weren't all shaky like we thought we would be:) I was in Karlie and Brooke's group. We played rock-paper-scissors to see who was the first patient and clinician. Brooke was the first clinician and I was the first patient. She was the first one in the pod to do it and everyone was watching her. She wasn't even shaky until she got a positive aspiration, then she started getting a little shaky, but no too bad:) It actually went really well and wasn't bad at all. I don't think anyone caused any hematoma's:) It was really fun! I hope I get really good at giving injections. I want to do them for my doctor so I can keep in practice!

VA good day!

So at the VA I was able to see two class V's. I was also able to get my exam done on one of them too! I'm glad I got those patients, so I was able to get eight quads and an exam! I really need to catch up to everyone after not being able to see some patients because of medical problems. I was also able to take bitewings on both too. All of my Weber patients haven't wanted x-rays. I need to be more pushy I guess.

Another stressful one

So I've had a diabetic patient that can't control her blood sugar. I've had to send her away three times. This time her blood sugar was really low and I had to do a physician's consult. I felt so bad because she felt fine and really wanted her cleaning done. I did end up cleaning her teeth finally:) After working on a physician's consult and taking her blood sugar twice and waiting for the consult to come back, after and hour and forty-five minutes I started the cleaning. I'm so glad I was able to get all four quads done so she's done yay!! I don't think I can afford getting any more medical problems and sending people away. I've had to do that with another patient, so I am behind everyone else. But, hopefully I will be able to catch up at the VA when we start seeing four patients a day. I hope I can even do that?!

What a day

Today started out with a sweet older lady that came in previously and I had to send her away for her low blood sugar. Today I had to send her away again because this time her blood sugar was too high. DANG IT! I have had three clinic times ruined because of health issues. I felt really bad because she felt fine and wanted to get done and I couldn't do anything about it:( I feel bad.

This afternoon my patient would be really good for board except she has recession and I can't scale the enormous amount of calculus on it without her flinching and moving everywhere. I kept on asking her if she would like to have some anesthetic but she kept saying, no, we're good girlfriend. What the? I can't get work done without hurting her and she tells me to skip that part. What? I can't just skip calculus. Ah, I was very frustrated. But I did use oraquix on her and was also able to put in a site of arestin. The oraquix didn't help her though. Pro. Perry told me that she would be too hard to work with for mock boards. Dang it again. I thought I was getting lucky seeing her, but then I realized how difficult she is. Oh well, I just get four quads of a hard class II. Good experience I guess.

VA CA

Today I went to the VA to be the CA. It was nice to be able to explore there and learn where things are, and use the computer and chart for multiple people. Now I understand how to chart faster and I know what exactly I'm supposed to chart and where the buttons are so I can do it faster. I almost was able to see a class III patient in the afternoon because they overbooked, but right before the appointment, Diane wanted to do his cleaning because she worked with him last time and he was a harder case. DANG IT! Oh well. I did help her with the cleaning and there was a TON of stain everywhere. But I don't get any credit for it. Oh well I guess. But being CA isn't so bad down at the VA.

Class III Finished!

Yay! I finished the last two quads of my class III patient. I wish I would have declared an exam on this patient because I'm not sure how many more I'm going to run in to. Oh well, it was a good experience though! I was still apprehensive getting into the larger pocket areas. I could feel calculus with my explorer, but it was really hard to scale it out of there. It took many tries. I asked Pro. Perry to come help me and let me know which instruments work best in these situations. It really helped a lot. I was able to get some good chunks out of those pockets. It's so satisfying when I can actually see the deposits that I'm scaling off!
I also had a blind patient today. He brought his guide dog Comet! I love labs, and he was super cute! I enjoyed playing with the dog more than anything! But it was a good experience working with someone with such a hard disability. He was very nice and helpful. He was a 1B but there was a ton of plaque. It was mostly sub-gingival so I used my ultrasonic to flush it out, but it still took a lot of scaling to get it all. It was kind of hard for a 1B, but it's good to have all sorts of experiences I guess.

I'm Back!

So today I had a patient with a huge medical history. I feel so bad for her, she's an elderly lady that had pretty much everything in the book. She's constantly at the Dr.'s office and then I made her sit here for 2 1/2 hours. After starting her OD, she started sweating everywhere. She told me her blood sugar is probably dropping. She checked it and it was at 50! WHAT! Dang it! I told her I couldn't see her with it being that low. She ate some cookies and we chatted and waited, and waited. She checked it again and it went up to 86 so I was able to get the OD done and that's it. She is scheduled to come back. She was very nice!
My second patient is a funny man! He was chuckling through his whole appointment. He is a class III and I was able to get two quadrants done! Yay!! He was super cooperative with me and was a very good patient! He is also scheduled to come back and get finished! So today turned out better than it started! I'm just glad I accomplished something today!