Baby's First Cleaning

TGIT Everybody!
(Thank God It's Thursday!)

We don't have classes on Friday for the rest of the semester, so Thursdays are my Fridays now! I'm definitely less productive now that I don't get up and do things on Fridays, but whatever, I could use the break I guess.

So if you read my blog yesterday, you know that today was my first cleaning! (Not the first time I've had my teeth cleaned, but the first time I've cleaned a patient's teeth.) And it went great! I will say I was a little nervous, definitely not super frazzled, but a little on edge. There are just so many steps to remember; when do I take the blood pressure? When do I check in with faculty? When do I do the extraoral/intraoral exam? It can be really overwhelming. But it ended up going smoothly and my professor was so happy with how I was cleaning my patient's teeth that he said I "put a smile on his heart." Literally, one of the best things I've ever heard from a faculty member here, and it really put a smile on my face. (And my heart!)

I also had a fellow D2 and friend assisting me, which made things a lot easier. Friends help friends get through dental school.

So now all that I have to do this week is help with my dental fraternity's fundraiser tomorrow at the school. It's the D1s white coat ceremony tomorrow (I remember mine like it was yesterday) and we're selling t-shirts to the D1s and their families. Hope everyone's week is going well.

Are you nervous for your first patient experience? Are you a dental student right now seeing patients? Or on you on break? Let me know below!

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Until next time,
PJ

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