- The Preventative Strategies Patient (PSP) form Clinic II.
- The PSP assignment that I completed was the hardest but my favorite to do. This assignment made me write down my thought process and the reasoning behind my choice in a treatment plan that would best suit my patient’s needs. This assignment opened my eyes to the other side of dental hygiene- it does not just involve scaling but critical thinking, process of elimination, and an understanding of dental problems and the lives of patients as well. My duties as a dental hygienist can have such a powerful impact on a patient. This was the first time I had thought about a patient outside of just scaling and case type- I had to consider them in all entirety. This gave me insight into proper application of what I was learning in class- we weren’t dealing with models and pictures anymore! This was a living, breathing human that needed to be properly educated, asked to move their head when I needed them to, etc. This was a great starting point for me to see what I would be like on my own in the real world. Although the communication part was the most difficult for me, being able to assess and reflect in the paper from the start to finish made me realize that with my knowledge from the program I just needed to properly apply it and learn to talk to my patient.
- The Periodontal Maintenace Patient (PM) from Clinic III.
- This assignment made me realize how powerful proper treatment and patient-centered education is as it can make a big difference in the lives and well being of others. My patient said he was really inspired by the hygienist who treated him first. Following his periodontal maintenance interval, the patient had a reduction of inflammation and pocketing. This patient showed me what proper patient education can change a person’s perception of proper oral hygiene habits. My patient had shown positive changes that helped me see how patient education can definitively change a person’s habits and even their oral hygiene in general. My challenges I faced were once again centered around patient education, and the fact that my patient was on a very long list of medications. These challenges were good for my growth, however, as I was able to learn a lot about drug interactions and explain them to my patient. By the time I was done, we were very comfortable with each other and patient education seemed easier and came more naturally to me.
- The Ethic Project from Clinic IV.
- The Ethics project was designed as a way to show me potential ethical issues I may run into some day. This assignment allowed me to step back and take given information from a scenario and act ethically and legally. This assignment opened my eyes and made me realize that I get to choose the type of hygienist that I want to be and that is one who acts ethically and is legally correct. I must do what is best for my patient and for myself as well. I was very challenged when it came to determining whether or not I should act ethically when it came to my own personal morals and following the law. Dental health is a very tricky subject, especially since many comprehensive insurance policies that clients may have don’t fully cover dental hygiene needs. Some only cover a cleaning every 6 months- some insurances don’t cover dental at all! This meant that I had to change my outlook- it was no longer only about cleaning, assessing, and documenting. I had to apply higher level, critical thinking in order to do right my myself, my client, and the dental world. This was challenging but I am a better dental hygienist for it.
- Snap Shot of all patients treated during my time in the program.
- Keeping track of all of my patients throughout the entirety of this program was rewarding to see. There were points in time where I would forget all the amazing experiences I have had with my patients and how much I have learned from each and one of them. Categorizing my patients made me realize all the different types of people I have treated ranging from ages, races, periodontal cases and ASA categories. This was challenging to me because I had to learn to properly document every patent in the time I had- while they were fresh in my memory. At first it was harder because I had to time manage myself to be able to properly document, do patient education, and scale in the time allotted to me. But since I kept on top of it as time went by, I learned what information was vital for me to keep and it began to come naturally to me. Being able to look back at all my patients, and my notes on them, was highly beneficial. I was not only able to learn from the patient themselves, but I grew as a dental hygienist from the start to finish. This was highly encouraging and helpful to me. My interpersonal communications with al these different types of people opened me to be some sort or aspect of their lives. We humans all have similarities we can all share.
Johnson County Community College