During my second semester of my education, I recorded an initial appointment with a new patient. I wrote a paper reflecting the appointment and self-assessed my communication skills and the process of care. This opportunity opened my eyes to see what I needed to improve on but also identified my strengths.
Radiographic interpretation is when I take a full mouth radiographic series or any type of radiograph, and explain to the patient exactly what I see or what I am looking for. I start with telling them which side of their mouth is right and left and point out basic anatomical parts that may be visible. I explain to them what is healthy and what is not. I also utilize this time to correlate my periodontal findings with the radiographic findings, if any apply.