LA MOCKBOARD

Kristen, my peerpal, volunteered to be my LA mockboard patient.  She makes for a great patient because she can open so wide and she's super cooperative!  I was grateful for her help!  I remember being Ashley's patient last year and thinking how amazingly awesome she was.  That girl always seemed to have it together...she was always so chill and confident.  Observing her made me feel as though I could expect to feel the same in the coming year.  I hope I have played some reassuring role for the juniors this year.  With hard work, you really can be successful at this stuff.  Anyway, I didn't pass the Mockboard, but I was kinda glad I didnt.  A lot of us failed actually, and I think we learned a ton from eachothers mistakes.  I was never really worried that I had failed...I think it provided my teachers the opportunity to target some small areas that I could improve on and I know Ill go into my board much more confident.  My IA was slightly too high.  I was a little surprised at this.  Every time I've recieved direction on my IA, I have been told to go higher...I think I played it a little too safe this time, haha.  Good to know for next time.  Oh, and I got used to putting the barrel of my syringe to the crest of the lip (dang I forget the right term...you know, where the upper lip and lower lip meet??) because that landmark is usually where the premolars are.  Well I didnt watch her dentition specifically, so because she could open her mouth so wide I was actually a little too far posteriorly.   The injection was still overall effective...she was numb and all, but my technique needed polishing.  For my PSA, I had the same issue everyone else was facing.  I needed to increase my lateral angle.  Lesson learned.  If I ask the patient to relax thier jaw and to move it toward the side I am giving their injection, it allows for more buccal displacement so I can get the correct angle.  Good information.  I will try to get lots of experience with these injections before clinicals. 

Lisa came in as my afternoon patient.  Shes a cute one.  There have been two times as a DH student that I have felt nausious.  My first experience occurred at VA last week when I smelled my Class IV patient's perio breath.  The second experience was today with Lisa.  In August of last year, she had 13&14 removed.  There is a cavernous area in her alveolar bonewhere those teeth used to ly.   Covering this 5X12mm hole was a yellow "sheet" of something gross.  It was soft, but of a thick consistency and it held together really well as I peeled it off the hole.  I couldn't even tell you for sure what this filmy bandage-like layer was composed of but it made me want to hit the floor.  I was so disgusted.  The rest of the appointment went really well though, and she was a Class III so that was good.