My last and final patient

One the last day of clinic I had one competency to finish and that was an AP. I was looking forward to finishing out all my competencies this semester and having a smooth last clinic session. I called my patient the day before and right before the appointment started to confirm if he would be coming in. Unfortunately he did not answer and failed to show up. However I did not let this bad news defeat me. I went to the dental hygiene clinic and helped a classmate out who was scheduled with two patients that day.

I must admit I was a little anxious about taking this patient because I did not have the time to go over his medical history or look at his chart prior to the clinic session. But I worked with the patient and faculty to try and get as much as I could done in that appointment. We did not get started until about three o'clock but I was still pretty positive we could at least start the prophy today. Boy was I wrong. This patient had an extensive medical history. Much of which I had never encountered with a previous patient. However the patient was very cooperative and patient with me.

When it was time to get his dental exam I was explaining the significant appearances in his medical history. I was asked why this patient was taking a specific medication and assumed it was for one of the conditions he had. When I gave my answer I was asked to explain what that condition was. My mind went blank. i honestly did not know. Therefore I explained to the faculty I was unsure. I was assigned by the faculty to look it up and report back to them.

I was thinking to myself, "I really do not need another assignment right now". However that night something the faculty mentioned became really clear to me. He wanted to know if I had asked my patient about the condition. And my answer was no. Later in the appointment I found out my patient knew exactly what his condition was and could tell me a lot about it. This is when I found the lesson in this assignment. One valuable lesson I learned is that faculty are not here to spoon feed you information but to guide you to recognize what the answers are. In addition I learned that many patient know plenty of information on the conditions from which they are suffering and medications that are taking. I have had patients in the past that were clueless about their medications and it was easy for me to assume that about this patient. This has taught me that not only can I educate my patients but they can educate me as well.

Rotation....Perio

Every time I have presented for rotation in the Grad Perio clinic it has been a wonderful experience. The staff are very helpful with briefing you on procedures before you approach the resident you will be assisting. They also help in teaching you how to set-up and clean-up which saves time the next time you happen to be in that clinic. Unfortunately I have not had the opportunity to assist with any perio surgeries. Most of the patients I helped out with had just been for initial therapy or were receiving non-surgical scaling and root planing. Working with different residents was interesting and a good learning experience.

On this rotation I had the opportunity to meet two people who were very helpful and gave me great advice. The first was the hygienist that worked in the perio clinic. She was very insightful about her career as a hygienist and told me how rewarding it can be. We both decided that the sickle was our favorite instrument. She gave me the motivation to push through some of the long days I have encountered while being a student.

Another person I met was a patient here at the school. She explained that she used to work as a dental technician while in the army. Her job duties included assisting the dentist, mostly by filling restoration on preps he had created. I was very surprised when she explained she had no formal training in the field of dentistry. However she was very insightful about becoming a contractor and working for the government as an option after I graduate. She currently holds a human resources position for the government. She gave me her card and even offered to take a look at my resume. I was very pleased to gain this network with the patient and plan to keep in touch with her in the future about job ventures upon graduation.

Overall every occasion in perio has been a learning experience. The residents are very helpful at explaining the rationale for certain procedures and getting you to understand information without just feeding it to you. they even introduced me to some 3-D imaging that is used for implant preparation. It made me feel good to know they are taking the time to invest in our education. I had a great time and look forward to working in this department again.

Ethics....

Completing this interview was a very positive experience. My partner and I chose to interview a pediatric dentist named Dr. RA. He completed his doctorate of dental surgery at Howard University and did his pediatric residency at the Medical College if Virginia now VCU School of Dentistry. This practitioner was very open and willing to help us out with our project. I worked with Chelsea Aiken and she was a pleasant partner to work with. I feel as though we worked well together and put forth equal effort in completing this assignment.

Our scenario was specific to certain ethical decisions about suggesting certain products in the office. This particular practitioner had a very firm policy when suggesting products to his patients. he explained he would never introduce a product to his patient if it was not going to be beneficial to them. He also made it a point to only recommend products he was familiar with either by personal experience or through research. The one value he held most important was treating his patients like his own children or family, even if it meant paying for a product for one of his patients.

In my opinion Dr. RA was very genuine with his responses and I agreed with the points he made. He practiced the value of beneficence by making an obligation that benefits others. The conversation we had in class after the all of the presentations were very thought provoking. Many clinician make unethical decisions everyday without any consequences. It is very important to consider is those risk are with the outsomes that may come as a result.

Rotation...GPG

Before attending a GPG rotation I got he run down from some of my classmates about what went on in the general practice clinics. Unfortunately I did not get the feedback I was hoping for. Many commented that there was nothing to do and most of the time they ended up back in the dental hygiene clinic assisting a classmate with axium. Especially on Wednesdays when most of the dental students are seeing new patients who need to be screened. When I looked I made rotation schedule I thought, "Great, I have GPG rotation like every Wednesday!"

The first time I went to the GPG clinics it was very overwhelming. Everyone was rushing around preparing for there patients and I had no clue what I was doing. I found some classmates and they told me to look for the dental students with a cavitron set up, those were the people to try and help. So I did just that. I found a D3 that had a patient who was going to need a cleaning and asked if I could help out. Immediately she asked "Would you like to complete the cleaning?" I was relieved that I found something to occupy my time and the many clinic hours of practicing ultrasonic instrumentation would now pay off.

Every time since I have been on my first GPG rotation I have enjoyed it. I always find something to do and have built a great relationship with many of the dental students. An important thing to remember about every rotation is something to do might not always jump at you. You must make it your responsibility to have a purpose there. If you strive to do this it will be a very rewarding experience in the end.


This has ben the most helpful rotation out of all the ones we have scheduled. I have gained so much knowledge about the materials used in dentistry and was given the chance to advance my assisting skills. I also got to perform a cleaning from time to time. The most important opportunity I was given was the opportunity to network with the dental students and some of the faculty. The students were very helpful in explaining concepts I did not understand such as providing rationale for different procedures. The faculty taught me that not 2 practitioners perform the same. They all strive to push you to your highest potential and never want you to limit your options to a single diagnosis or treatment option. Overall this rotation has been a very positive experience and it is what you make of it.

Rally Day 2011

Rally day was a very positive and empowering experience. I have visited the State Capitol once before on a middle school history field trip but this time I actually felt very engaged and involved. On my pervious visit the delegates and senators were not in session and therefore we were unable to actually meet any of them. After participating in this event I have gained a new awareness for the importance of senator/delegate and constituent relationship.

The goal of the day was to raise awareness for two very important bills. This first bill was Senate Bill 1014, to extend for an additional year that dental public health care workers to offer care in underserved areas. The second bill, House Bill 2175, intended to make dental care for children an offical state objective for the Department of Health. In my opinion both bills were positive actions and the only issue that could arise was how much would it cost the state. Senate Bill 1014 is definitely something that has been state funded and would need an additional year of funding if passed. From speaking with certain senators and delegates I believe both bills will pass.

An experience that I did not expect to gain out of this trip was the opportunity to be introduced to the PAGE program. I spoke to one of the student pages and he explained what exactly the program involved. The PAGE program is a 7 week program in which students from the ages 13-14 are allowed to come and serve the senators and delegates of the General Assembly. The students must have good grades to apply and be dedicated to their studies because most of their spare time is spent in a study hall. I believe this is a wonderful opportunity for the students especially if they plan to go into law or public policy in the future.

The Rally Day process was put together very well. I commend all those involved in the organization of the entire event. It was very helpful to be paired with one the Great Richmond ADHA members. They were very informative about the bills being put forth and gave us the chance to be involved but letting us have the interaction with the senators and delegates. The talking points were also a great aid. It prepared me to speak on behalf of the profession of dental hygiene and not look bad. It was also very nice to be able to leave them with a small token of our appreciation.

While in session it was very hard to understand everything that was going on. The room was very rowdy and the speaker of the house was hard to hear.  However, it was nice to be in the presence of the people who work everyday for the people in the state of Virginia. On this visit I learned that the senators and delegates are regular everyday people. They are you neighbors, church members, family, friends, and most important your community leaders.

This overall experience has inspired me to want to be very involved with the professional programs associated with the profession of dental hygiene such as the VDHA and the ADHA upon graduation. I believe they will keep me relevant to the updates of my future profession and give me the opportunity to make a difference in the field of dental hygiene.

Patient Care

It has been an amazing opportunity to work with patients this last couple of sessions in the clinic. My patients were not only friendly but very helpful and supportive to the progression of my education here in the Dental Hygiene Program. The faculty have also been very reliable. They were there not to just tell you what you were doing wrong but to make every moment a teachable one. I am definitely looking forward to seeing patients more often next semester and starting to build a client base for myself while at the University. I would love to still be able to work with partners. It gave us the opportunity to teach each other and most times make the appointment run faster. However I do understand the importance of seeing patients on our own as the best example of what is to come upon graduation from the program.

To those that paved the way....

The recent lunch with the distinguished alumnae of our very well-established program was an inspiration to keep pushing forward. From the open conversation I have realized just how far the profession of dental hygiene has come. I respect the women for what they had to endure being pioneers in the school of dentistry. It was nice to see that they were still good friends and kept in touch. I hope the same for my class after many years out in practice. This lunch really opened my eyes to other options after dental hygiene as well. This experience has showed me the loyalty one has to there school and once I become an alumnus of this program I plan to revisit, give back, and have pride in where I came from. YAY VCU Dental Hygiene!!!!