Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from the junior WSU dental hygiene class!!

To Polish, Or Not To Polish

Today has been interesting in clinic... We learned how to polish. In class yesterday we learned about how polishing is purely a cosmetic thing, and has little health benefit! It is used to remove stain, not clean the teeth. The big problem is that most patients expect polish, and even don't feel that the treatment is complete without polishing. This is a big dilemma in the dental world because most dentists and hygienists know that polishing teeth can take off enamel, yet it remains a routine part of most dental treatment.

Today we compared the toothbrush polish to the prophy-cup polish, and actually, I think i did a better job brushing Candace's teeth than I did polishing them... Maybe because it was my first time polishing though?? I can definitely see why hygienists would polish in private practice--especially because of the ease, and the saved time and wind (from explaining :))! haha... Anyway, I definitely don't want to lose my enamel, and if I knew that I could, I don't think I would want my teeth polished at EVERY dental appointment. I'd like to educate my patients and give them the option of both in the future!

What would you choose?? Keep your enamel, or have your teeth polished when you don't really have stain in the first place??

That.. is the question

Boring post

Clinic went well Monday... We had a day to practice a lot of the skills we have learned so far. I worked on Candace, which made it very comfortable for me! I'm really glad because I think I'd rather work on her in comfort now and solidify my skills a bit before I jump into other mouths and get nervous! But I felt really good about the way things went. I'm really understanding scaling, and I love it! I always thought I'd love cleaning calculus because it's so nit-picky and detail oriented, and I was right! I love taking a tooth with build-up and leaving it squeaky clean! I also passed my anterior scaling PE off which felt good... I think I did it well, but we'll see when I get my PE back with scores I guess :)

ERRRGonomics

Ever heard of ERGONOMICS???

(no this is not seriously how I sit... ever, but it illustrates the point, right?)

According to Wikipedia, ERGONOMICS = "a science concerned with the ‘fit’ between people and their work. It takes account of the worker's capabilities and limitations in seeking to ensure that tasks, equipment, information and the environment suit each worker."

Proper ERGONOMICS are really stressed in our dental hygiene program... and thankfully so! Today in clinic I really FELT the importance of proper ergonomics! I was a little sore from yoga on Monday, and my back decided it wanted to bother me throughout clinic. Even though I would never ask for back pain, it's a good reminder to keep yourself properly aligned. My biggest goal right now it to maintain a nuetral wrist position! I really don't want carpal tunnel syndrome. Can you blame me?

Today in clinic I did a little better with noticing which way I was moving my wrist. I know if I continue to focus on proper wrist motion each clinic session, I'll get there someday!

This is where I want to be... That would be nice

Medical Miracles

First, I just want to say how grateful I am for simple medicines that can make things SO much more bearable!! I wasn't feeling so hot today around lunch time... In fact, that might be an understatement... I was pretty miserable, and I couldn't imagine making it through radiology lab until 4. Lucky for me, there is a little thing we call an ibuprofen which works wonders! Within an hour I was back to my goofy self in radiology. Some of the girls may have wished I'd stayed mellow like when I was in pain ;) jk...

Anyway, overall I'm just feeling much better about a lot of things in dental hygiene. For starters, my indirect vision is beginning to make sense--I can actually see what I'm doing! Also, in general I would say my dexterity has improved. I'm not as spazzy as I was at first--in fact, I think I only jabbed my partners gums a little today :) (unless she was keeping quiet about her woes)... I also am somewhat understanding how to scale. I've been lucky enough to find the right partners so that I have something to clean! (I felt so accomplished today cleaning around a permanent lingual bar retainer!)

Next time we scale in clinic, I'm going to work on using proper activiation... No more carpal tunnel risk for me! I'm ready to do it correctly!

I feel like a hygienist!!!

Today, I removed my first few deposits of calculus!!! I actually felt like I was doing something :) haha... Drying the teeth for visualization of the calculus works miracles, and I felt so proud when I actually had little chunks on my Nebraska scaler!! Hooray for dental hygiene! P.S. I'm sure many of you felt the same way today, and other people must think we are super weird for being so excited that we removed things that most would consider pretty yucky! Congrats to all those who feel like a hygienist today!

ALSO... We are learning pretty much EVERY bone, and suture, and fossa in the human skull right now in anatomy, and we have to label it all--down to the tiniest nook... This picture was taken as we were labeling, and apparently I was the only one feeling a little pathetic with my attempts at writing on the pterygoid hamulus, styloid, etc.. :) haha... We have a quiz on parts of the skull on Tuesday... Looks like I'll be studying in the car on the way to Boise this weekend!

P.S. sorry I blocked your head sarah! it's really nothing personal ;) love you!

No retakes!

Happy day! Today in radiology I didn't have to take any retakes in my conventional films! It seems like I've consistently cut off part of the pre-molar shot... But today, my goal was NOT to do that! haha... And I did--I even have the films to prove it ;)

Also, I think Candace and I may have had a little too much fun in radiology lab... Our classmates may or may not think we are crazy now?! ha But it was well worth the good time! :) It definitely made the time fly!!

Clinic today was good as well.. I passed off the explorer PE, and even though it wasn't my best, it was passing, and that's what really matters in clinic! Each day gets a little more comfortable, and I'm starting to feel like a true regular in the clinic..

Just a little flustered... :)

(WARNING: this paragraph may be boring for those who are not in the dental hygiene program! :))
Today in clinic was just a little bit frustrating for me... We worked on a different partner than we're used to and we had to probe a lower quadrant--and the lingual posterior teeth are BEASTS!! My partner today also had a smaller mouth than my usual partner which made me a spaz with the mirror... haha i kept clinking her little teeth... poor girl! My goal over the weekend is to practice exploring because our PE is due on Monday. Exploring has gotten much better for me ever since, Alyse (the TA)--bless her heart-- showed my how to position correctly and get up on my fulcrum even more.. It kind of throws my elbows to my side rule out the window, but it's SO helpful with patient comfort and adaptation!

Every day, even the frustrating days, must come with some good news... SO--the good news is that now I am 99% plaque free... with the only plaque remaining in those little holes of the leftover glue from my pre-existing permanent bottom retainer! Other good news... I got 100% on my anatomy test!

EEK... I've been disclosed!!

Today in clinic we worked with disclosing solution to discover the plaque in our partner's mouth! I decided to be brave and go first.. actually, i always go first.. haha. But anyway, it was good to see that my oral hygiene habits have not been in vain all these years... I was plaque free except for where I had had my permanent retainer removed--the leftover glue attracts plaque (or perhaps the glue just stains?! who really knows?) So i was 93% plaque free.. and withoutthe plaque on my glue it would have been better :) That's great news! I think my partner Candace might have wished for some more plaque covered surfaces to count.. in fact, i know she did, because she told me i was no fun :) Fortunately for me, I'd rather have clean teeth than be fun! haha jk Candace!

Anyway, today in clinic my goal was to practice exploring and make some progress there... I actually felt much better with the explorer today! I was able to do an entire posterior sextant without jabbing candace, and I felt tooth structure and possible even a little calculus!! Hooray for improvement.. I love clinic! I really do :)

SADDEST ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE YEAR!!!

I, Alyse Katherine Laneri, age 20, would like to solemnly announce that on Wednesday, the first day of October, 2008 I was diagnosed with my first CAVITY!!!

News Stream: WSU

Today in the Weber State Dental Hygiene Clinic first year student Candace Hillyard found the most epic discovery of the year in Alyse Laneri's mouth. Laneri, age 20, a first year student in the Weber State University Dental Hygiene program reported once having a cavity in a baby tooth as a child--the tooth fell out of her mouth not too long after having it filled. When asked what she thought of the new discovery of the cavity on the occlusal surface of tooth 31, Laneri simply pursed her lips and said, "I didn't think this would happen to me. It's pretty ironic that my first cavity ever was discovered by a dental hygiene student--especially when my last dental exam was about one month ago." Those close by on the scene reported that the common phrases from Laneri's mouth seemed to sound a lot like, "No!" Coupled with, "Oh sad!"

Laneri mentioned plans of having the cavity filled before it got much worse and decided she would rinse with fluoride for the time being to prevent any further advancement of this devastating carious lesion.