Go for it

Well, once again we were given a demo of what we were expected to learn and then sent on our merry way to go and practice it.  I'm not sure if I will ever get used to being expected to just go for it.  However, it is very exciting and it helps push me to do what needs to be done.  Today we were shown how to do an extra oral exam and how to use our mirror and fulcrum.  I decided that if every hygienist at every dentist office gave every patient an extra-oral exam, most patients would definitely be coming back every 6 months.  I also think patients would be more relaxed and less anxious to be at the dentist.  Patients would think they were getting a special massage even though all we are doing is checking for "lumps and bumps," meaning swollen nodes or any abnormal areas.  We also want the patient to tell  us if they feel any pain or tenderness.  After doing the extra-oral exam we got to practice using our mirror and using our ring finger to be our fulcrum.  It was so exciting to be almost to the point of actually cleaning each other's teeth!  Today was very interactive and a lot of fun.  MeChel and Tori were definitely good partners to be with.  Thanks for letting me practice on you two!