LA Mockboard

This morning was local anesthesia mockboard. This was a good experience because on the real day we have to take the written exam and pass it in order to move on to the clinical exam, and its all on the same day. So...Lindsay hasn't really started studying for the exam yet. I have studied two evenings and four modules...which means there were a lot of holes. But since, luckily, this particular mockboard does not go on our real grade, I was curious to see how I would do. I passed...but barely. Haahaa. But I guess a pass is a pass---lets just hope the studying between now and then makes it REALLY a pass! Then, we have to do two injections, PSA and IA, and I did them on a first year student. I did both injections just fine. But I failed because I touched the back of a card that holds the needle. Its really quite a stupid thing I think....and NOBODY is that careful with needles out in the real world, and my finger BARELY hooked around to the other side of the card, but nonetheless, chalk up another failed experience in my book. I'm just elated that my injections went so well and I was as calm as I was. It was a fabulous experience---and its not graded, did I mention that?

So now...on the big day, I need to just repeat everything, minus the finger touch, and I will be A-OK!!!!

The rest of my day, I had my horrendous patient from two weeks ago that was bleeding so bad before I even touched him, and he told me he hadn't brushed his teeth in years because it bled so much. Due to complications such as gagging, intense sensitivity even after several anesthesia injections, and intense debris throughout his mouth, Dr. Naylor ended up deciding that a gross scale was necessary, and we could do a fine scale later. Well, that 'later' was today.

My patient walks in, holding a floss pick. And he was proud. "I brush twice a day and I use my floss pick EVERY time I get in the car." And I asked him if he still bled when he flossed "Its a little pink when I spit." HALLELUJAH!!! His mouth seemed a hundred times less diseased! He was still very sensitive, I used Oraquix because the problem with anesthesia last time was that it wore off, and with Oraquix I can just reapplying to each tooth individually. It worked almost like a charm. Minus mesial of #8, 9...and a few other delicate spots. Haahaa. But honestly, it made hand scaling(he would have none of the ultrasonic) a class IV almost fun! And it made me VERY happy to see he was actually LISTENING to me! Now, he can proudly present himself to his dentist and get all the restorative work done that the dentist wouldn't do until his mouth was clean. I feel fulfilled.

Happier note, Sterling made sesame chicken for dinner last night, and we had leftovers for lunch today, and it was VERY good. Also, in three weeks I will be completely done with exams. The thought just makes me giddy with happiness. Lets just hope I pass them all! Also....well, not much else. I'm going to skip classes tonight to study. Good luck to me!