First patient in 2 days.. advices?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
D

deleted721052

I'm in 2nd year and i'm starting with my first patient on tuesday. Cleaning/Scaling and.. i'm just so nervous, i feel like i will mess something up (which is hard given what i have to do but yeah..)

Any advices? Things you wish you had known back in the day? anything??

Thank youu :)

Members don't see this ad.
 
Once you get past the small talk and actually get in there, muscle memory pretty much takes over. Just remember the things you don't have to worry about when practicing on a mannequin: don't look into their eyes with your loupes on or your light will blind them; be sure to use suction regularly if using an ultrasonic (loop the saliva ejector and hang it in their mouth); don't use the mirror to retract the lips in the anterior - it will only press against the alveolar bone and it is really uncomfortable - use a 2x2 gauze and retract with your fingers.

You can't really mess up with a cleaning. Take a deep breath and relax. In fact, you should be excited about this! It's a huge step, a right of passage for all dental students. Make the best of it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 5 users
Last I checked, no patient has been killed by an ultrasonic (yet)! Hope it went well! :thumbup:
 
Top