February 19th - February 23rd ,2007

The first few days are over and I absolutely love, my co-op placement. I don't mind staying longer, than what I really have to, I love the things I do, and learn, it's such a wonderful experience. I am looking forward for the rest of the semester. Even though what I do there is partially, the job that I want to do later on as a career, but i can't expect as a co-op student, the patient would want me to be digging things out, out of their mouth, it's quite understandable. Once the patients were done, I would clean the room, clean the instruments, that were used on the patients. My third or fourth day, my dental hygienist said "if you don't want to do something, let me know." ugh, DUH!. I'm there to learn. I still appreciate how thoughtful she was though. So far, the experience that i have has been wonderful, by being able to work with these wonderful people as an instructors is actually a privilege. Having to have taken, co-op, has open up a door for me, because the experience is was I really needed to get myself motivated and accomplish and follow the long and short term goal for myself. The task that I've been told is straight forward and easy to follow. All that is being asked is that I can help them clean their room, instruments, and help them throughout patients, do Xray, or grab something else, for them. My schedual are as followed: Monday- with Michelle, Tuesday with Robin, Wednesday with Anna, Thursday with Robing and Friday and Saturday - Anna. I think I did a very good impression when they told me to help them out, Saturday, and I told them that I would be delighted to help them. I always feel welcome, when I attend my co-op place, I don't feel like they are not acknowledging me, which is great, because I believe that while I was there wouldn't feel welcomed. If I could change anything, it would be NOTHING. I love it! This site will lead you to the school that I plan on attending. http://www.cidh.on.ca/html/home.html ' chiu .. <<

February 23rd, 2007

Today I got to watch Anna, work on patients. One of her patients she was very sensitive, in the gums, since throughout her life time she has build up a lot of tartar, in her lower gums. Which then decompose, the gums, and it also decompose the bone line, which expose a lot of the teeth, therefore she would be very sensitive in the gum while eating as well as drinking cold water. Today she got me to try this dental gel, that dental gel are only for patients that have sensitive teeth, they would apply on the gums, and in a matter of a few minutes the gums becomes numb and the hygienist are then capable to procede with their work. Anna also gave this patient this liquid, dental varnish, called Zarogen, which protect the patient's gum so it does not get sensitive when she drinks cold water, and this liquid that she applied on the patients teeth will last approximately 3 months.

* If beneath the gums, it has a whiter colour they will be much more concern. The darker the healthier it is.

• Plaque are build up from little food pieces that are left behind. Tartar, are from mineral on your tongue, and it gets to the gums, and then becomes like a rock in the mouth. What hygienist do, is they scale off the teeth, to remove the tartar and keep the gums healthy to see if they are any bone lose.



• Today, Anna got me to clean all her instruments and taught me how to use the digital Xray machine. There digital Xray machine, they were able to re-use the film, they just to be dispose to the light, and everything would get erased.

February 22nd, 2007

Today I was being supervised by Robin. She got me to do clean her instruments, and clean her clinic as she was watching me carefully, to make sure that I was following procedure. Every now and then I would forget how to do certain things, but she was always there to guide me to the write place. She also got me to set up her trays for her next patient. Which was kind of tricky because, she likes her tray a certain way. Once there was less patient she taught me how there Xray machine worked, and told me a little history about it. At the co op placement where I was, they have 3 Xray, one which was the digital one, the manual, and another one that shows the whole mouth of the patient. Robin has taught me the abreviation that her and Dr. Delisimunovic would use to say which tooth they are talking about. She told me that our mouth is divided into 4 quadrants. The top left is quadrant one, the top right is quadrant two, the bottom right is quadrant three and the bottom left is quadrant four. In each quadrant there are approximately 8 teeth, but it may vary by patient. ' chiu .. <<

February 21st, 2007

On my third visit to my co-op placement, I was able to meet another hygienist called, Anna. This time, this hygienist has been working there, with Dr. John Delisimunovic for 5 years now. As I see her with the patients, she was a very laid back, and easy to bond and communicate with. As I was sitting in the clinic, while she was with a patient, she was discussing what school she attended, for hygiene school, and I found out that she graduated from one of the school that I applied it for. She told me how strict the instructor were she also taught me how to fill out a log book, as she checks the patients gums, I would insert either the number 0,1,2,3 in blue and 4,5,6,7,8,9 in red. Which determine the steepness of the gum in between the teeth and the gums. If the number vary in the range of 0-3 mm it means that by using the toothbrush the patient are able to remove the tarter from their gums, as oppose, if they vary in between the range of 4-9 mm they dentist and the hygienist must be alert, immediately. When the hygiene writes notes in the back of the page, describing how well the client co-operate with them would right in green ink, to determine that the client has been checked by the hygiene. Right after each patient she showed me how to clean the instruments. She would grab all the instruments in her hand, and grab a toothbrush look alike and brush the instruments. Then put it into a casket and place it into and bio cleaner (ultrasound), which removes the bacteria from the instruments, but there are two of the instruments where we couldn’t put in the ultrasound because both tool has ultrasound in them. Therefore we could not place those tools in the ultrasound. Once the ultrasound was done, we would then put them in this sterilizer machine. ' chiu .. <<

February 20th, 2007

Today was my second day at my co-op placement, and I got to work with this Hygienist called, Robin. She hasn’t been working there for far to long; she started working sometime in August. I didn’t get to do much today, since it was my second day there, but I got to observe while she was with patients. I got the privilege to see how a tarter looks like as well as calcium, which are left behind from the patient. Once they were done with there patient, I got to see how they clean and arrange the room while they await the arrival of their next patient. While having a talk with them as I was observing all the procedures that was being taken place, we discussed where I applied for my colleges, and when I was going to go for my testing. They were really quick on their hands and feet. They were setting up the trays. On the tray you were able to locate, this spinner toothbrush, floss, water squirt, gauze, polisher, and the rest of their instruction. She wiped down everything even instrument she didn't even touch or use. They were really clean. And the music there, was so relaxing, it was nice, it was boring classical music or to rock-ish, it was pop and it was just great. I had a great time there. ' chiu .. <<

February 19th, 2007

Today was my first day attending my co-op placement. Although, I get my teeth checked there by Dr. Delisimunovic. The first thing I got there I was expecting and "Interview" or something, but instead they introduced me to everyone that worked there.They gave me a tour of the placement that I will be going to. They showed me where their lunch room, wash room, offices, rooms for the patients, xrays, sanatizing room, etc. It was quite fascinating. I did not get the chance to go into the room where the Dental Hygiene was looking after a patient. Therefore I was helping out, Michelle, at the front desk service, fileling new patients, and old patients. Both me and Michelle we had to shift all the files, because everything was in alphabetical orders, and it was starting to become harder to slide the files in place. As I was lending a hand to Michelle we were discussing things prior to my career choices, and where I wanted to attend. Which was great, since i was able to get a second opinion.I really enjoyed myself there, today. I am looking forward for the knowledge and experience gained. ' chiu .. <<