Reflective Journal Entries

Journal Entry #1

9/10/24

Semester 1

A) I felt incredibly nervous to work on my partner. I was afraid of hurting her. I felt relief when partner work didnt go as poorly as I expected. The dexterity required for instrumentation is still difficult for me to achieve. I'm trying not to feel discouraged and to remember that this is a learning process. A process that often begins with failure but failure in itself is a valuable teaching tool.

B) Today we performed assessment strokes with the explorer

C) I think I did an unsatisfactory job of using the explorer 

D) I plan to practice diligently in clinic whenever I get the opportunity

E) No questions at this time

Journal Entry #2

5/1/25

Semester 2

A)  For the first time, I was able to finish just one appointment! Usually, it takes me two clinic sessions (sometimes more), so getting everything done in one session really showed me how much I’m improving. It felt good to see all the practice starting to pay off.

B) During the appointment, I updated the patient’s medical history, did all needed assessments, gave oral hygiene instructions, hand scaled, did selective polishing, and applied fluoride. 

C) I was proud of how smoothly things went. It takes a lot of effort to move quickly and efficiently. One thing I noticed is that I spent a little longer than expected on OHI. Even though it took time, it felt worth it.

D) I plan to keep working on my timing by setting little time goals for each part of the appointment and try to stick to them. I also want to keep practicing shorter, clearer homecare instructions so patients still learn a lot without taking too much time. 

E) No questions at this time

Journal Entry #3

7/15/25

Semester 3

A) I met my clinic requirements by finishing a Class II patient in one appointment and taking two sets of bitewings on my classmates' patients. It felt great to work efficiently and stay on track with my goals.

B) I completed all assessments, hand scaled, polished, applied fluoride, gave OHI, and took two sets of bitewings on classmates’ patients.

C) I stayed on schedule and felt more confident with hand scaling. The bitewings went smoothly, and I managed my time well. The experience showed that my speed and focus are improving.

D) My goal is to continue getting faster while maintaining quality care, so I can complete full patient appointments more efficiently in the future.

E) No questions at this time