Thursday, September 27, 2007
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Diagnodent quandries
Ok so my office has a Diagnodent. It is a great tool! I really like using it and think it helps the dr out while deciding between incipent and full blown decay. I do have a few questions/problems.
1. How important is it to calibrate with each patient? The instructions say to 'set' it to the patients specific enamel by placing it on 8 or 9 and then proceeding. One of my Drs does not do this. He just picks it up and uses it. I may have used it 10 min earlier or another RDH used it or an assistant grabbed it to use on a restorative patient so there is no telling who used it last. This brings up another question...once the machine has 'timed-out' and turned off does it remember the last calibration or do you have to reset it each time you turn it on?
2. How accurate it is through sealants? Again same dr has told me twice now that I need to be going over sealants because there could be recurrent decay under them. True. But I was under the impression that the Diagnodent read false highs when in contact with plaque, calculus, debris, restorative materials-including sealants. So here are all my patients having high diagnodent readings under sealants and I am afraid there is nothing there. Since I am not on the restorative side I am unsure if these teeth are truly decay free or not.
One of my drs has me write down the readings on each tooth after I have completed the cleaning and then he does not do it again he trusts my readings and then uses the xrays and explorer to decide what to do. I think he is the example for the office---I just wish he would tell his brother (who has me write the numbers down and then he gets the diagnodent out and does it again-I am standing there wondering why I took the time to do it in the first place).
I have read the instruction book and in my little world the Diagnodent is to be used along with xrays and other diagnostic instruments. Sealants give a false high reading and each time it is to be used it needs to be set to the patients specific enamel. I do not know how to tell the dr he is doing it wrong. I dont know how to bring up the fact it cannot go through sealant--maybe it can let me know...I just feel bad because the patient can hear the siren and know they have a cavity but I want it to be a true cavity. Maybe my concerns are not a big deal...like polishing-it does remove enamel but not enough to freak out about (according to me and my own research-not ADHA). Let me know what y'all think.
1. How important is it to calibrate with each patient? The instructions say to 'set' it to the patients specific enamel by placing it on 8 or 9 and then proceeding. One of my Drs does not do this. He just picks it up and uses it. I may have used it 10 min earlier or another RDH used it or an assistant grabbed it to use on a restorative patient so there is no telling who used it last. This brings up another question...once the machine has 'timed-out' and turned off does it remember the last calibration or do you have to reset it each time you turn it on?
2. How accurate it is through sealants? Again same dr has told me twice now that I need to be going over sealants because there could be recurrent decay under them. True. But I was under the impression that the Diagnodent read false highs when in contact with plaque, calculus, debris, restorative materials-including sealants. So here are all my patients having high diagnodent readings under sealants and I am afraid there is nothing there. Since I am not on the restorative side I am unsure if these teeth are truly decay free or not.
One of my drs has me write down the readings on each tooth after I have completed the cleaning and then he does not do it again he trusts my readings and then uses the xrays and explorer to decide what to do. I think he is the example for the office---I just wish he would tell his brother (who has me write the numbers down and then he gets the diagnodent out and does it again-I am standing there wondering why I took the time to do it in the first place).
I have read the instruction book and in my little world the Diagnodent is to be used along with xrays and other diagnostic instruments. Sealants give a false high reading and each time it is to be used it needs to be set to the patients specific enamel. I do not know how to tell the dr he is doing it wrong. I dont know how to bring up the fact it cannot go through sealant--maybe it can let me know...I just feel bad because the patient can hear the siren and know they have a cavity but I want it to be a true cavity. Maybe my concerns are not a big deal...like polishing-it does remove enamel but not enough to freak out about (according to me and my own research-not ADHA). Let me know what y'all think.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Still alive...
Thanks everyone for calming my fears of being infected! I really feel fine and still LOVE being a dental hygienist! I am still thinking about pharmacy school but the thought of FIVE years of school just makes me vomit. I do not know what I am going to do, hopefully I will figure it out one day.
My life has meaning again:) Rob Thomas and most of his old gang got back together and made a greatest hits CD to be released on October 2. I am already counting down the precious minutes before I get my hands on that lovely piece of ecstasy! It will be glorious! Almost as good as keeping the shaded safety goggles off my Hispanic patient with the best green/light brown eyes I have ever seen so I could stare at his eyes for an hour! I know y'all are thinking Damn, she needs a man-and you would be RIGHT! But alas, I do not have the joy of having one so I am forced to seek other venues such as music and eyes! Well I am off to learn about the exciting world of Invisilign-at least I get free dinner.
Stay tuned for some diagnodent quandaries......
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