Clinic Statistics 2022-23

In my last semester of the program I was able to imporve on many elements of clinical care. Some of my areas to improve have always been the ability to perform assessments and treatment in a timely manner. This would provide curcial in being able to transition from student to clinician in private practice. Providing care in a timely and efficient manner was a good goal to set for imporving my clinical care. 

  • Below are statistical reports of the types of patients seen including ages of patients, ASA status, Calculus code and method of pain control for the patients I have seen in my senior year. I totaled 80 patients of varying age with a number of medical conditions and periodontal involvement. Some of these cases required non surgical peridontal therapy with anesthesia including topical anesthetics such as Oraqix 2.5% Lidocaine/2.5% Prilocaine, Nitrous sedation, Local anesthetic which requires careful observation of medical history and vital signs in order to provide the right anesthetic with no adverse reactions. 
  • The knowledge I have gained will allow me to treat patients safely and provide pain control in accordance to their needs. This is one of the most important aspects of the profession and ethical standards to provide treatment with comfort and patient centered. 

 

  • Clinical care for patients of all ages requires knowledge of specific factors that can arise at different times in one's life. A majority of the patients I was ranged from age 21-65 and the other majority were in the geriatric range.

  • Most of the geriatric patients I encountered and treated had varying health conditions, were taking varying medications, and had fixed and removable prostheses. Seeing patients on various medications involves knowledge of side effects, dental implications, local anesthetic contraindications, and careful monitoring of vital signs.

  • I did also have the opportunity to see a few younger patients ranging in age from 12 years and under which involved giving a basis of oral care and education for younger patients such as nutritional counseling, and oral hygiene for orthodontics.

  • Treating a variety of ages made it possible for me to feel comfortable with patients of all ages, the oldest patient I saw was in his 90s and the youngest was 6 years old.



  • As with age, the current health status of the patient was also determined by taking vital signs and careful review of medical history by using the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) guidelines. These guidelines determine the ability of the patient to handle surgery from an anesthesiologist standpoint but in our case is the ability of the patient to handle dental treatment without adverse effects

  • Another set of guidelines for treatment planning was the amount of subgingival calculus found which would ultimately determine how to approach a case. This was determined by careful exploring of the subgingival surfaces.

  • We use this in order to provide appropriate treatment for patients and gauge what instruments to use, providing prophylaxis versus scaling and root planning, and what instrument selection is appropriate.

  • I had a  few code 6 patients who had very tenacious calculus and for this case, I was able to use both hand instrumentation and ultrasonic instruments as well.

  • A code 2 light patient would mostly need hand instrumentation with prophylaxis or periodontal maintenance. I now feel comfortable being able to determine the amount of calculus on tooth surfaces by my tactile sensation using my explorer and can efficiently remove calculus safely and effectively through the skills I have attained.



  • Providing adequate care sometimes involves the manipulation of the gingiva and surrounding structures which can be painful and uncomfortable for patients. Providing comfort by giving local anesthesia was done by many methods.

  • Providing anesthesia by way of injection is beneficial in not only bringing comfort but also being able to remove deep deposits without causing pain. At times it was also necessary to provide nitrous sedation for anxious patients as some patients experience dental anxiety.

  • For a number of patients, I had to determine which areas needed local anesthetic by injection, topical anesthetics such as Oraqix and nitrous sedation, or a combination of all these methods.

  • I now feel comfortable and skilled to provide anesthesia for my patients in order to provide the best care possible



Local Anesthesia Requirements 

  • Below is the number of injections given during my senior year as a requirement for the dental hygiene board of California.
  • Finishing all my anesthesia requirement was one of the most challenging and involved clinical performances, there is no room for error and every movement and process has to be in unison in order to deliver sufficient anesthetic without causing damage or unecessary discomfort for the patient. Careful reassurance and breathing techniques for both the patient and myself were utilized in order to maintain confidence and accuracy in performing each injection. I did not cause any hematomas and studied very in depth what was expected of me. 
  • The journey of providing anesthesia began in my second semester of junior year as we had to deliver anesthesia on each other. Being able to relate and feel what a patient is feeling when administering anesthesia brings a level of empathy and familiarity to the process and reflecting on this I was able to be both cautious and effective in my techniques.