Days like this, I feel so inept. I really want to be good at what I'm going to be doing forever. I really want to stop making mistakes but when it comes down to the crunch, I can't apply any knowledge. I can't seem to improve and I keep making stupid mistakes. I have this growing list of things not to do, things to look out for, things not to repeat - it doesn't do much good.
After today's complex perio fiasco, I have realized that all the guidelines in the lectures and seminars which I normally dismiss as mere technicalities really do serve important purposes. I have now truly experienced why we need PAs for the whole mouth, or at least any tooth we need to determine the prognosis of. The amount of bone left will make or break whether the tooth is condemned or salvageable, instead of wasting time cleaning and cleaning something that's irrational to treat. A deep pocket or even mobility may not mean poor prognosis if there's no bone loss because these may be due to widened PDL which is resolvable.
I also realize now the importance of accurate measurement and charting of probing depths. I used to think it really didn't matter since the treatment is always the same. After today, I know how every little change matters in determining if there is healing or progression of disease. Every mm makes the difference for the patient, makes the difference for how deeply and thoroughly you root plane, makes the decision for whether you try again because you see some progress or you give up and refer or extract.
This is a reminder to myself that all the research and evidence, all the lecture information and advice, all the instruments and equipment are there for a purpose. If it exists, somebody must have found it important to take note of, so I should not dismiss the need for it so quickly.
And yes. I shall not be specalizing in perio, tqvm.
2 comments:
It's a tough profession to being with anyway, with every little mm that matters, that other professionals think you are crazy.
But it's probably important to keep the word "condemnation" out of your vocab, at least when you are in clinic. It would be good to use comforting words, like they say:
"You can sometimes cure a serious illness, you can often ameliorate, but you always comfort."
Definitely, in the clinic it's filter filter filter with every word you speak. Anyway it's always really tough to have to break bad news to a person.
Thanks for the quote - a good reminder
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