Registered Dental Hygienist

I worked my first two official days as a paid dental hygienist! I am currently working for a few dental temping agencies, and I got my first call on Tuesday. I filled in for this office in Riverton, Utah for both days. I was so ridiculously scared and nervous going into it, but by the end of the first day I felt pretty good. Even though I've been practicing dental hygiene for the last 2 years in school, and was a dental assistant for 3 years, it is so different in each office and being out of school! The doctor didn't know it was my first day ever of working in a dental office as a dental hygienist, and I don't think he could tell either --which is what I was going for! I couldn't help but feel and think so many different things as I was working though... --but I'm not a real dental hygienist?? I wonder if they think I'm too young for this? I wonder if the patient is thinking what I'm thinking (that I have no idea what I'm doing) haha just kidding--

I was breaking down my room for my next patient when the doctor called me over. He then asked me if I could anesthetize his next patient. My heart kind of sunk for a second, and then I was like...wait a second, I know how to do local anesthesia, haha. I don't think I had shaken so bad since I first learned to do local anesthesia, but it worked great, and the patient didn't feel a thing --possibly due to the fact he was on laughing gas ;)

The second day I was there, I had a patient who hadn't had his teeth cleaned in 30 years! I was suprised to see that long of a time outside of my dental hygiene school. He even had insurance, but just didn't care to go! I got the quadrant of his mouth numb that I was going to work on and did periodontal debridement (not your typical "cleaning") just like back in school --so fun!

...and not to be all about the money, but hey, I've been waiting for this street for a while. I was stuck on the Spend Money St. for too long haha. I only worked a half day the first day, and then a full day the second day, but dental hygiene really knows how to pay. I tried to hold back a gleeful giggle and squeak when he handed me the paycheck and tried not to let my jaw drop. Then I took it before he could reconsider haha. Considering I've been sitting on my bum since graduation, it felt so good to actually Make Money.