Reena Zaver

Reflection

While in dental hygiene school, I have learned more about myself and oral health than I

ever thought possible. I have learned how important oral health actually and how it is a mirror to

the rest of the body. Everything we do or do not put in our body has an oral effect. I have also

improved upon my manual dexterity skills while utilizing the modified pen grasp during

instrumentation. I have also learned how to cope with stress and tension from the clinic and

didactic courses. Before hygiene school, I would stress out until I would cry uncontrollably. I

now do certain things to help me cope and not get to that point. Learning this in hygiene school

will help me manage stress and a stressful/busy office setting while working in a dental office. I

can further improve my skills by applying more lateral pressure while scaling. I have always had

trouble using effective lateral pressure while debriding as I’m afraid I will harm the patient. Once

I get over the mental block of harming the patient, I know I will be able to more efficiently

remove calculus. An academic accomplishment I am proud of is consistently being on the

President’s List. It’s amazing to see my hard work pay off. I am certain that I will learn even

more in my final quarter of hygiene school. I am excited to implement everything I have learned

into a clinic setting outside of school!