Class I Co LIFE LESSONS.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from the last week of the summer term is about self-confidence, in a sense that I should be generous in giving myself chances to improve. I’ve come to realize that in the past, I was being a meanie to myself by keeping that “Okay kiddo, an 80 is the best you can do, you’re never gonna get any better.”—and well, that's just wrong.

from the dentalsourceblog.com --THANK YOU!

During my first year at UPHSD, I was seriously struggling with Class I Co restorations, because the school that I transferred from didn't have that listed as a clinical requirement (at least, during my time), plus, considering that I was mostly out of the clinic on my last year at my old school due to a dark cloud hanging over my head, my manual dexterity was really off. My skills were underdeveloped as they were and they were stunted.

We have about 3 Class I Co (Amalgam is a completely different story) requirements in a clinic level-- 3, or 2, sorry, I really couldn't remember. When I started working with Co restorations, I was in Clinic II (second out of four clinic levels-- I completed Clinic I at my old school), and at that time, very special circumstances allowed me to do all the Class I Co's that I can, and to just have them credited over to the next clinic levels. 

I think know I tested my instructors' patience when I was working on my Class I Co's then. I did Co work on typodonts in the past, and did pretty well then, but it felt really different on live patients, and I was pretty much radiating I have no idea what I'm doing-vibes here, there, and everywhere, and it really did transcend to the restorations I was doing. My instructors taught me how to fix my mistakes, but it still didn't change the fact that on my own, my restorations were disastrous. My restorations were so bad, that I even had grades of 80-84. Because I seriously didn't think that I could ever improve, I decided to get those grades encoded. When something's "encoded", there's no turning back, you're stuck with that grade forever. Eventually, I was able to redeem myself. The last restorations have been earning grades ranging from 88 to 94, and while they've been encoded, my previous lower grades have already dragged them down. 

The other day, I performed four Class I Co's, and yesterday, three-- all on the same patient, but because I've already maxed out the Class I Co's that could be graded, these seven restorations don't bear credit anymore. In every essence, I did them for free, but it's fine, because doing them was part of my Prosthodontics treatment plan, and I had fun doing them anyway. When I had yesterday's work checked, my instructor said that my work was "pretty". I was really happy that I still had my face mask on, or else she would have seen my idiotic ear-to-ear smile.:) --Yup, I was that happy.

I no longer dared to ask what my grades would have been if my work had been creditable, but I think having my work described as pretty was enough.

So here's the thing-- Just because you're horrible at something today, it doesn't mean that you'll always be horrible at it. Before you can make other people believe in what you have to offer, you have to believe first. Allow yourself to grow, don't hinder yourself from being a better version of yourself. 

It's all gonna be okay. <3