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SMART Goals Reflection and Insights

The student set three SMART goals at the beginning of the class: 1) To conduct dental assessments faster and without references, 2) To enhance indirect vision skills, and 3) To see more patients in a single session. For the first goal, the student was able to complete assessments without references by asking instructors for guidance. For the second goal, the student improved indirect vision through practice at home and in clinic. For the third goal, the student saw four patients in one session by preparing in advance and managing time well. The student learned the importance of practice, preparation, and time management through pursuing these goals.

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56 views3 pages

SMART Goals Reflection and Insights

The student set three SMART goals at the beginning of the class: 1) To conduct dental assessments faster and without references, 2) To enhance indirect vision skills, and 3) To see more patients in a single session. For the first goal, the student was able to complete assessments without references by asking instructors for guidance. For the second goal, the student improved indirect vision through practice at home and in clinic. For the third goal, the student saw four patients in one session by preparing in advance and managing time well. The student learned the importance of practice, preparation, and time management through pursuing these goals.

Uploaded by

bonface
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Surname 1

Name

Instructor

Course

Date

Smart Goals Reflection Paper

Early on in this class, I set three SMART goals. The goals provided focus on things that I

wanted to accomplish over the duration. The process has been interesting, whereby not

everything turned out exactly as I had set out to do. In the following section, I will highlight the

SMART goals and discuss whether each of the goals has been met as well as describe the steps

that I took for each one.

My first SMART goal was to conduct a concrete assessment of the care process faster

and more precisely without referring to the POC booklet. I have made a tremendous

improvement when doing assessments as evidenced from my last seven clinical consultations. I

completed the diagnosis and assessments for dental cleanliness, occlusal, risk, and periodontal

presentation, devoid of any pictures or drawings. Thus, I accomplished my goal by following the

strategies I set. The activities I undertook to help me attain my goal included asking for guidance

on the effective techniques to handle each assessment and gathering as much information from

the instructors as possible.

One of the aspects I changed was how I used to explain gums before starting perio-

charting. Because I did not have enough time to inspect each tooth and all surfaces, I spent more

time and failed to explain in-depth accurately. I discovered that the best time to discuss gums is

immediately after perio-chart. Upon concluding perio-charting, there will be no need to see the


Surname 2

patient again to inspect their oral cavity because one has an accurate assessment and a

comprehensive understanding. I was delighted to have achieved my goal without referring to the

POC booklet for the basics. However, I will continue to carry and utilize the POC booklet

in every clinical session because I might require additional assistance. Nevertheless, I am

confident in finishing most assessments without having to rely on them.

In my second SMART goal, I aimed to enhance my hand instrumentation skills for

indirect vision. Looking back, I can say I have made significant improvement on my ability to

use indirect vision. My confidence level is certainly better than when I started out. For that, I

would say I have accomplished this goal. However, I feel that I can still improve more on my

indirect vision skills. The process by which I was able to achieve this was by focusing during

both clinic hours and in my free time. In the clinic, I started utilizing a sextant 1 and 3 lingual

and other indirect vision techniques whenever it was practical to deploy. Telling a patient to

elevate their chin and look to the left or right, the sextant is simple to operate with direct vision.

However, I tried to avoid this and instead used indirect vision on that sextant.

When utilizing a pen and paper in my free time at home, I began using a mirror to

sketch lines and follow paths on paper. Additionally, I used my typodont a few times and looked

up some sketching tasks on the Internet comparable to the ones in Pre-Clinic. Because of this, I

developed my muscle memory and got used to traversing the operating end by using a mirror. I

learned that muscle memory and practice are the only drivers of effective indirect vision. Regular

practice has made it possible to become better in utilizing hand instruments. With that insight, I

plan on practicing more till I can achieve the level of confidence that I am most comfortable

with.
Surname 3

In my third SMART goal, I aimed to be through with with patients in a single session. I

was able to achieve this in my clinic 3 where I saw four patients in a single session. The steps I

took to achieve this was by doing my research on the patients in advance. I drew upon their

medical history and investigated to ascertain the disorders they had before, and I came up with

follow-up inquiries. Likewise, I read the notes from prior visits. Further, I focused on the

completed work, perio-chart, dental charts, and X-rays. Understanding all of these things helped

me address the patient more confidently. Developing my time management sheet and staying

abreast with how much time I spent on each task was another essential step that helped me

achieve my goal. Unless the patient specifically requests it, I avoided wasting more time on an

area. Following these steps enabled me to achieve this goal. The insight I gained in pursuing this

goal is that how one communicates with a patient is vital in determining how effective the

process is. In addition, I realized that good organization skills and planning are qualities that can

help immensely in one’s practice.

From the SMART goal reflection project, I have been able to identify what I have

learned, what I need to improve on and in establishing how I should proceed. It is a great

exercise to determine one’s progress and I plan to use what I have learned from the exercise to

improve myself.

Common questions

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The author gained insights that effective patient communication, good organization skills, and planning are essential qualities for successful practice. Time management was improved by assessing how much time was spent on each task and avoiding unnecessary delays, which helped in completing patient sessions successfully in a single appointment .

The author enhanced their hand instrumentation skills for indirect vision by practicing during clinic hours using sextant 1 and 3 lingual techniques and utilizing indirect vision as much as possible. They also practiced at home by using a mirror to sketch lines and follow paths, and applied muscle memory development techniques using a typodont and online sketching tasks similar to those in Pre-Clinic .

Practice outside of clinic hours contributed significantly to the author's achievement of their second SMART goal by allowing them to use a mirror to follow sketching paths and develop muscle memory, utilizing a typodont and online exercises. This consistent practice led to an improvement in muscle memory, crucial for effective indirect vision skills .

The author employed tools such as mirrors to aid in indirect vision practice, online sketching tasks to improve muscle memory for precision in clinical tasks, and developed a time management sheet for better organization and efficiency when working with patients, demonstrating the integration of technology and tools in meeting their SMART goals .

The author’s experience suggests that muscle memory is pivotal in mastering dental instrumentation skills, especially those requiring indirect vision. Regular practice involving mirrors and typodonts helped embed muscle memory, making the applications of skills such as indirect vision more intuitive and effective, emphasizing practice as a key to skill acquisition .

The author experienced improved assessment capabilities by not relying on the POC booklet during clinical consultations, achieving their goal of conducting assessments independently. However, they concluded that carrying the POC booklet remains necessary for potential further assistance, even though they feel confident in completing most assessments without it .

The author derived the lesson that seeking guidance and feedback from instructors and gathering information on effective assessment techniques were critical in achieving their first SMART goal of conducting efficient and precise care process assessments without relying on the POC booklet .

The author managed the workflow efficiently by preparing in advance with research into each patient’s medical history and using time management strategies to allocate time effectively across tasks. They avoided spending unnecessary time unless required, thereby optimizing the flow of patient sessions and achieving their goal .

The author modified their communication methods by doing thorough research on patients before sessions, including reviewing medical history and prior visit notes. They focused on key areas such as completed work and dental charts, developed a time management sheet, and avoided spending unnecessary time on tasks unless the patient requested it, thereby improving efficiency and effectiveness in sessions .

The author assessed progress on their first SMART goal by noting significant improvement in conducting assessments without referring to the POC booklet during clinical consultations, which was evidenced by their ability to complete the diagnosis and assessments for dental cleanliness, occlusal, risk, and periodontal presentation without external references .

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