Pedo/Perio Rotations: Good Ways to Learn New Things

I went on my Pedo rotation one week and my Perio rotation the next.  I was able to learn something new in both places. 
When I got to Pedo, I had no idea what to expect.  The Resident there saw me skulking about and asked if I knew how to place sealants.  I told him I did not, so he directed me to a D4 that was placing sealants on a girl (roundabout age 13?) with braces.  The D4 was very helpful and patient while explaining and demonstrating how to place sealants.  After he had finished instruction and placement, he handed me the reigns (so to speak) and let me at it.  I made sure there was enough cotton in the girl's mouth to stop the saliva from getting all over the tooth surfaces.  Then I dried off the tooth and applied etchant to the occlusal surface.  I rinsed and dried the surface again and finally applied the sealant to the surface and used the curing light to bond the material to the tooth.  The D4 checked over my first attempt and we decided it needed to be fixed just a bit.  After he fixed the high surfaces, he let me try my hand at the next tooth.  I worked a little more confidently that time and the D4 had to fix less of my mistakes that time.  With a little practice I think I will do well placing sealants. 

The following week I went to a Perio rotation.  I was told I could assist one of the Dr.'s there so I went in to see what I could do for him.  Since he was extra busy that day, he asked if I would clean one of his patient's teeth for him.  Upon inspection of the patient's mouth, I asked if the cubicle had a cavitron, because that is the only device I had used previously.  The Dr. told me they used the Piezo in that clinic.  He gave me a little instruction, noting the difference between the cavitron and Piezo.  With that knowledge I went to work.  It took quite a while to clean all the calculus off this patient's teeth.  I think in the end I was really getting the hang of how to use the Piezo.  I feel like I am better and more comfortable using the cavitron, but it's nice to get some new experience under my belt.  I think in most instances, these rotations are good at throwing us into a new learning situation that we wouldn't have encountered in the hygiene clinic.