The New York state dental journal
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It is important to involve the patient's general dentist in the preoperative management, since routine dental examinations are performed more frequently than surgery. If the dentist learns from the patient that he or she will be undergoing surgery, the dentist should stress the importance of stabilizing or removing any loose teeth or prostheses prior to surgery. In most medical centers today, patients undergoing elective surgery are seen by the anesthesiologist prior to their date of surgery for preadmission testing. ⋯ One review of anesthesia-related claims reports that 17 percent of the claims are due to damage to the teeth or dental prosthesis. Several authors had advocated the use of devices to help protect the dentition during the surgery. Most of these devices temporarily splint or protect the teeth from trauma during intubation and extubation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)