Oral health and dental management
-
Oral Health Dent Manag · Jun 2014
Dental trauma related to general anesthesia: should the anesthesiologist perform a preanesthetic dental evaluation?
Perioperative dental damage is one of the most common anesthesia-related adverse events and is responsible for the greatest number of malpractice claims against anesthesiologists; therefore, several dental considerations are warranted. A thorough evaluation may necessitate a dentist's help, requires that anesthesiologists receive more formal training regarding oral and dental anatomy, and enables performing the treatments necessary to minimize the risks of dental injuries. Nevertheless, this preanesthetic assessment is frequently overlooked by surgeons and anesthesiologists. ⋯ The dental examination should especially include an assessment of the patient's upper incisors--the teeth most likely to be injured during the perioperative period--for pre-existing damage. Preoperative notes should record any damages or missing teeth. In addition, anesthesiologists must take adequate intraprocedure precautions to prevent/minimize iatrogenic dental injury.
-
Trauma to the mouth involves not only the teeth but also the dental pulp, the periodontal ligament, bone, gingiva and other associated structures. There are many different types of injuries with varying severity in each case and often more than one injury to a tooth at the same time. ⋯ It is imperative that dentists have a thorough understanding of the possible tissue responses so appropriate treatment can be provided to minimise the consequences of trauma. The five main strategies to reduce these consequences are to: 1) perform a thorough examination and accurate diagnosis to identify all injuries and to assess the likely healing responses; 2) reposition and stabilise the teeth and bones to provide optimum conditions for healing; 3) carefully manage soft tissues to help healing; 4) commence root canal treatment immediately in specific situations to prevent external inflammatory resorption; and 5) follow-up and review all traumatised teeth to identify and manage any adverse consequences as soon as they occur in order to minimise their effects on the patient.
-
Oral Health Dent Manag · Mar 2014
The 50 most cited manuscripts by Indian periodontists: a citation analysis of PubMed database.
Personality of a scientific publication enhances after receiving citations which in turn reflect its recognition and impact on science. There are no reported citation analyses of publications in Indian context. ⋯ Developing nations are also progressing in right directions and are catching up with developed nations, albeit to smaller scales. There is a need to publish more and more cutting edge research manuscripts in national and international reputed journals.
-
Oral Health Dent Manag · Dec 2013
Current sedation and anesthesia practices among dentists: a statewide survey.
The purpose of this survey was to describe the current sedation training and practices among dentists in the state of Virginia, and to determine what areas of sedation training may need to be improved or maintained. ⋯ With 75% of dentists that responded to the survey practicing sedation, experiencing some type of medical emergency related to sedations, and 4% of these not using any type of patient monitoring system, all providers offering sedation should follow the monitoring guidelines set forth by the ADA and/or AAPD. With an increase in demand from patients for sedation services during dental procedures, additional training should be recommended to dentists to assure that they have the skills and knowledge necessary to rescue a patient should a medical emergency arise.
-
Analysis of bite marks plays an important role in personal identification in forensic casework. Bite marks can be recorded in violent crimes such as sexual offences, homicides, child abuse cases, and during sports events. The arrangement, size and alignment of human teeth are individualistic to each person. ⋯ Bite mark identification is based on the individuality of a dentition, which is used to match a bite mark to a suspect. Bite marks are often considered as valuable alternative to fingerprinting and DNA identification in forensic examinations. The present review describes the classification, characteristics, mechanism of production, and appearance of bite mark injuries, collection of evidence, comparison techniques, and technical aids in the analysis of the bite marks.