Oral surgery, oral medicine, and oral pathology
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Oral Surg. Oral Med. Oral Pathol. · Nov 1994
ReviewInjury to the oral mucous membranes caused by the common houseplant, dieffenbachia. A review.
The common houseplant, dieffenbachia, causes painful edematous swelling of the oral mucous membranes when chewed. This property, which is well known to the staffs of poison control centers, can be dangerous to the unwary or to victims of practical jokes. ⋯ When stimulated, the idioblasts fire the raphides with some force for a distance of two to three cell lengths. One possibility is that the local toxicity of dieffenbachia may be caused by a combination of this mechanical release of the raphides, which results in traumatic injury, and the effects of a chemical toxin carried on their surfaces and in their grooves.
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Oral Surg. Oral Med. Oral Pathol. · Jun 1994
Barbed needle and inexplicable paresthesias and trismus after dental regional anesthesia.
The tips of 100 needles that had been used clinically for the administration of mandibular block anesthesia (50 by students and 50 by staff) were examined individually under a dissecting microscope. Sixty percent of these needles were found to be barbed. With the use of an animal laboratory simulation, it has been shown that the tips of standard needles as used in general dental practice will barb if allowed to touch bone (medial aspect of the mandibular ramus) during the administration of a mandibular block for dentistry using the direct approach and that a relationship exists between the pattern of this barbing, the disposition of the bevel of the needle at the time of its insertion, and the likelihood of lingual or inferior dental nerve involvement on withdrawal of the barbed needle. Simple precautions are advanced for reducing the possibility of nerve or other tissue damage from this source.
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The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect on hemostasis and wound healing of a proprietary alginate fiber dressing when applied to a wound of the buccal mucosa of approximately 2 mm depth. The study showed a significant reduction in the number of residual bleeding points in shallow wounds when the alginate fiber dressing was applied for 5 minutes as compared with the use of non-alginate-impregnated surgical gauze. ⋯ In addition, there was no significant difference in the numbers of tissue components in the submucosa. It is concluded that the alginate fiber dressing material evaluated in this study may be effective as a hemostatic mucosal dressing in shallow wounds, but it does not accelerate mucosal wound healing.
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Oral Surg. Oral Med. Oral Pathol. · Feb 1994
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialTopical application of capsaicin for treatment of oral neuropathic pain and trigeminal neuralgia.
Neuropathic pain may be a major cause of pain in the head and neck. Trigeminal neuralgia may appear as intraoral pain. This article reviews a series of 24 consecutive cases of oral pain treated with topical capsaicin. ⋯ Trigeminal neuralgia with an intraoral trigger was less responsive to topical therapy than neuropathic pain. Further study is needed to clarify the efficacy of topical capsaicin in neuropathic and neuralgic pain and the effect of differing dosages and frequency of application. On the basis of the findings in this open-label clinical trial, controlled clinical study of capsaicin in neuropathic oral pain states appears warranted.
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Oral Surg. Oral Med. Oral Pathol. · Oct 1993
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialEffects of chlorhexidine during immunosuppressive chemotherapy. A preliminary report.
Immunosuppressive chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation are increasingly used to treat and, in some cases, cure numerous malignant conditions. The systemic sequelae as a result of these immunosuppressive techniques lead to a host of oral and dental complications. The direct and indirect stomatotoxic effects lead to development of ulcerative, hemorrhagic, or infectious complications that potentially can lead to increased mortality and morbidity. ⋯ Our double-blind randomized study revealed that chlorhexidine versus controls had considerable effect in the bone marrow transplant cohort. Patients who received chlorhexidine while undergoing bone marrow transplantation were found to exhibit fewer and less painful mucositis lesions. This study supports prophylactic use of chlorhexidine in patients who undergo bone marrow transplantation.