Journal of the California Dental Association
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Because dentists routinely assess a patient's head, neck and mouth, they have a unique and excellent opportunity to recognize whether or not a patient is being abused. This article seeks to enlist the collaboration of the dental community in the effort to prevent domestic/intimate partner violence and provide more information about the signs and symptoms of domestic violence injuries, including strangulation, which is often overlooked by medical and dental professionals. Strangulation has only been identified in recent years as one of the most lethal forms of domestic violence. ⋯ Strangulation is often indicative of a high level of domestic violence in a relationship. Attempted strangulation may cause physiological changes evident in the course of a dental examination. For these reasons, dentists should be vigilant in looking for its symptoms.
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By educating themselves and their staff members about services for crime victims, dentists play a crucial role in helping crime victims receive the care they need. When a crime victim needs dental work, they may be unaware of the other assistance available through the Victims Compensation Program. Dental care made possible through compensation helps victims begin to heal.
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Inhalation sedation utilizing nitrous oxide-oxygen has been a primary technique in the management of dental fears and anxieties for more than 150 years and remains so today. Though other, more potent, anesthetics have been introduced, nitrous oxide is still the most used gaseous anesthetic in the world. Administered properly with well-maintained equipment, the nitrous oxide-oxygen technique has an extremely high success rate coupled with a very low rate of adverse effects and complications.
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As the young indigent population of this state grows, access to dental care continues to be a problem. Studies show that children from poor families suffer from a higher caries rate than those from a higher socioeconomic class. ⋯ However, because children in this demographic group frequently lack the financial resources necessary for these treatment modalities, they will either not receive the necessary care because they are deemed unmanageable or will have a traumatic experience causing them to become even more resistant to future dental care. This article demonstrates how oral conscious sedation can be a safe and cost-effective alternative to intravenous sedation and general anesthesia in facilitating dental care for children who could otherwise not be treated.