Oral medicine: the "problem patient" specialty.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to E H Hall.
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Bacteremias of dental origin have been implicated as sources of infection in specific cardiac conditions, diabetes, neutropenia, kidney disease, splenectomy, and patients with prosthetic joints. This article reviews the relative risks of dental bacteremias in these patients, discusses the merits of various regimens, and presents current prophylactic antibiotic recommendations.
Three types of paper-covered and one type of plastic-covered Kodak dental film were used to determine if bacteria could penetrate the coverings and contaminate the inner film. Films from each group were immersed for 30 or 120 seconds in high concentrations of known bacterial suspensions with or without 10% sterilized calf serum added to the incubation media. The plastic-covered film effectively excluded all bacteria, whereas the paper-covered film showed contamination with all organisms even at 30 seconds. Increasing the viscosity of the incubation medium with calf serum decreased the level of contamination.
Although AVMs are quite rare, at least two generalizations can be drawn from this case. First, don't rush into treatment. Time spent in the initial diagnosis and treatment planning is time well spent. Carefully evaluate the signs and symptoms, develop a good initial differential diagnosis, and if the facts just don't fit, expand your differential diagnosis. Second, take advantage of continuing education courses in oral diagnosis, oral pathology and oral medicine. This is certainly the best way to keep current, increase your diagnostic knowledge and expand your differential diagnoses. Finally, I hope this case presentation makes clear that what you don't suspect, you seldom see, and what you don't see can hurt you and your patients.
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To date, there has been no conclusive explanation for the predominance of female patients with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to survey a normal population without symptoms for the presence of certain putative signs of TMJ dysfunction in association with certain signs of occlusal discrepancy and to determine the presence of any gender variation. The subjects (217 men and 217 women) were examined for the presence of three putative signs of TMJ dysfunction: limited mandibular opening (under 37 mm), deviation on opening, and joint sounds. The subjects were also examined for the presence of four signs of occlusal discrepancy: an anterior slide from centric relation (CR) to centric occlusion (CO), lateral slide from CR to CO, nonworking occlusal contacts, and working disclusive contacts distal to the canines. CR is the mandibular position at which the condyles are in their most superior position on the posterior aspect of the articular tubercles. CO is the mandibular position at which the mandibular and maxillary teeth are in maximum intercuspation. There were no significant differences in the prevalence of the putative signs of TMJ dysfunction and occlusal discrepancy between men and women. It was concluded that factors other than the presence of these signs of TMJ dysfunction and occlusal discrepancy are responsible for the high predominance of female patients with TMJ dysfunction.
Metastases to the jaws account for only 1% of all malignant tumors of the oral cavity. Consequently the diagnosis of metastasis to the mandible requires a high degree of clinical suspicion and the use of a systematic diagnostic approach. In this case report a patient sought treatment for what appeared clinically and radiographically as periradicular periodontal disease. However, because the patient had a medical history of adenocarcinoma of the colon 5 years previously, metastasis to the jaws was included in the differential diagnosis. Metastasis to the jaws may resemble periodontal disease or many of the other benign and malignant conditions that affect the jaws, thus making the correct radiographic diagnosis difficult. Ultimately, histologic evaluation is essential to make a definitive diagnosis.
A case report of an AIDS patient afflicted with disseminated histoplasmosis is presented. Characteristic granulomatous-appearing lesions on the tongue were observed during the patient's initial workup, but the patient became unavailable for a scheduled biopsy. Consequently, the diagnosis of a histoplasmosis infection was established only after the performance of several time-consuming, stressful, and, at times, invasive diagnostic procedures. It is proposed that early histologic evaluation of the suspicious oral lesions would have resulted in the diagnosis, thus making more extensive diagnostic testing unnecessary. This case illustrates the need for the dentist to pursue an aggressive approach in evaluating oral lesions in the AIDS patient.
Various types of nutritional deficiencies can produce glossodynia and associated signs of inflammation. Changes such as swelling of the tongue, papillary atrophy, and surface ulceration are possible in most of the deficiency states. To further complicate the clinical picture, the patient commonly will suffer from multiple nutritional deficiencies [29]. Therefore, it is not advisable to diagnose a specific nutritional deficiency on clinical impression alone. To establish iron, folate, or vitamin-B12 deficiency, a hematologic screening that includes complete blood count, red-cell, serum iron, B12, and folate levels should be performed [30]. Although they are rarely required, specific tests for suspected niacin, pyridoxine, and riboflavin deficiency are available. Although glossodynia related to nutritional deficiency is statistically uncommon, it is easily curable with replacement therapy. Identification of a vitamin deficiency through early oral symptoms can forestall development of serious and irreversible systemic and neurologic damage.
A patient with chronic renal failure who is undergoing dialysis or renal transplantation is susceptible to a number of infections. Transient, usually asymptomatic bacteremias occur in a wide variety of dental manipulations, particularly those involving the mucous membranes. Certain bacteremias may cause serious complications in these already compromised patients. Therefore, antimicrobial prophylaxis is essential when these patients undergo bacteremia-causing dental procedures.
Arteriovenous malformations are rare, but, considering the life-threatening consequences of these lesions, they must constantly be considered in a differential diagnosis. The management of this patient from the initial symptoms emphasizes the need for a methodical approach to oral diagnosis using the fundamental techniques of inspection, auscultation, and palpation, as well as the more recent techniques of laboratory and radiographic evaluation.
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A case involving a 22-year-old male patient with early aggressive cemento-ossifying fibroma in the mandible is discussed. The historical difficulty in categorizing fibro-osseous lesions is reviewed, and the importance of clinical, radiographic, and surgical findings to the ultimate diagnosis and correct treatment of these lesions is emphasized.
Two hundred patients with pain in the head and neck area completed the McGill-Melzack Pain Questionnaire before a diagnosis was made or treatment was recommended for their complaints. The class and subclass of the chosen pain descriptors were compiled for each of three broad categories of pain: pain of periodontal origin, pain of pulpal origin, and pain associated with temporomandibular syndrome (TMS). Chi-square analysis showed that TMS pain-word patterns were significantly different from those associated with pain of periodontal or pulpal origin (p less than or equal to 0.05). Word patterns for pulpal and periodontal pain did not differ significantly (p greater than or equal to 0.05). A larger sample and further study are indicated to determine whether unique word patterns may be developed for individual oral pain syndromes. Ease of administration and the capability of detecting consistent patterns of pain descriptors make the McGill-Melzack Pain Questionnaire a potentially useful tool for the diagnosis and management of pain syndromes in dentistry.
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The periodontal disease syndromes present the practitioner with an extensive array of clinical conditions. However, by performing a careful examination and recording of findings, the clinician will provide order to this seemingly complex picture. This careful and reasoned approach is based on a logical sequence starting with clinical observations that lead to a diagnosis of the disease entity present. This correct diagnosis in turn will lead to establishment of the prognosis and the therapeutic approach. By following these precepts, the practitioner ensures a sound biologic basis for his or her efforts. The end result is the realization of the goal of dental therapy that her is for the patient to maintain dentition in health, comfort, and function for a lifetime and minimize the potential for urgent periodontal needs.
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