Clinicostatistical study of ameloblastoma treatment. (9/289)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the treatment of 190 cases of ameloblastoma in our department from 1966 to 1994. The statistical results with regard to age, sex and region agreed with those of other investigators. Thirty-five of 43 (81.4%) cases underwent enucleation in 1960s, but the sixteen of 27 (59.3%) cases underwent partial resection of mandible in 1990s. The defect of mandible was reconstructed with iliac bone grafting since 1968, grafts with a mixture of iliac blocked bone and PCBM (particulate cancellous bone and marrow) have been used since 1975. Grafting of the inferior alveolar nerve with the great auricular nerve to the defect has been performed in our department since 1977. Recently, technique involving pull-through of the inferior alveolar nerve bundle has been used in our department. When the reconstruction method for the mandible and nerve has been established, it becomes possible to operate radically and positively. Recurrence occurred in 17 cases after the primary enucleation. It is thought that the primary treatment of ameloblastoma must be as radical as possible. It appears to be necessary to observe progress and perform follow-up in cases of ameloblastoma for more than ten years, because there was one recurrence at 9 years and 4 months after the first operation. In fact, three quarters of our cases were lost to follow-up. Such losses can problems in confirming recurrence and responding rapidly.  (+info)

Cardiovascular risk: the safety of local anesthesia, vasoconstrictors, and sedation in heart disease. (10/289)

As part of a large pragmatic study, the authors investigated heart rate, blood pressure, dysrhythmic and ischemic responses to lidocaine 2% with a combination vasoconstrictor (noradrenaline 1:50,000 and vasopressin 0.25 IU/mL), and midazolam sedation in a medically compromised population. There were anesthesia-induced physiological changes to both hemodynamics and the electrocardiogram. The use of midazolam significantly ameliorated the sympathoadrenal response to stress, and the greatest hemodynamic and electrocardiographic changes were observed during surgery.  (+info)

Oral surgery in patients undergoing oral anticoagulant therapy. (11/289)

There is an evident need for procedural protocol for oral surgery patients who undergo oral anticoagulant treatment (OAT) because of: 1) the possible severity of complications and 2) the growing demand for OAT, which in some cases may be as much as 8% of the oral surgery patients that are referred to the hospital from primary care centers. In this study, the authors define the parameters for creating a proto- col applicable to this group of patients. The conclusion is that it is not necessary to suspend OAT before surgery; rather, these procedures should be performed under multidisciplinary medical control. OBJECTIVE: The authors demonstrate that it is possible to perform oral surgery on OAT patients, without having to sus- pend treatment beforehand. STUDY DESIGN: A longitudinal study was performed in OAT patients that required some type of oral surgical procedures. After an INR control, the patient underwent surgery and afterwards the patient was given tranexamic acid as a mouth rinse. Postoperative hemorrhage was classified as slight when it lasted less than 5 minutes, moderate when it lasted longer than five minutes, and severe when it required blood transfusion. RESULTS: The study was performed over a 5-year period (1996-2000), by the maxillofacial surgery department. In that time period, 125 patients with OAT were treated; 90 of them were males and 35 were females. Tooth extraction was per- formed in 229 sessions and a total of 367 teeth were extracted, with an average of 1.6% per session. With regards to postoperative hemorrahage, it was slight in 210 cases (91.7%), moderate in 18 (7.9%) and severe only in one case (0.4%). All the variables were compared and no statistically significant differences were found. CONCLUSIONS: We believe that OAT should not be suspended before oral surgery, but it surgery should be performed under multidisciplinary control-especially in the case of the elderly (over 65) or with those patients that have other concomitant illnesses such as renal insufficiency or anemia or other medical treatments.  (+info)

Oral cancer and its detection. History-taking and the diagnostic phase of management. (12/289)

BACKGROUND: Comprehensive patient evaluation begins with an accurate analysis of all factors of the patient's history before the physical examination is performed. Risk factor identification is particularly important in most cases of oral mucosal dysplasia and carcinoma, as it alerts the clinician to an increased susceptibility for such alterations. The armamentarium of the dentist, which ranges from noninvasive indicators to a scalpel biopsy, permits a thorough evaluation of any observed mucosal changes. Newer additions to this armamentarium have been developed and are emerging that aid in the process of characterizing lesions, thereby facilitating appropriate management. METHODS: The author presents methods of assessing and analyzing a patient's oral health status. He discusses carcinogens and cofactors, as well as dietary considerations, in the development of oral mucosal precancer and cancer. He also presents details of the clinical evaluation, which can lead the clinician to possible further evaluation and analysis by an expanding array of diagnostic tools. RESULTS: The article identifies the factors a clinician should consider when evaluating the dental patient, from initial presentation and risk factor identification to the use of traditional assessment parameters. New and evolving diagnostic tools, coupled with cell and tissue characterization by an oral and maxillofacial pathologist, remain critical in terms of patient management and in maintaining optimum standards of care. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: A comprehensive oral examination must include integration of each patient's in-depth health history and the physical findings. Appreciation of subtle surface changes as a possible harbinger of pathology and the traditional process of observation combined with new and emerging tools now allow for earlier diagnosis that will translate into improved outcomes.  (+info)

Treatment of temporomandibular joint ankylosis: a case report. (13/289)

Bony ankylosis of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) in a male patient was not diagnosed until the patient reached his early teens, at which time the condition was treated with a costochondral graft. At the time of treatment, there was an expectation that further orthognathic surgery would be required to correct the skeletal deformity. However, with the release of the ankylosis and growth of the costochondral graft, a good functional and esthetic result was achieved without further surgery. It is important that family dentists be aware of the clinical signs and symptoms of TMJ ankylosis, to allow early diagnosis and treatment.  (+info)

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: diagnosis and management. (14/289)

Increased awareness that changes in sleeping habits and daytime behaviour may be attributable to obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) has led many patients to seek both information and definitive treatment. The purpose of this article is to provide information to dentists that will enable them to identify patients who may have OSAS and to assist these patients in making informed decisions regarding treatment options. In patients who have identifiable anatomic abnormalities of the maxilla and mandible resulting in a narrow pharyngeal airway, orthognathic surgery appears to be an excellent treatment option.  (+info)

Cleft lip and palate: a review for dentists. (15/289)

The goals of primary closure of cleft lip and palate include not only re-establishing normal insertions for all of the nasolabial muscles but also restoring the normal position of all the other soft tissues, including the mucocutaneous elements. Conventional surgical wisdom, which recommends waiting until growth is complete before undertaking surgical correction of the postoperative sequelae of primary cheiloplasty, carries with it many disadvantages. If, after primary surgery of the lip, orolabial dysfunctions remain, they will exert their nefarious influences during growth and will themselves lead to long term dentofacial imbalances. These imbalances can significantly influence facial harmony. Unless accurate, symmetric and functional reconstruction of the nasolabial muscles is achieved during the primary surgery, not only will the existing dentoskeletal imbalances be exaggerated, but other deformities will be caused during subsequent growth, among which the most important are nasal obstruction and mouth breathing, reduced translation of the maxilla, dysymmetry of the nose and inability of the patient to symmetrically project the upper lip  (+info)

Mental nerve function after inferior alveolar nerve transposition for placement of dental implants. (16/289)

BACKGROUND: One option for successful placement of dental implants in an atrophic posterior mandible without injury to the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) is to transpose or lateralize the nerve. This procedure carries the risk of numbness along the distribution of the nerve, the complication that the procedure is undertaken to avoid in the first place. The purpose of the present study was to assess mental nerve function after transposition of the IAN. METHOD: We determined the outcomes of 20 IAN transposition procedures in 12 consecutive patients at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The study included objective testing of sensory nerve function as well as subjective assessment by the participants. RESULTS: All subjects reported initial transient sensory disturbance. Objective testing after a minimum of 6 months revealed that, for each patient, affected sites had the same level of sensation as unoperated areas. Eighty percent of the patients said that the lower lip and chin felt normal. The others said that these structures did not feel exactly normal but that the difference was of no consequence. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: It is concluded that IAN transposition can be safely and predictably performed with low risk to the mental nerve sensibility.  (+info)