Dental anesthetic management of a patient with ventricular arrhythmias. (1/231)

During routine deep sedation for endodontic therapy, a dentist-anesthesiologist observed premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) on a 62-yr-old woman's electrocardiogram (EKG) tracing. The dentist was able to complete the root canal procedure under intravenous (i.v.) sedation without any problems. The dentist-anesthesiologist referred the patient for medical evaluation. She was found to be free from ischemic cardiac disease with normal ventricular function. The patient was cleared to continue her dental treatment with deep sedation. She subsequently continued to undergo dental treatment with deep intravenous sedation without incident, although her EKG exhibited frequent PVCs, up to 20 per minute, including couplets and episodes of trigeminy. This article will review indications for medical intervention, antiarrhythmic medications, and anesthetic interventions for perioperative PVCs.  (+info)

High-altitude illness induced by tooth root infection. (2/231)

High-altitude illness may occur after recent pulmonary infection, but high-altitude illness after root canal therapy has not been described previously. A 44-year-old man is presented who skied to a 3333 m high peak in the Eastern Alps one day after he had undergone root canal therapy because of a tooth root infection. After 4 hours above 3000 m severe symptoms of high-altitude illness, including pulmonary oedema, developed. His condition improved after immediate descent. The next day he presented with local and general signs of infection which were successfully treated with gingival incisions and antibiotics. In conclusion, acute tooth root infection and root canal therapy may induce high-altitude illness at an altitude just above 3000 m.  (+info)

21st-century endodontics. (3/231)

BACKGROUND: Endodontics as a discipline has offered patients the opportunity to maintain their natural teeth. As the population expands and ages, the demand for endodontic therapy can be expected to increase as patients seek dental options to keep their teeth for a lifetime. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: New materials, techniques and instruments are entering the market-place to assist dentists in providing patients with more predictable and reliable endodontic treatment. In addition, these new systems make the delivery of endodontic services more efficient. This article describes these advances in endodontic treatment for dentists interested in incorporating these advances into their clinical practice.  (+info)

Lower lip numbness due to peri-radicular dental infection. (4/231)

Lower lip numbness has always been a sinister symptom. Much has been written about it being the sole symptom of pathological lesions and metastatic tumours in the mandible. It may also be a symptom of manifestations of certain systemic disorders. A case of lower lip numbness resulting from the compression of the mental nerve by a peri-radicular abscess is presented because of the unusual nature of this spread of infection.  (+info)

Adverse reactions triggered by dental local anesthetics: a clinical survey. (5/231)

One hundred and seventy-nine patients completed a questionnaire focusing on adverse reactions to dental local anesthetics as manifested by 16 signs and symptoms. Twenty-six percent of the participants reported having at least 1 adverse reaction. It was found that most of the adverse reactions occurred within the first 2 hours following the injection of local anesthetics. Pallor, palpitations, diaphoresis, and dizziness were the most common adverse reactions reported in the study. The results pointed to a significant relationship between anxiety, gender, injection technique, and procedure with a higher incidence of adverse reactions.  (+info)

In vitro effect of intracanal medicaments on strict anaerobes by means of the broth dilution method. (6/231)

The determination of bacterial susceptibility to intracanal medicaments is a necessity. Nevertheless, few studies utilize the proper methodology to carry out that evaluation with anaerobes. In this study, the steps of a broth dilution method, carried out in microplates (microdilution) and tubes (macrodilution), to test the effect of traditional intracanal medicaments on anaerobic bacteria are described. The results are presented as values of minimal inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations (MIC and MBC). Standardized inocula of the anaerobic bacteria Prevotella nigrescens (ATCC 33563), Fusobacterium nucleatum (ATCC 25586) and Clostridium perfringens (ATCC 13124), in reinforced Clostridium medium (RCM) and supplemented Brucella broth, were submitted to different concentrations of calcium hydroxide, chlorhexidine digluconate, camphorated paramonochlorophenol and formocresol solutions. The drugs were diluted in the same culture broths, in microplates and tubes, and were then incubated in anaerobiosis jars at 37 degrees C for 48 or 96 hours. The determination of MICs was carried out through visual and spectrophotometric readings, and the determination of MBCs, through the plating of aliquots on RCM-blood agar. For that kind of study, the macromethod with spectrophotometric reading should be the natural choice. MICs and MBCs obtained with the macromethod were compatible with the known clinical performance of the studied medications, and the values varied according to the bacteria and culture media employed. RCM was the most effective medium and C. perfringens, the most resistant microorganism.  (+info)

Alopecia areata of dental origin. (7/231)

The association of alopecia areata and infectious foci of dental origin is relatively common, and may be explained by the autoimmune nature of the disorder. We describe a case of alopecia areata with no apparent cause and that was effectively resolved by eliminating a focalized dental infection via endodontic treatment. The presence of common immune mediators in the pathogenesis of both alopecia areata and dental infection could account for the dental origin of the hair loss. In this sense, patients with localized alopecia should be subjected to careful exploration of the oral cavity in search of possible dental infections.  (+info)

Nonsurgical treatment for odontogenic maxillary sinusitis using irrigation through the root canal: preliminary case report. (8/231)

As a new nonsurgical treatment for odontogenic maxillary sinusitis (OMS), irrigation of the maxillary sinus through the root canal of the causal tooth was carried out to the patient with OMS that had proved refractory to conservative treatments (i.e., root-canal treatment of the causal tooth and antibiotic therapy). Clinical signs, symptoms, and radiographs before and after the new treatment revealed evidence of good healing. The clinical signs and symptoms, such as oppressive pain in the cheek and retrorhinorrhoea, entirely disappeared immediately after the irrigation (which was done only once) without pain, and the obstructed ostiomeatal unit was aerated on the follow-up CT images. There was no side effect associated with saline irrigation, nor any recurrence of symptoms since the irrigation. We therefore propose the irrigation through the root canal of the causal tooth as a new treatment for periapical disease-induced maxillary sinusitis, a technique that should ensure proper ventilation and drainage by relieving obstruction of the ostiomeatal unit.  (+info)