The irony of simple extraction
Posted by Dr Armi Cabero on Monday, September 9, 2013
Have you ever had an incident where you extracted a wisdom tooth in just minutes and extract a badly decayed tooth that took you almost an hour to remove? I have had my share of bad experiences and frankly speaking, I do not enjoy this at all. To me, I chose oral surgical specialty because I know that I am good at what I do. But when certain matters happen where the bone of the patient is too dense and extraction becomes difficult, it is such a frustrating moment for me. That's the time where I wish I had not tried to be a hero and just deferred the treatment at another appointment.
After years of experience, I have learned a lot in this profession what dentists should and should not do when faced with extraction cases.
1. Never to extract a tooth without a periapical radiograph.
Radiographs are essential in extraction because it gives us an overview of what we will encounter during the procedure. Contrary to popular belief that it's our way of generating additional income, radiographs help dentists address the case properly. A tooth suffering from dental abscess can lead to other heart diseases or spread throughout the system if it is not foreseen during diagnosis. Failure to diagnose can be detrimental to the health of the patient. So if the tooth is found to have a periapical abscess, it is important that we put the patient under antibiotics. This will help treat and localize the infection and most of all provide a profound anesthesia once you extract the tooth.
Believe me, this will save you time and effort plus it will less likely hurt the patient during extraction.
2. Administer antibiotics as necessary
Antibiotics is the first line of defense of the body against infection and helps increase the immune system. If the patient has the adequate dose of antibiotic, the existing tooth infection will be properly treated prior to extraction. This is most true to cases that have active tooth infections. As soon as the inflammation subsides, you can easily extract the tooth without a sweat. Plus, you get praises from your patients for removing the tooth so quickly and pain-free.
3. Suture your extraction wounds
In my practice, I always suture to protect the clot and veer the debris away that may be lodged into the wound. Even if it is just a "simple extraction", among the objectives of suturing the wound is to stabilize the clot leaving it undisturbed as it heals away. As a result, I get beautifully formed gums and satisfied customers.
4. Recall the patient for evaluation
This is what I call extra service where you are going the extra mile for the health of the patient. You ensure that all is well after the extraction and have the chance to interview your patient about his experience in your treatment center. By doing this you can be assured that this happy customer will refer more patients to your clinic.
Keep in mind that there is NOTHING SIMPLE in our profession. We are one of the in-demand jobs in the field of Medicine that requires both the skill and the knowledge working at the same time. That's why we should never underestimate a case even if it may look so simple on the outside because once you perform the procedure, there is no other way to do it but finish the job.
After years of experience, I have learned a lot in this profession what dentists should and should not do when faced with extraction cases.
1. Never to extract a tooth without a periapical radiograph.
Radiographs are essential in extraction because it gives us an overview of what we will encounter during the procedure. Contrary to popular belief that it's our way of generating additional income, radiographs help dentists address the case properly. A tooth suffering from dental abscess can lead to other heart diseases or spread throughout the system if it is not foreseen during diagnosis. Failure to diagnose can be detrimental to the health of the patient. So if the tooth is found to have a periapical abscess, it is important that we put the patient under antibiotics. This will help treat and localize the infection and most of all provide a profound anesthesia once you extract the tooth.
Believe me, this will save you time and effort plus it will less likely hurt the patient during extraction.
2. Administer antibiotics as necessary
Antibiotics is the first line of defense of the body against infection and helps increase the immune system. If the patient has the adequate dose of antibiotic, the existing tooth infection will be properly treated prior to extraction. This is most true to cases that have active tooth infections. As soon as the inflammation subsides, you can easily extract the tooth without a sweat. Plus, you get praises from your patients for removing the tooth so quickly and pain-free.
3. Suture your extraction wounds
In my practice, I always suture to protect the clot and veer the debris away that may be lodged into the wound. Even if it is just a "simple extraction", among the objectives of suturing the wound is to stabilize the clot leaving it undisturbed as it heals away. As a result, I get beautifully formed gums and satisfied customers.
4. Recall the patient for evaluation
This is what I call extra service where you are going the extra mile for the health of the patient. You ensure that all is well after the extraction and have the chance to interview your patient about his experience in your treatment center. By doing this you can be assured that this happy customer will refer more patients to your clinic.
Keep in mind that there is NOTHING SIMPLE in our profession. We are one of the in-demand jobs in the field of Medicine that requires both the skill and the knowledge working at the same time. That's why we should never underestimate a case even if it may look so simple on the outside because once you perform the procedure, there is no other way to do it but finish the job.
Tags: extraction sutures patient evaluation patient radiograph antibiotics decay medicine dentistry customers debris clot gums clinic
Dr Armi is past editor of Dental Asia magazine. After her numerous feats, she returns and handles a private practice in the country and is considered as one of the most respected dental professionals in the dental association.
Now she continues her editorial crusade as Editor in Chief of Dental News Philippines to help empower every Filipino dentist with updated knowledge and skills straight from the "libraries" of renowned authors in the world.
