A record of 20 teeth in 15 minutes! My
nurse Lisa said her "best" was 18 teeth in 20 minutes with the last
dentist she worked for.
Yup, I did a full clearance for Mr D. at the local Day Surgery. I extracted all, but 2 teeth for him. He teeth were in such a bad condition you could smell him walking into the room. We call this "perio breath", the particular smell that patients with severe periodontal disease emanate. It's due to the gross lack of oral hygiene and is the characteristic the smell of the bacteria P. gingivalis. Pity he "let them go" like that.
Mr. D was expectedly nervous about having all of his teeth extracted. We had actually planned to do this earlier, but it was postponed due to ill-health: cardiovascular and gastric problems. His cardiologist obviously has not read that periodontal disease is an acknowledged risk factor for heart disease.
The anaesthetist hooked Mr. D to an ECG monitor before we started. Nasotrachael intubation to allowed me to work unhindered in the oral cavity. Teeth were already loose, so they cam out quite easily. The apices of 3 roots broke and were left in situ - they were small and uninfected. They might eventually make their way to the surface of the gums, but it wasn't worth the trauma to retrieve them. Just have to remember to tell the patient this.
The new complete upper denture and a lower denture were placed in his mouth before he woke up. Definitely a better look! Mr. D was wheeled to the Recovery Room.
Rx
Panadeine forte and
erythromycin. Warm salt water rinse for the day. Soft food diet for the next few days.
Post Op review is on tomorrow.