GP/LA/Cariology Flashcards
Clinical process
- History
- Examination
- Diagnosis
- Treatment planning
- Patient consultation
- Treatment plan
- Treatment
- Review
What is a symptom?
Changes that may be discerned by the patient, and obtained by inquiry during history
What are signs?
Functional and structural changes that may be seen by the patient or dentist
Patient history
- Medical history
- Dental history
- Family and Social history
How to take the best-possible medical history?
- Comprehensive conditions/allergies and drug history
- Includes thorough history of all regular medications used, including non-prescription and complementary medicine
- Verified by more than one source
- Structured process for taking history
- Verifies the history with information from a number of different sources
Which medications are you currently or have taken?
- Name
- Dosage form
- Amount
- Strength
- Route
- Times taken
- What reason
- Have they stopped or continuing
Adverse reactions and/or allergies
- Ask about previous adverse events
- confirm details of allergic/adverse event
Reason for Presenting
- “What brings you here today?”
2. Write in patients own words
Pain history
SOCRATES
S-site O-onset C-character R-radiating A-associations T-timing E-exacerbating/relieving factors S-severity
History of Presenting complaint
- SOCRATES
Previous dental experience
- Last visit (who, where, why, when what)
- Procedures
- Last cleaning
- Most recent radiographs
- Past treatments
- Cleaning/home care habits
- Dental phobia/anxiety
- Complications during prior care
Family history
- Immediate family
- Dental status of family
- Medical conditions in the family
Social history
- Place of birth
- Accommodation
- Occupation
- Smoking and alcohol history
- Drug use
- Sugar intake
What are the characteristics of normal pulp?
A clinical diagnosis in which the pulp is symptom-free and normally responsive to pulp testing.
What are the characteristics of reversible pulpitis?
A clinical diagnosis based on subjective and objectives findings indicating that the inflammation should resolve and the pulp return to normal.
Symptoms may include discomfort/pain in response to cold or sweet, pain does not linger and is relieved within seconds.
What are the characteristics of symptomatic reversible pulpitis?
A clinical diagnosis based on subjective and objectives findings indicating that the vital inflamed pulp is incapable of healing.
Symptoms include lingering thermal pain (to cold and heat), delayed ache, spontaneous pain, referred pain, nocturnal and positional pain.
What are the characteristics of asymptomatic irreversible pulpitis?
A clinical diagnosis based on subjective and objectives findings indicating that the vital inflamed pulp is incapable of healing.
Additional descriptors, include no clinical symptoms, however, inflammation from deep caries, or trauma may be observed.
What are the characteristics of pulp necrosis?
A clinical diagnostic category characterised by death of the dental pulp. The pulp is usually unresponsive to pulp testing.
What are the characteristics of previous endodontic treated teeth?
A clinical diagnostic category indicating that the tooth has been endodontically treated. The tooth does not response to pulp testing - for obvious reasons.
Difference between previously treated and previously initiated therapy?
For previously initiated therapy, the tooth many respond to pulp testing depending on the level of therapy.
What are the characteristics of normal apical tissues?
Teeth with normal periradicular tissues that are not sensitive to percussion of palpation testing.
The lamina dura surrounding the root is intact, and the periodontal ligament space is uniform.
What are the characteristics of symptomatic apical periodontitis?
Inflammation of the apical periodontium, resulting in clinical symptoms such as a painful response to biting and/or percussion or palpation.
May or may not have an apical radiolucent area.
What are the characteristics of asymptomatic apical periodontitis?
Inflammation and destruction of the apical periodontium which appears as a radiolucent area with no symptoms.
Characteristics of acute apical abscess?
An inflammatory reaction to pulpal infection and necrosis characterised by rapid onset, spontaneous pain, tenderness of the tooth to pressure, pus formation and swelling of associated tissues.
There may be no radio-graphical signs of destruction, however, the patient may experience malaise, fever and lymphadenopathy.
Characteristics of chronic apical abscess?
An inflammatory reaction to pulpal infection and necrosis characterised by gradual onset, little or no discomfort, and intermittent discharge of pus through an associated sinus tract.
Radiographically, radiolucency may be observed.
Characteristics of condensing osteitis?
A diffuse radio-opaque lesions representing a localised bony reaction to a low-grade inflammatory stimulus usually seen at the apex of the tooth.
What are LA cartridges made of?
Glass or polypropylene
What is the volume of an LA cartridge?
1.8 - 2.2ml volume of LA agent
What type of needles are used for LA?
2 needle lengths: 20mm and 35mm
2 gauges: 27 and 30
They are pre-sterilised and single use needles
What is the sterilizations process of needles?
- Needles are pre-sterilised
- Cartridges containing LA are pre-sterilised
- Syringe is reusable and must be autoclaved before every use
- Use aseptic technique when assembling and using equipment
Process of LA infiltration
Deposit LA solution close to the to the tissue to be anaesthetised - which allows the solution to diffuse around the fine branches of the sensory nerves in that area.
Regional nerve block process
Deposit LA solution around the main trunk of the sensory nerve, facilitating a block to all the branches of the nerve.
What are the types of LA techniques?
- Maxillary infiltration
- Palatal infiltration
- Mandibular infiltration
- Inferior alveolar nerve block
- Buccal nerve block
Process for surface anaesthesia
- Use topical anesthetic to reduce discomfort of needle entering the tissues - use cotton bud to apply to point of injection
- Wait a few minutes for it to work
General tips for LA administration
- Hold the mucosa taut
- Inject slowly
- Aspirate to ensure not inside a BV
- LA solution at room temperature is less painful than cold solution
- Place a small amount of LA then aspirate before depositing the bulk
- Avoid injecting subperiosteally, we want to inject supra-periosteally.
Maxillary infiltration technique
- Use a short needle
- Advance the needle through the mucosa to the apex of the tooth
- Stay supraperiosteal
- Always aspirate before injecting
Palatal infiltration technique
- Inject at junction of the alveolus and hard palate
2. Be mindful of the greater palatine artery
Incisive canal - palatal infiltration technique
- This infiltration aneastethise the naso-palatine nerve- essential a type of nerve block
- Can be uncomfortable to inject this area - place small drop to slight aneasthetise and then gradually place more
Mandibular infiltration technique
- Most effective anesthesia for the incisors - as the cortical bone is thick anteriorly compared to posteriorly (inject into mucosa)
- Also used to anaesthetise the buccal mucosa for surgical purposes
Inferior alveolar nerve block technique
- IAN enters the mandible at the mandibular foramen by the lingula - LA must be deposited ay this site before it enters bone, in the pterygomandibular space
Direct technique for inferior alveolar nerve block
- Lingula is often halfway between the anterior and posterior border of the ramus of the mandible
- Aim above the lingula to stay lateral to the sphenomandibular ligament
- Needle should be parallel to the occlusal plane
- Angle the syringe across from the premolars on the contralateral side, pierce mucosa at a point 1cm above the occlusal plane
- Advance until touching bone, withdraw slightly
- Aspirate
- Deposit into the pterygomandibular space
Indirect technique for inferior alveolar nerve block
- Needle in line with teeth on ipsilateral side
- 1cm above and parallel to the occlusal plane
- Touch the internal oblique ridge, edge past it then swing the syringe to contralateral side and advance to position above the lingula
Buccal nerve block
- Buccal nerve supplies the lateral mucosa of the molars
- Targets the buccal nerve as it passes over anterior aspect of the ramus
Insert needle distal and lateral to the last molar tooth
Infraorbital nerve block
- Blocks cheek, gingiva, incisors, canine and first premolar
- Palpate the infraorbital rim with index finger
- IO foramen is approximately 1cm below this rim
- Direct percutaneous approach possible
- Oral approach high in sulcus at level of the canine
- Advance needle superiorly, external finger will feel the swelling as injection is performed
Maxillary nerve block
- Cheek, gingiva and maxillary dentition will become anaesthetised
- Infiltrate around the greater palatine foramen - at the level of the second molar
- Needle at 45 degrees to palate
- Advance up the GP foramen for approx. 30mm
- Aspiration and very slow injection
- To help help find GFP - follow the line from hamulus to the lateral incisor and the GFP is most likely to be at the distal aspect of 7
What are the complications of a maxillary nerve block?
- Regional CN VI block - diplopia on lateral gaze
- Haematoma
- Retrobulbar block
- CN II block - temporary blindness
CN V3 blocks technique types
- Gow Gates Mandibular nerve block
2. Varizani-Akinosi Technique
Gow-Gates Mandibular block
- Developed by Dr Gow-Gates in the 70’s
- Commonly aneasthetises IA, Lingual and long Buccal branches
- LA delivered at the neck of the condyle just under insertion of the lateral pterygoid muscle
- Advantages include; less pain on injection due to less muscle tissue in the path of the needle. This reason is also less vascularised, so LA is not cleared quickly
Gow-Gates mandibular nerve block technique
- Open mouth widely to bring the condlye forward
- Place middle finger over intertragal notch
- Thumb retracts the cheek palpating coronoid and external oblique ridge
- Needle comes from the contralateral premolars, pierces mucosa posterior to tuberosity
- Advance towards the intertragal notch until you hit bone - approx 2.5mm
Varizani-Akinosi block principles
- Described by Varizani in the 60’s
- Closed mouth technique
- Commonly anaesthetises IA, lingual and long buccal branches
- Advantages include that it is good for people with trismus, ankylosis and large tongues, it is also pain free due to musclular relaxation
Varizanai-Akinosi Technique
- Mouth closed and cheeck retracted
- Long needle advanced parallel to maxillary occlusal plane at the level of the mucogingival junction
- Needle advanced until hub at level distal to 7 so that needle depth is 2.5mm