Question

Lucricia is a 14-year-old female patient with cerebral palsy and epilepsy. She is scheduled for an odontectomy (two molars) under general anesthesia.

1. What type of X-rays will be placed on the viewer?

2. What position will the patient be placed in? How is the head stabilized? The surgeon prefers that the arms be tucked; what potential injury must be anticipated and padded for?

3. What is the wound classification for this procedure?

4. What is the purpose of the throat pack? What precautions are taken regarding the throat pack placement? Describe how the throat pack is placed and removed.

5. Describe how to prepare the dental mirror for use. Why does the mirror require preparation?

6. The surgeon asks for a Wieder. What is it used for?7. The surgeon is splitting the tooth with a drill. As you are irrigating, the surgeon asks that you irrigate the buccal side. Where will you direct the irrigation fluid?

Answer 1

1. What type of X-rays will be placed on the viewer?

There are three types of dental X-rays: bite-wing X-rays, occlusal X-rays and periapical X-rays. Periapical x-ray is used for the procedure called odontectomy to examine the whole tooth from the crown to beyond the end of the root. The panoramic radiograph is helpful to analyze mandible, posterior maxillary sinuses, and the zygomas.

2. What position will the patient be placed in? How is the head stabilized? The surgeon prefers that the arms be tucked; what potential injury must be anticipated and padded for?

Positioning of patient to 30° to enable surgeon to directly examine the mouth with the back kept straight. The height should be adjusted in accordance to the tooth to be extracted which is about at the height of the operator's elbow.The anticipated injury is the continuous bleeding and the precautions involved are biting firmly and gently on the gauze pad to reduce the gauze pad and promote the blood clot in the tooth socket.

3. What is the wound classification for this procedure?

It comes under wound classification class II.

4. What is the purpose of the throat pack? What precautions are taken regarding the throat pack placement? Describe how the throat pack is placed and removed.

Throat pack is used to prevent the clogging of oral secretions,irrigation fluid, blood, and bone or tooth fragments into the pharynx. It is made up of rolled gauze that contains a radiopaque marker. Any movements like swallowing and respiratory action displaces the throat pack.