Patients who require dental emergency care for pain or trauma may not be able to see a dental practitioner for treatment. The patients often seek care in alternative medical facilities when the symptoms are too severe to be managed by over-thecounter medications. Nurses, physicians, and allied medical staff may be required to triage these patients and provide palliative treatment until the patient is able to seek definitive dental treatment. By using criteria to assess the etiology of the dental pain and implementing possible alternative treatments, these patients can receive palliative care until dental treatment becomes accessible. With the potential for development of resistant forms of microorganisms, the indiscriminate use of antibiotics for dental pain is to be avoided. Occasionally, dental patients presenting to medical settings exhibit symptoms and signs of dental-related problems that are potentially life threatening. Identification of signs of impending life-threatening complications is of paramount importance, since prompt treatment will significantly affect the prognosis.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
1 July 2005
Pain Management|
July 01 2005
Decision Making for the Patient Who Presents With Acute Dental Pain
Deborah S. Rodriguez, DDS, FAGD;
From the Department of Health Promotion and Policy (Dr Rodriguez) and the Department of Diagnostic Sciences and Pathology and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Brotman Facial Pain Center (Dr Sarlani), Dental School, University of Maryland, Baltimore.
Reprint requests to Deborah S. Rodriguez, Department of Health Promotion and Policy, Dental School, University of Maryland, 666 West Baltimore St., Rm. # 3- D-18, Baltimore, Md 21201 ([email protected]).
Search for other works by this author on:
Eleni Sarlani, DDS, PhD
Eleni Sarlani, DDS, PhD
From the Department of Health Promotion and Policy (Dr Rodriguez) and the Department of Diagnostic Sciences and Pathology and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Brotman Facial Pain Center (Dr Sarlani), Dental School, University of Maryland, Baltimore.
Search for other works by this author on:
AACN Adv Crit Care (2005) 16 (3): 359–372.
Citation
Deborah S. Rodriguez, Eleni Sarlani; Decision Making for the Patient Who Presents With Acute Dental Pain. AACN Adv Crit Care 1 July 2005; 16 (3): 359–372. doi:
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Short-term Access
Purchase short-term access on a pay-per-article or pay-per-issue basis.
$15 72 - hour single article access $30 7 - day full issue access
4
Views