Page 311 - My FlipBook

lyVASION FOLLOWING MECHANICAL INJURIES. 283

apparently simple tooth-extractions, some of which ran their
course under such septic symptoms as are usually noticed in in-
fected wounds in other parts of the body. In some of these
cases which I treated with the assistance of practicing physi-
cians, the sepsis did not remain local, but was accompanied by
symptoms of general infection."
Operations in unclean mouths are always attended with more
or less danger to the operator himself. Some months ago I saw
a case in which a scarcely perceptible injury of the finger by an
instrument used in excavating a tooth was followed by severe
swelling of the finger and back of the hand, resulting in the for-
mation of a large and stubborn abscess, which did not heal until
after several incisions had been made.
A still more serious case occurred some years ago in the clinic
of a dental college. A student of dentistry was unfortunate
enough to scratch his finger on the sharp point of a diseased
root. On the following day severe swelling, redness, and ten-
sion, accompanied by intense pain, ensued, which rapidly spread
under formation of numerous abscesses to the arm and shoulder;
high fever, delirium, and other symptoms of blood-poisoning
arose, and only by the most energetic treatment, and after a
long period of illness, was the danger of a fatal result completely
removed.
In late years the opinion has gradually gained ground that
operations in the oral cavity, extractions, lancing, etc., should
be performed under antiseptic precautions. Ritter recommends
that the tooth to be extracted, as well as the gums, be previously
disinfected by a suitable antiseptic, in order to avoid pressing
the masses of bacteria into the wound, by which means an infec-
tion is undoubtedly often brought about. Sachs regards it as
safiicient to dip the beak of the forceps in a five per cent, solu-
tion of carbolic acid, and relies upon the action of the antiseptic
adhering to the instrument to prevent an infection.
Parreidt^*^" gives the following directions for antiseptic extrac-
tions : " Simple wounds after easy extractions in cases of pulpitis
or a beginning periostitis dentalis require no special treatment.
The danger of infecting such wounds is very slight : the tampon
of coagulated blood is a suflficient preventive against infection.