Page 273 - My FlipBook

FOCAL INFECTIONS 24I

that great harm has been done. However, it would seem
that a normal, sane attitude is about to be reached by both
professions in regard to questions of this nature.
The solution of the problem lies in the establishment of
closer affiliations between the two professions, and a closer
study, on the part of both, of the diagnostic, pathologic and

clinical relationships of these disturbances. An imperfectly
filled pulpless tooth or a partially healed infection at the apex

I of the tooth is always likely to be suddenly transformed into
an active source of systemic infection, if the resistive powers

of the body be low, from any cause, and especially so if the
normal resistance be temporarily or permanently lowered
from some systemic disturbance arising after the dental opera-
tion has been performed. Operations of this nature, even
if they are believed to be well-nigh perfect, as revealed by the

X-ray, may suddenly give trouble and become active sources
of infection in constitutional disturbances, lowering the resist-
^ ance of the tissue cells of the patient, since, as is well known, a
single micro-organism left in position and suddenly springing

into activity may multiply at a rapid rate and transform the
apparently successful operation into a local focus of infection
which may become a menace. Great caution should be
exercised in determining whether teeth from which pulps are

to be or have been removed, or which are affected with dis-
turbances of the periapical tissues, should be retained in the
arch or extracted. The promiscuous extraction of teeth of
this type is unscientific and should be dscontinued. The
decision as to whether a tooth should be retained or extracted

should be determined by the skill and ability of the operator
to cope with the technical difficulties involved, the importance
of the tooth as a part of the masticating machine, as a means
of retention for artificial substitutes, the probabilities of a

successful outcome as far as thorough sterilization and filling
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