Chapter 10 Emergency Dental Care and Preventive Medicine

CHATER 10 EMERGENCY DENTAL CARE AND PREVENTIVE MEDICINE TERMINAL OBJECTIVE: Be familiar with the subject matter and technical publications relating to emergency dental care and preventive medicine. Because of the nature of our rating and the many responsibilities placed upon us, Hospital Corpsmen must have a general understanding of many areas of medicine. Emergency dental care and preventive medicine practices are two of those areas. Both of these subjects are extremely important, but because they are both already discussed in great detail in other Navy publications, this chapter will present only a brief overview of them. Emergency Dental Care is covered in Section I, and Preventive Medicine is addressed in Section II. For in-depth information, refer to the publications outlined respectively in table 10-1. SECTION I EMERGENCY DENTAL CARE In the absence of a dental officer you, as the medical department representative (MDR), will be required to perform basic emergency dental first aid associated with the most common oral conditions and injuries. While this section will introduce you to the basics of dental anatomy and histology, dental terminology, oral diseases and injuries, and the dental record, you will find in-depth discussion of these areas in the DT and HM Advancement Handbooks; chapter 6 of Dental Technician Training Manual, Volume 1, NAVEDTRA 12572; and in chapter 6 of the Manual of the Medical Department, NAVMED P-117. The primary function of this emergency dental care is to alleviate pain, arrest hemorrhage, or prevent further or complicating injury to dental structures. Ensuring that the entire crew is in good dental health before deployment will prevent most dental-related problems. Therefore, predeployment examinations are very important. You must administer only emergency dental care. Refer routine cases to a dental treatment facility, and refer any cases treated by nondental personnel for follow-up at the earliest opportunity. DENTAL ANATOMY AND HISTOLOGY To provide emergency dental care, you will need to be familiar with dental anatomy and histology. The following sections will provide you with basic information; however, if you require more detailed 10-1 DT Advancement Handbook HM Advancement Handbook Dental Technician Training Manual, Vol. 1, NAVEDTRA 12572 Dental Technician Training Manual, Vol. 2, NAVEDTRA 12573 Manual of the Medical Department , NAVMED P-117, chapter 6 Various BUMED notes and instructions Various SECNAV and OPNAV notes and instructions HM Advancement Handbook Manual of Naval Preventive Medicine, NAVMED P-5010 Control of Communicable Diseases Manual, NAVMED P-5038 Naval Supply Publication 486 Various BUMED notes and instructions Various SECNAV and OPNAV notes and instructions Table 10-1.—Publication List