The role of the military dental surgeon in treating facial injuries: a case report.
This article describes the circumstances surrounding an intense, constant pain in the temporal region (visual analog scale 9-10) experienced by a 22-year-old combat officer in the Israel Defense Forces following a mild facial injury. The officer's wound included penetration of shrapnel particles into the facial skin, causing severe pain. Evaluations performed by a general surgeon, neurologist, psychiatrist, and otorhinolaryngologist did not reveal the source of this pain. Finally, a dental examination revealed that shrapnel had penetrated into the intraoral buccal mucosa near the right upper first molar. A "cold test" indicated the need for endodontic treatment of this tooth. After the treatment was completed, the patient's headache disappeared immediately, and the patient did not experience pain during a 6-month follow-up period. This case emphasizes the need for a dental surgeon to perform a meticulous intraoral examination in cases involving facial wounds.
Zadik
Yehuda
Y
Zrifin Central Dental Clinic, Medical Corps, Israel Defense Forces, 16 Shlomo Zemach Street, 96190 Jerusalem, Israel.
D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003815:Dentists; D005151:Facial Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D008885:Military Dentistry; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D019226:Oral Ulcer / Q000601:surgery*; D010146:Pain / Q000601:surgery*