Correct treatment at the dentist must include integration of all the treatments he receives./ShutterStock, bezikus
As a young student at the Hebrew University, at the Hadassah School of Dentistry, I remember the lecturer showing us an x-ray of a patient who came to the doctor complaining of pain.
The doctor chose to perform root canal treatment on each of the teeth, but missed the real problem that caused the incessant pain, which originated at the nerve level of the teeth.
After showing us the photo and explaining what the doctor did wrong, the same lecturer told us - I can teach a monkey to do fillings, but he never knew how to diagnose mouth problems.
Today I understand how right he was.
The technical, practical execution is important and its accuracy is critical to the success of the treatment.
But if the doctor made a mistake in the diagnosis in the first place, and this unfortunately happens too often, then not only will the patient's problem not be solved and even worsen, but he will spend a lot of money on treatments that may not have been necessary.
Poor diagnosis happens in the most common cases because of which people come to the dentist.
When a patient comes in with pain, the doctor has to decide if it is a hole in the tooth, caries, maybe a crack in the tooth or even gingivitis.
One day a new patient came to me complaining of recurring and unbearable toothaches.
During the examination, I saw that she had several teeth extracted and some of them had root canals.
But her pain did not stop.
Sometimes the pain is not related to the teeth at all/ShutterStock
I suspected that it was a problem with the nerve that innervates the teeth which causes pressure on the teeth, which comes with severe pain.
I sent her for a neurological examination, and indeed it was discovered that the problem is in the nerve and not in the teeth at all.
It is very easy to miss such a problem and perform unnecessary treatments.
I come across quite a few cases of this kind.
But not only misdiagnoses, many dentists do not attach too much importance to the fact that they can literally save a patient's life.
Many symptoms of quite a few diseases begin in the oral cavity.
One day a patient came to Eli's clinic and complained of a small and bothersome sore on her tongue that was bothering her, even after taking a local medicine.
His appearance was banal, a sort of small white spot on the tongue.
He seemed suspicious to me, and I sent her to be examined by a specialist.
A few days later she called and told me that she had been diagnosed with carcinoma, a cancerous growth, in her tongue.
Such cases that are not treated in time can end in death.
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In another case, a patient came with abnormal bleeding gums.
I did all the possible tests for her and I didn't find any signs of gingivitis.
I also sent her to a specialist and they discovered a cancerous tumor in its early stages.
Her life was also saved thanks to one small mark in the oral cavity.
Correct treatment at the dentist must include integration of all the treatments he receives.
For example, implants that are installed in osteoporosis patients (a disease that affects bone density) will not last, unless the patient takes a break from the drug treatment.
Patients who take blood thinners, a routine visit to the dentist or a tooth extraction can cause a lot of blood loss and special measures should be taken during their treatments.
Finally - the most common mistake dentists make: when a patient comes and complains about a problem, not always focusing on the problem and the area the patient points to will lead to the correct solution to the problem.
You should always look at the totality of the patient's problems, be sure that the area you are treating is indeed the source of the problem.
For example, pain that a patient reports in the lower jaw often originates in the upper jaw which radiates the pain to the lower jaw.
Dr. Avi Eyal is a dentist specializing in oral rehabilitation treatments and dental aesthetics
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Dentist
Teeth
diagnosis
disease diagnosis