Dental diseases, prevention and emergency care

DENTAL DISEASES, PREVENTION AND EMERGENCY CARE

First edition by W.A. van Geest, DDS, 1986

Revised edition by A. Smith, DDS and A. Visscher, DDS, 1989, (70 pages)

The training of oral health workers in Malawi, by expatriot dental surgeons, who worked in the rural area's of this African country, was one of the most important issues they were dealing with.

During the 1980's, in order to get a training of good and consistant quality, this manual was developed. This book is meant to training hospital personnel who have no dental and medical background. The actual training has to be done by an experienced dentist or dental therapist.

The trainees, after their studies, will assist the dentist (or dental therapist) in the district hospital or will work independently in a rural hospital or healthcentre. They will stay under close supervision of the dentist who trained them and in case of a healthcentre under supervision of the medical assistant in charge.

In the manual the following items are included:

1. Functions of teeth and simple anatomy

2. The three main dental diseases

3. Examination of patients and daily routine in dental practice

4. What is good dentistry?

5. Patients and their fear

6. Local aneasthesia

7. Extractions

8. Post extraction care

9. Complications after extraction

10. Some other dental problems

11. Prevention

12. Scaling

13. Drugs used in dentistry

Administration

Dental instruments

The manual also provides a 4-week training scedule as well as a scedule for refreshening courses.

In short we can say that this book gives adequate information to train dental orderlies so that they can deal with dental diseases, give preventive talks (to individuals and groups) and deal with simple dental care and do emergency treatment.

For more information or a free copy of the manual, please write an e-mail to the following address: smfluitsma@interestate.nl