-By Dr. George Meinig,D.D.S.
In this issue:
(1) The Spirochetes are More Small Percent But Can Be More Significant to Patients.
-By Dr. George Meinig, D.D.S., F.A.C.D.
By Dr. George Meining,D.D.S.,
Compared to streptococcal infections, spirochetes are represented in only a small percent of the total number of dental infections. Even less involved, but nevertheless significant to patients when they occur, are infections from parasites.
Dr. Price reported a case in which a woman patient had a huge asscess in her neck from a fistula of a lower infected molar tooth. Even after the tooth was extracted, the chronic abscess resisted treatment efforts for many weeks. A bacterial examination disclosed the presence of a large number of amoeba.
Treatment for amoebic parasites promptly stopped the infection. On the following page are pictures of this woman's condition: the fistula training under her chin, an x-ray picture showing her teeth and the infected tooth socket, plus a microscopic slide picture of the amoeba parasites causing her distress.
Amoeba were also found to nearly always be present in pyorrhea gum pockets, and in at least one instance the parasite had penetrated into the adjacent bone. It is hoped that learning of the preseence of such organisms and the local and systemic harm they can cause will stimulate all readers to seek reuglar, competent prophylaxis care by a dentist or dental gygienist every three to six months.
While the foremost difficulties investigated by Price concerned infections in the root canal and other tooth parts involving streptococcus organisms, in thiss chapter we have tried to pointout some other organisms that can be responsible for systemic disease
Best wishes,Sung Lee