oral and dental infections

Question 1

what must NHS prescribing be within?

Answer 1

DPF

Question 2

what are the most common medications that dentists prescribe?

Answer 2

• penicillins, macrolides, metronidazole
• fluconazole, nystatin, miconazole
• aciclovir

Question 3

what is an abscess?

Answer 3

• Collection of pus caused by a bacterial infection

Question 4

what are the two main types of abcess?

Answer 4

• Two main types:
• Periapical – in the dental pulp
• Periodontal – in supporting structure of teeth

Question 5

what are the symptoms of abcess’ and how do you treat?

Answer 5

• Symptomsinclude pain, unpleasant taste, fever,
  facialswelling, increased mobility in tooth
• Requires dental treatment
• Antibiotics won’t work alone
• Simple analgesia can be offered

Question 6

what is a periodontal tooth abscess?

Answer 6

usually occurs as a complication of advanced gum disease

Question 7

what is periapical abscess?

Answer 7

usually occurs as a result of untreated dental caries, crack or trauma

Question 8

what is a gingival abscess?

Answer 8

as a result of trapped food or foreign body in the space between the tooth and gum

Question 9

what is a pericoronal abscess?

Answer 9

occurs within the gingiva that covers a paritally erupted or impacted tooth

Question 10

how do you treat an abscess?

Answer 10

• Dental treatment may include drainage, tooth
  extraction or root canal
• If antibiotics are required then
• Amoxicillin 500mg (?1000mg) TDS x 5 days
• OR metronidazole 400mg TDS x 5 days

Question 11

what is pericoronitis and how do you treat it?

Answer 11

• Inflammation and pain caused by infection of gum tissues over or around a partially erupted tooth
• Treatment is metronidazole 400mg TDS for three days
• OR amoxicillin 500mg TDS for 3 days
• Also chlorhexidine mouthwash

Question 12

what is acute sore throat and how do you treat it?

Answer 12

• Tonsils are lymph glands at back of your throat
• Tonsilitis can be viral or bacterial (group A
  streptococcus)
• Symptoms include sore throat, problems swallowing, pyrexia, swollen glands, white pus-filled spots on tonsils, bad breath

Question 13

how do you use the feverPAIN score?

Answer 13

• Fever in last 24 hours
• Purulence
• Attend rapidly under 3 days
• Inflamed tonsils
• No cough/coyza
• Score 0-1 = 13-18% streptococci, use NO antibiotic strategy
• Score 2-3 = 34-40% streptococci, use 3 day back-up antibiotic
  prescription strategy
• Score ≥4 = 62-65% streptococci, use immediate antibiotic if
  severe, or 48 hour short back-up prescription

Question 14

what is oral thrush, what can cause it and what are the symptoms?

Answer 14

• Candida yeast infection
• Common in babies and patient with dentures
• Also antibiotic tx, corticosteroids, diabetes,
  immunocompromised e.g. chemotherapy
• Symptoms include red/sore mouth, white plagues, cracks at the corners of the mouth, unpleasant taste

Question 15

what are coldsores and how can they be managed?

Answer 15

• Topical antivirals – e.g. aciclovir cream
• Oral antiviral if recurrent orsevere