Sidney Sorrin

Dental Lesions in Relation to Pulmonary Tuberculosis.

The dental staff of the Montefiore Hospital has undertaken an intensive investigation to determine whether there are significant oral signs of tuberculosis. In many of the reports available, conclusions were based on a small number of cases and inadequate case histories and clinical criteria. During the first two years of this study, 1500 patients in all stages of tuberculosis were studied to determine whether dental and periodontal signs could be established as pathognomonic of tuberculosis. A committee, composed of members of the dental staff, appointed to study the subject devised a special chart to record the clinical findings of the investigators. The literature was reviewed and the research group then systematically gathered and compiled the clinical data which is the basis for this preliminary report. Opinions regarding the teeth and supporting structures in the tuberculous, are quite divergent. Obviously only an intensive, carefully planned investigation with ample and varied clinical material could shed additional light on the subject. Members of the staff were impressed by the normal appearance of the teeth and their supporting tissues and the absence of unusual signs in the mouths of tuberculous patients on whom they had been working since 1921. As the work progressed, it seemed that the results would confirm the earlier experiences of the staff, i.e., that there are no specific oral signs pathognomonic of tuberculosis. The data have been analyzed and compiled in a statistical table. (Table 1.) The preliminary results of our studies indicate the following:

Bone Changes Induced by Periodontic Treatment Radiographic and Clinical Case Record

Gingival tissues were decidedly congested and bloated, and patient complained of itching. Suppuration was in evidence on slight pressure. Traumatic occlusion and occlusal trauma were present. Patients general physical condition, as reported by a physician, was normal. Periodontal pockets were observed around every tooth. Mobility of teeth was more marked on the anterior teeth than on the posterior. There was an odor of the breath characteristic of suppurative conditions. Saliva: slightly acid.