A 55-year-old male presents with moderate pain in the lower right quadrant, radiating to his ear and jaw. The pain started three days ago and is aggravated by chewing. The patient has a history of hypertension, type 2 diabetes (well-controlled with metformin), and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), for which he takes a proton pump inhibitor (omeprazole). He reports an immediate severe penicillin allergy (rash) and uses aspirin daily for cardiovascular protection.
During examination, the mandibular right second molar (#47) shows deep caries with tenderness to percussion and no visible swelling. Radiographic evaluation reveals a periapical radiolucency indicative of a localized abscess. The patient is in a hurry, as his taxi is waiting outside to take him to a flight, leaving only 15 minutes for treatment. He expresses concern about pain relief and requests a quick, non-invasive option to preserve the tooth.
Question 2
What is the most appropriate treatment plan for managing tooth #47 in this situation?
Correct Answer:
B. Perform emergency Pulpectomy, place a glass ionomer cement (GIC) restoration, and prescribe antibiotics.
Justification:
Emergency Pulpectomy addresses the primary cause of the patient’s pain (inflamed pulp) by removing the infected coronal pulp tissue while preserving the radicular pulp. This procedure provides immediate pain relief, stabilizes the tooth temporarily, and aligns with the patient’s preference to preserve the tooth. The best management is the complete removal of the infected pulp.
Placing a GIC restoration seals the tooth, protecting it from further bacterial contamination.
Antibiotics should be prescribed because there is a delay in addressing the cause (treatment) as adjunctive therapy to manage the localized infection because the source of the infection has not been addressed. It prevents potential systemic involvement, particularly given the periapical radiolucency indicative of an abscess.
The rationale for other options:
Option A: Antibiotics alone do not address the source of pain or infection and delay definitive treatment.
Option C: Extraction is invasive, irreversible, and contrary to the patient’s preference to save the tooth.
Option D: Incision and drainage are unnecessary as there is no visible swelling or fluctuant abscess requiring drainage.
Option E: Monitoring without addressing the cause of pain is insufficient and risks worsening of the condition.
Correct Answer:
B. Perform emergency Pulpectomy, place a glass ionomer cement (GIC) restoration, and prescribe antibiotics.
Justification:
Emergency Pulpectomy addresses the primary cause of the patient’s pain (inflamed pulp) by removing the infected coronal pulp tissue while preserving the radicular pulp. This procedure provides immediate pain relief, stabilizes the tooth temporarily, and aligns with the patient’s preference to preserve the tooth. The best management is the complete removal of the infected pulp.
Placing a GIC restoration seals the tooth, protecting it from further bacterial contamination.
Antibiotics should be prescribed because there is a delay in addressing the cause (treatment) as adjunctive therapy to manage the localized infection because the source of the infection has not been addressed. It prevents potential systemic involvement, particularly given the periapical radiolucency indicative of an abscess.
The rationale for other options:
Option A: Antibiotics alone do not address the source of pain or infection and delay definitive treatment.
Option C: Extraction is invasive, irreversible, and contrary to the patient’s preference to save the tooth.
Option D: Incision and drainage are unnecessary as there is no visible swelling or fluctuant abscess requiring drainage.
Option E: Monitoring without addressing the cause of pain is insufficient and risks worsening of the condition.