Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-08-01
"Painless" Dentistry 10 Herr.


How science has robbed the dental
chair Of its terrors and the profess
sional humorist Of a good piece OF
stock in trade, was described Thurs
day by DR.. Richard H. Riethmuller Of
Philadelphia, and member Of the fac
ulty Of the University Of Pennsylvania.
ir his address 'Tntra- Oral Methods Of
Local Anaesthesia" before the Inter-
state Association Of Anesthetists hold
ing session in connection with the an
nual convention Of the National Den
tai Association at Louisville, KY.
The method described by DR.. Rieth-
muller is known as Conductive
Anaesthesia," and he recommended II
as being vastly superior to older meth
DDS.
Under this method Of anaesthesia--
or nerve deadening," said DR.. Rieth-
muller, "a single injection Of drug
into, for instance, the lower jaw will
render insensible to pain the hard as
we'll as the soft tissues, including the
bone, and eight teeth on one side OF
the mouth, and it would be possible to
remove all the teeth or to remove part
Of the iaw-bone itself without any pain
whatsoever and with the patient fully
conscious all the time"
DR.. Riethmuller said the advantages
claimed for this method are: absolute
painlessness; full consciousness of the
patient, and absence Of hemorrhages
during operation, even if it be Of Il
surgical nature"
THE drug used in this method Of
painless dentistry is novocain." he can
tinued. 1T is about one-tenth as
toxic as cocain. is non habit forming
and can be easily sterilized by boiling.
It produces complete insensibility Of
the hard and soft tissues Of the mouth
without any detrimental after effects
whatever.
"A highly important feature Of this
method, is that, by it's use. it is possi-
Bile to obtain complete asepsis-or alb
sence Of pus forming bacteria-of the
anaesthetic solution itself, and of the
instruments used, and Of the part
where the injection is made. The in
lection is made at certain selected
spots. and the patient feels no pain
whatever from the injection, and one
injection produces complete lack of
sensation in several teeth at once"
DR.. Riethmuller told his audience
that 1t was the aim Of this method to
eliminate pain and shock from all dem
tai operations, no matter how appar
emily trif1ing in kind or degree, and
to thus rob dental operations Of the
fear Of them which is entertained by a
great many people. The duration of
the anaesthesia is sufficiently long to
allow first healing processes to take
place without pain, and, consequently.
there is no distressing after effects.
This is only one of several remark
able advances shown at the conven-
ton. All are of scientific value to the
association and Of untold Importance
to the public. Imagine, If you can, the
worth to the profession and ultimately
to humanity, Of the production of
moving pictures Of the human blood
stream depicting the blood freely cir
culating through the blood vessels in
capillaries subsequently showing the
same blood stream after bacteria had
been introduced. The pictures re-
vealed the fact that the bacteria pass
through the larger vessels easily and
clog the smaller ones, finally producing
an embolus, or clot, with a distinct
anemia Of the parts. Many Of the
minute organisms which invest the
mouth and which pollute the blood
stream, when shown highly magnified
on the screen, have the appearance OF
wierd monsters, many Of them Of