General anesthesia for oral operations

Abstract

B ECAUSE of different war tactics as shown in the present war in Europe with airplanes and bombings of cities and towns, there are civilian as well as military casualties demanding all forms of surgery including oral surgery. The experiences in England have changed the aspect of hospitalization from first aid stations to actual care of the wounded in the organized general hospital of cities and towns. In the last war dentistry was done primarily at the training stations and base hospitals by the dental expert, while the oral surgery was mostly performed by the general surgeon. Oral surgery was developed at this time when the operating dentists were taken into the army medical corps for the first time in medical history. Postwar organization of dentistry and training in dental schools have developed oral surgery to a high degree. As a result in the leading hospitals of the country, we now have well-established oral surgical departments. Anesthesia. has a somewhat similar history, insofar that only since the last war have anesthesia departments in the leading hospitals been organized. These departments now include anesthesia for oral surgery. Oral surgery demands a specialized type of anesthesia because of technical difficulties, and the close proximity of the oral cavity to the respiratory tract. The chief anesthetic problem in oral surgery is the relief of fear and pain and safeguarding the paGent, from the many complications which are possible.