Trick of the Trade: A cleaner way to apply dental cement for a tooth fracture
The management of a dental fracture is a core skill of the emergency physician.1 When the enamel is violated and the underlying dentin is exposed (i.e. Ellis Class II or greater), the dental pulp becomes at risk.2 Protecting the exposed dentin in a timely manner, therefore, is paramount. This is best accomplished through the use of dental cements.
The application of dental cement to a fractured tooth, while a relatively rare procedure, is one often fraught with difficulties. With many of the formulations requiring the rapid application of a fast-drying cement, time for accurate and clean application is limited. This often clumsy, haphazard spackling of the patient’s tooth with cement rarely feels smooth or confidence-instilling. Isn’t there a better way?
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