Gutta-percha is a natural latex material obtained from
Palaquium trees native to South East Asia. The sap is collected from trees
which have been felled and left to coagulate. It has thermoplastic properties
making it suitable for many uses including underwater cables and household
electrics. It is used in dentistry as a permanent root filling.
Dental gutta-percha was first used over 170 years ago by
American dentist and firearms inventor, Edwin Maynard. I was surprised to learn
that he would practice in endodontics at a time in history when it was more
usual to remove a troublesome tooth. It’s good that he did, as his legacy lives
on. Gutta-percha is one of the most successful and widely used options in
endodontics. It can completely seal a root canal which prevents bacteria
entering the area and reduces the chance of complications.
If you’ve had dental treatment involving root canal therapy,
you’ve probably got gutta-percha in there.
I was a trainee dental nurse when everything was
old-fashioned by today’s standards. Modern surgeries look easier to clean and
sanitise than the creaky contraption of a dental chair that I had to look
after. We had sterilisers in the surgeries that had to be kept boiling all day
long. Some instruments were sterilised by flaming with methylated spirits in a
kidney dish – not so much that the flames reach the ceiling – such instruments
included those used in root canal surgery which had to be thoroughly scrubbed
first. To the best of my knowledge, these items are now single-use and disposed
of immediately. My colleague, Helen, taught me very well, with lots of patience.
We were the same age, but she’d left school before me. I could soon mix
Kalzinol on a marble tile without too much mess and make amalgam filling to
perfection. Dealing with root canal stuff and gutta-percha took longer to learn
as it wasn’t an everyday thing. We shared joy, laughter and grievances about
our boss. We did our Dental Surgery Assistant night-school course together and, upon completion, we were proud to wear our yellow belts. This was in the days before dental
nurses were required to be qualified. Our careers took different paths. Helen
stayed in dentistry, I moved away. We were good friends and kept in touch until
Helen passed away a few years ago.
It was my old days
When surgeries were basic,
Smelled of Kalzinol.
Trainee Dental Nurse
Eager to learn and succeed,
Finding my way round.
The knowledge of teeth
And all that makes their unique
Physiology.
I mixed a filling
With a small, flat spatula
On a marble tile.
What’s this pink stuff for?
I’ve not seen root canal yet.
Lethal looking files.
It’s gutta-percha
For completing root fillings.
We don’t see many.
Appointment for what?
What’s an apicectomy?
Ah! Fascinating.
PMW 2023
3 comments:
I loved the witty title! This was fascinating. I'd never heard of gutta-percha before but you're probably right I've got some in my mouth somewhere. Well done with the haiku.
I must admit I had to look up what thermoplastic means: malleable when heated, rigid when cooled. So that makes sense in dentistry. Oh, and apicectomy too. Horrible thought. Though you clearly enjoyed your job. I enjoyed the haiku.
Very interesting Pam, and relayed with first-hand experience, which was fascinating. God bless Edwin Maynard, I say! Both of my parents had completely false teeth by the time they were in their 50s. I never questioned it at the time but maybe it was standard practice to have all your own teeth pulled? I happily have all my own still, north and south (as Cat Stevens put it). Well done with the haiku...not often that kalzinol and apicectomy feature in the poetry universe ;-)
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