MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY

Bite- wing x-ray, extraction, colonoscopy, serum bilirubin-definition

Bite-wing x-ray

Is one of the x-ray type used in dentistry

Shows teeth, bone and surrounding soft tissue

Can show cavities, hidden dental structure

( like wisdom teeth) and bone loss.

-Bite-wing x-ray shows the upper and lower back teeth and how they contact each other on the one picture

-Also, are taken

to check for

the cavities

between the

teeth

Extraction(in dentistry)

Known as Pulling Teeth, is a removal of tooth from the mouth

Extraction can be done in cases like:

Advanced tooth decay, where restoration can’t be done

Failed root canal treatment, or root fracture

Surrounding tooth bone loss due to infection

Problematic or impacted wisdom teeth

Types of extraction

Simple extraction: are done on teeth visible in the mouth. Usually are done only with local anesthesia.

Surgical extraction: are done on more complicated teeth, like broken on the gum line, with deteriorated root or impacted wisdom teeth.

In many cases, because this procedure may be traumatic for the patient, surgical extraction can be done during oral sedation.

Colonoscopy

It a endoscopic procedure to examine the colon and the distal part of the bowel

It’s done with use of CCD camera or a fiber optic camera, attached to the flexible tube passed through the anus

Reasons for the procedure:

Gastrointestinal hemorrhage

Changes in bowel habit

Suspicion of malignancy

Because of the much higher mortality rate associated with colon cancer, colonoscopy procedure is becoming common for people 50 years and older.

Serum Bilirubin

Bilirubin is a main bile pigment which is formed from the heme breakdown in the blood

Broken down heme moves to the liver, where it’s secreted into the bile by the liver

Small amount of bilirubinnormally circulates in the blood

Serum is considered a true test of liver function, and it shows the ability of the liver to take up, process, and secrete bilirubin in the bile

Bilirubin pathway

Bilirubin concentration is elevated in the blood either because of the:

- increased production or decreased conjugation

the unconjugated is caused by accelerated erythrocyte hemolysis in the newborn,

conjugated is caused by obstruction of the biliaryducts

- decreased secretion of the liver, or blockage of the bile ducts