Against medical advice (AMA), sometimes known as discharge against medical advice (DAMA), is a term used in health care institutions when a patient leaves a hospital against the advice of their doctor.
Recently I saw a patient complaining of pain in the upper right side of his mouth. I took a radiograph and saw signs of infection near the root of his tooth. Below I have attached three different radiographs that show signs of an infection.
My emergency patient had a long standing infection, multiple teeth with dental caries and numerous dental needs. I see this pattern often where "Pain Supersedes pallative care or over the counter management of dental needs".
At this point if you don't accept dental treatment you are setting yourself for a visit to the hospital. Dental infections can spread rapidly and cause a life threatening emergency.
Lucky for my patient he saw me in my outpatient office. He asked me if he could schedule an appointment. I told him if he left it was "Against Medical Advice". He understood and accepted treatment. Under Local Anesthesia I reflected his gum tissue and found a "Cyst that extended thru his bone". This can be a difficult situation as I have to manage the sinus anatomy, and carefully remove the bone, tissue, and pus. I eventually removed the tooth, but the long standing infection weakened much of the supporting bone.
All this could have been avoided with regular dental check-ups.
If you have multiple dental needs, and are looking for sedation dentistry in the Hospital contact me for expert advice and treatment.
Thanks,
Dr. Vejay K. Ravindran DDS, MS
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