subject: Diagnostic Dental Casts [print this page] Manned earth orbit space travels during 1973 involved the provision of a wide array of modern dental equipment for the astronauts who joined in the Skylab missions. For the military dentists who worked at the time of the Skylab program it was essential for the in flight medical support system or IMSS created by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA to have a relevant dental component. The duration of a flight during the Skylab program ranged from 28 to 56 days and during these expeditions each of the three man crews made use of modern dental equipment in space.
The limitation for the dental equipment during the Skylab project was that only outpatient based ailments could be given the necessary medical attention as one military dentist confides. The equipment remained to provide ample treatment to those in need far from the capacities of a do it yourself kit. All ideas regarding the treatment concepts applied during the Skylab flights were founded on the one percent risk that dental attention might be required during the 28 days spent by the three man crews in space. When dental problems begin to affect an astronauts working habits then these comprise the one percent risk previously talked about with possible cases including pulpitis and periodontal abscess.
When minor dental problems surface the possibilities of chipped teeth and the like can reach five percent. Readers of this article will be informed about the development of the IMSS dental equipment which makes certain tools like forceps, syringes, a periodontal curette, and a Gigli saw available for immediate medical treatment in space. Thanks to the Air Force den corps the astronauts from the Skylab project were able to have the kind of restoration material which will work effectively in space. The absence of gravity did not affect the material in any way.
NASA did not only conduct a series of intensive training programs for the flight crews but also conducted a series of tests to ensure that there will be no flaws in the dental equipment. Basically the purpose of conducting the training programs was for the flight crews to learn implementing different procedures not exceeding the skill level needed for tooth removal. Other than the training programs a manual will be provided for the space vehicle to serve as a guide for all crew members and this manual will have detailed instructions on procedures, information on diagnosis, and images sourced from personal radiographs illustrating each one's oral structure.
Dental assistance can easily be obtained in mission control as there is always an available dentist complete with all the personal dental records per crew member including diagnostic casts and radiographs. Space to ground communication is always a crucial factor where there should always be consistent exchanges from both sides and this is extremely important should dental problems arise as on ground dentists are the only people who have the authority to allow procedures to be executed.
It is only fair to say that the availability of such dental equipment especially designed for space expeditions and accompanying training programs are not enough for some people to have complete faith in the idea of non dentists performing procedures. Especially for the Skylab missions any threat that could result to extreme financial losses even for reasons such as problems caused by a crew member's dental pain may not be acceptable. The conclusion to the argument regarding dental procedures in space is that these will only be considered as a last point of action.
