The Case of the Washed-Up Denturesby
Christy K. Robinson
A nurse*, visiting from a Far East country and studying at
Loma Linda University, had never seen the ocean. With her classmates,
she waded into the cold winter surf at an Orange County beach. Somehow,
when she waded back to shore, she had lost her teeth!
William Heisler, SD'59, professor of restorative dentistry, says, "On
a Sunday night at 10:30, Jim Crawford (SD'60, MPH, executive associate
dean of the School of Dentistry) called me to ask if I could help out.
A young woman had lost her upper denture in the surf, and we invited her
to come to the IDP (International Dentist Program) clinic at 8:00 a.m.
Monday" to see what could be done.
Dr. Heisler and Luis Calvillo, dental technician in Dental Laboratory
Services, crafted an upper denture for the nurse in record time. Over
two days, they took impressions, did a bite registration, sculpted the
set, and did a "try-in" to approve the appearance and fit of
the denture, before making final adjustments and fitting the artwork to
the patient. Within 48 hours, the nurse had her new denture delivered
to her. The month-long process usually takes several appointments, each
a week apart. In this case, the denture was worked on to the exclusion
of other projects.
"She was very, very pleased with her appearance and fit," says
Dr. Heisler.
The School of Nursing reimbursed the School of Dentistry for the replacement
denture.
*The nurse's name and her home country have been withheld for her privacy.
What became of the dentures? (Cartoon by Ellis R. Jones)
All contents copyright © 2001 Loma Linda University.
All rights reserved. Revised
February 28, 2001
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