Page 26 - Bulletin Vol 28 No 1 - Jan. - April 2023 FINAL

Member Article |A Serendipitous Misidentification

By Dr. Tom Mauceri

When I started my General Practice Residency at Montefiore Hospital, I was erroneously issued an
Identification Badge that had my name followed by MD instead of DDS. I'd asked for an updated ID but
had to wear the incorrect one for a while. It was a beautiful day as I was leaving the hospital through the
Emergency Room, when an older Physician asked if I could help examine some of the patients there
waiting for treatment. I apologized and said that I was a Dentist but was issued the wrong ID. He
replied that everyone else wanted to go home early too, handed me a chart and pointed me to an
elderly gaunt man lying on a gurney. I was still trying to explain when he turned away to evaluate
someone else. Reluctantly I looked over the chart and read that the man was in an advanced state of
dementia, had an elevated temperature and high white blood cell count. Ok, so I'm looking for an
infection. When I got closer his breath smelled like roadkill. I noticed what looked like felt covering over
a pretty obvious orange Vulcanite denture. When I retracted his lips, I could see that he was edentulous
but was wearing an upper denture that was retained by at least three eights of an inch of red epulis, the
swollen flaps of tissue encircling the old appliance. This was going to require some fast fingers, so I
quickly stuck my index finger into his left muccobuccal fold, reached around the Maxillary tuberosity,
and plucked the denture out. The stench of the newly exposed colonies of microorganisms, the fetid
breath of this poor soul who wretched when I removed the appliance, and the decomposing tissue of his
palate quickly filled the area. The old fellow went back to lying still with the same blank stare as before.
I was elated! Vindicated by discovering a problem that we can find and fix, I went to the older Physician
and announced that I'd found a likely source of the infection. He asked if I was ready to "present my
patient.” I looked perplexed and he said "The patient is a 93-year-old Caucasian man in...." I interrupted
him with "Look at this!" and handed him the petri dish of a denture. " He has abscess all over his palate,
There are colonies of all sorts things growing on his denture, he has soft tissue that has been overgrow-
ing the borders of it, and Lord knows the last time it was out and cleaned. I found it!" He replied "What
about his Gout?" pointing to the old man's misshapen feet. I said that while I wasn't very good with
gout, I could certainly find dental pathology and reminded him that I was a Dentist. With that he took
the old man's chart and the bioweapon of a denture, and handed them to one of the Medical Interns.

Dr. Tom Mauceri has been an NCDS
member for 36 years. He is in private
general practice with his brother at 226
7th Street, Suite 10, Garden City, NY

Do you have a unique hobby, side hustle, or story to share?

We would like to have a regular section of the Bulletin that highlights a member with a unique or special hobby, side
business or story to tell. Maybe you skydive or paint? Perhaps you have a unique collection of memorabilia, have a side
business or help with a local charity organization. Maybe you just have a fun story to tell from your years in practice.
Whatever it is, we’d like to hear about it. Send us the story and a few pictures, if applicable, and maybe you’ll see
yourself in our next issue. Submissions should be sent as a word document to: eporcelli@nassaudental.org

26| Nassau County Dental Society ⬧ www.nassaudental.org