Ring Malvin E
N Y State Dent J. 2003 Jan;69(1):31-4.
In the earlier days of dentistry, patients suffered terrible tortures and accidents at the hands of untrained individuals who attempted to extract the sufferer's teeth. Even as dental knowledge and skill advanced, there were still numerous untoward occurrences during extractions, some of them resulting in the death of the patient. The article ends with the recounting of a near-fatal case that was in no way the dentist's fault and could not have been prevented.