This diagram shows the diagnostic data that would have been used to treat a dental emergency on-orbit during the Skylab missions. It is primarily a flow chart to aid in the diagnosis and/or treatment of dental problems. A dental kit was flown on the Skylab missions in the event that a dental emergency arose, and this flow chart was included with the kit. There were no dental problems requiring the use of this kit, and thus, it was never utilized. Because of the risks of dental problems, the prime and backup crews of all Skylab missions trained for two days in dental procedures at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. The training included lectures, demonstrations,and supervised clinical procedures, which were performed on volunteer patients, and included complex procedures such as tooth removal. Instruments and medications were provided as the In-flight Medical Support System-Dental. This kit included a manual with line drawings of complete intraoral radiographs of each crewman as well as integratred, illustrated, diagnostic and treatment procedures, one of which is the flow chart shown in this figure. Other aids included air-to-ground communication with a dentist or surgeon who had intraoral photographs and radiographs, diagnostic casts, complete treatment reacords and knowledge of treatment capabilities of each crewman.
Brown LR, Frome WJ, Handler S, Wheatcroft MG, Rider LJ. Skylab oral health studies. In: Johnston R S, Dietlein L F, editors. Biomedical Results from Skylab. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Johnson Space Center, 1977:35-44. Document NASA SP-377.