Swiss army knife, screwdriver: Dentist gets creative for extraction on Everest

Tools

Story Published: Jul 13, 2007 at 4:36 PM PST

By Meghan Kalkstein

Eugene - One Eugene dentist is reaching new heights with his practice. If you think having a tooth pulled at the dentist's office is scary, next time imagine what it would be like to go through a peak procedure.

With focused precision Ross Hayden has been fixing teeth for 13 years. A passion that started as a family business. "I grew up in that environment with my father as a dentist a traveling missionary dentist," says Hayden.

Hayden is not only an expert dentist but he's also an experienced climber. He's summitted 7 of the worlds highest peaks, and on his last trip he was able to bring his practice to new heights.

In May, Hayden and eight other climbers set out for Mount Everest. But at the base camp he noticed something was wrong with one of his teammates. "I said well, I think your tooth is abscessed," Hayden told the female climber.

Excruciating pain that needed an operation. "I said OK I'll try, and I explained to her all I have is a Swiss Army knife and a screw driver," Hayden says.

After a quick shot of anesthetic from the team physician, Hayden pried the tooth with a sterilized Swiss Army knife, a flat head screw driver, one dental tool. All of this done at night, with only flashlights guiding the way.

"She was very brave she did very well with it and took her time and got it out for her," says Hayden.

It's a procedure his co-workers say they aren't too surprised by. "Actually I wasn't very surprised because it sounded like something he would do if it needed to be done," says Heather Martin, his dental assistant.

Even if it means working 17 thousand 500 feet up a mountain. "If somebody needs some help and I feel like I can help them I'm willing to try," says Hayden.

Hayden says if he did not perform the operation, the woman would have missed her climb because it would take a week to hike out to the nearest village with a dental clinic.

Mount Everest is just over 29,000 feet high, a climb typically costs in the neighborhood of $25,000 dollars, and takes months of preparation.

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