At an office in Seattle, Washington, a women writes in her review on Yelp

“ I am still upset about what happened. It is a very long and disturbing story. Basically – [the doctor] performed the surgery in a very cold room [on my 19 year old daughter] and seriously damaged a muscle in her jaw. Within 24 hours after surgery she could not open her mouth more than a quarter inch….the doctors determined that she had a massive infection in her jaw and immediately put her on IV antibiotics….it took FOUR months for the damage to heal & for her to be able to open her mouth normally!”

At a dental center in Virginia a male says in his review on Yelp

“…they recommended I have 4 wisdom teeth removed, claiming that there ‘was not room in my mouth to accommodate them and that they were going to cause teeth to twist.’ My wisdom teeth came in years ago and it’s ridiculous to say that they could cause my teeth to get worse in [the] future. As was confirmed by the family dentist I went to for a second opinion.”

At a dental center in Chicago, Illinois, a female says in her review on Yelp

“The dentist here attempted to remove one of my wisdom teeth and DIDN’T REMOVE THE ENTIRE ROOT! After 45 minutes of wrenching, me in the fetal position…I ended up in the ER 6 hours later where I spent 5 hours waiting for an antibiotic I was told I should have got with my original dentist, an oral surgeon the next day for another 45 minutes of wrenching, and eventually ended up in the hospital for emergency surgery a week later. All said and done–I spent 4 1/2 weeks getting well again, including having to retrain my jaw to open more than an inch….The most nightmarish experience of my life. “

At an oral surgeons office in St. Louis, Missouri, a person says in their review on Yelp

“ I asked him to clarify what kind of anesthesia he was going to use.  He immediately became defensive, telling me that I wasn’t his first ‘med student’ and rattling off all the kinds of medical professional he’s treated…After my procedure I had three complications, two significant (known complications of wisdom tooth removal, but considering the time from car door to car door for four impacted wisdom teeth with general anesthesia was 30 minutes, I do wonder if due diligence was taken to avoid complications. When I brought up the significant complication at my follow-up visit… he gave me a bogus explanation for my symptoms.  When I challenged him on the anatomic impossibility of his explanation given the location and type of symptoms I was having, he again became very defensive instead of attempting to understand the issue.”

At a dental center in Massachusetts a woman writes on her review on Yelp

 ”They didn’t inform me that I would be getting no anesthesia for my wisdom teeth and on the day of the procedure when I explained that Novocaine has never worked on me, they guilted me into doing it anyhow “well you scheduled this time with us, you’ve already paid, etc. etc.”.  I SCREAMED BLOODY MURDER THROUGH THE ENTIRE PROCEDURE and kept asking them to please stop, but they only rolled their eyes and yelled “KEEP STILL” at me.  After the procedure, my entire neck was black and blue and I was so swollen that I couldn’t open my mouth to eat for 2 weeks. 2 years later, and I still can’t feel the right side of my mouth, and I have nerve damage so deep in my jaw that it affects my arms and legs, so I have constant numbness there too.”

At a dental center in Phoenix, Arizona, a woman writes on her review on Yelp

“…when my son was …there, and before his wisdom teeth come in, they suggested his wisdom teeth come out, with no reasoning.  (but later whispered to him not a problem, they should be fine…).  He has had all his ortho (at another office) the Dr. there never thought they would become an issue.  HEY!  how about we see if, when they erupt, if there appears to be a problem, or any crowding? “

For the same dental center as above in Phoenix, Arizona, a man writes in his review on Yelp

“First, my wisdom teeth extraction was botched when I was left with a bone fragment floating inside my cheek/gum for 16 months. I complained multiple times regarding the pain and issue. I went into the office for at least 4 follow-ups and yet not once did a dentist take an X-Ray or even really offer my help. Instead I was recommended to spend an additional $150.00 for a deep cleaning. When the bone finally came out the Dr notified me this is very common… right….. “

For a dental practice in Maryland a man writes in his review on Yelp

“First off let me preface this by saying I am a physician myself so I know how to deal with patients….the Dr. then talked to me for all of 2 minutes about why I needed all 4 of my wisdom teeth removed when only 1 is causing a problem – and he barely answered my questions. Finally when I went back for my surgery I decided to have 2 teeth removed instead of 4 (the staff seemed like that bothered them), and when I went to pay they wanted to charge me the same amount for half the work!  I canceled the surgery after I heard the Dr. arguing in the back with the billing woman about the numbers she herself quoted me on. She comes back 5 min later and says oops i forgot to charge you for extra anesthesia. “

This is just a sampling of some unfortunate 1 star reviews received by dentists and/or oral surgeons on Yelp. Some of these reviews really can get quite out of hand. I am not sure what the best way is to prevent 1 star reviews on Yelp but clearly no patients want to have to write them and no doctors want to have them. Having good customer service and focusing on providing a quality service is a start. Certainly working to continually improving your skills can help.  Unfortunately though as long as dental care is driven by profits and there is a very litigious society it may be hard to make improvements in the correct direction.

Copyright © TeethRemoval.com

One Star Yelp Reviews on Wisdom Teeth

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It is a bit surprising to see other people’s opinion on the internet of the subject of wisdom teeth removal. Below are some comments by those who have vocally said they feel wisdom teeth removal is a scam around the internet.

Over on Yahoo Answers http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100508164012AAamuki a user says

“Wisdom teeth are the BIGGEST scam in America TODAY!”

Another user on Yahoo Answers http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20101227193912AAyScR7 says:

“wisdom teeth extraction is a money making scam used by dentists…”

Mike Adams over at Natural News http://www.naturalnews.com/019414.html says

“It’s just a revenue generating procedure that’s dishonestly pushed onto patients who gladly go along with anything their dentist says, even when it’s utter nonsense….Folks, you need to start questioning your dentist. Don’t believe everything they tell you. Often they’re just full of bunk, or they’re trying to sell you on whatever procedure they get paid for performing.”

A user over at http://biology-forums.com/index.php?topic=1848.0 says

“…just to have them removed I think its a scam. Wisdom teeth are a cash cow for those maxillofacial surgeons and unless your wisdom teeth are giving you a problem… I would leave them and save the money.”

A user over at http://forum.davidicke.com/showthread.php?t=28688&page=2 says

“Wisdom tooth extraction is a scam. I know, — it’s hard to accept that an entire population of MDs could unknowingly be involved in a project meant to really extract tons of money from the population, but it may be true.”

A user over at http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/forum/archive/index.php?t-887391.html says

“i think its a scam on the part of dentists working in cohorts with oral surgeons. they tell you, ‘well you might be fine to leave them in, but you could run into problems down the road if you don’t remove them. and the younger you are, the easier the surgery will be.’  its all a scam.”

A user over at http://www.youqa.cn/html/Other___Health/0620/other197011.html talking about her wisdom teeth says

“Get another opinion or two. I was told this when I was a teen. Long story short I didn’t believe him and didn’t have it done. All of my wisdom teeth came in normal and healthy and are still in today,(I’m 39). It’s a common scam I found out. It happens all the time. It’s unfortunate to find out that your dentist is a profiteer, but get other opinions anyway.

A user over at http://www.heroscapers.com/community/showthread.php?t=7286 says

“This is a scam…Dentists use wisdom teeth to pay the bills and pay for vacation homes.

Now clearly there are valid reasons to have problematic wisdom teeth that are causing symptoms removed but the debate regarding whether or not to have healthy wisdom teeth removed carries on.

Copyright © TeethRemoval.com

Wisdom Teeth Removal: Thoughts From Around the Internet

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The complete series including all 23 segments currently is available for $699. Each segment is around 3 to 6 minutes long. It is intended to be played on a TV and DVD player in the reception or waiting area of a dental office. It could also be used in actual treatment rooms perhaps to help explain more clearly certain topics to patients. In addition another use would be for when a dentist goes out into the community to give a presentation or some other event.

The ADA has 7 of the segments partially available on their website for demonstration purposes. I reviewed the segment on Preventing Periodontal Disease and felt it was informative. The viewer learns about how periodontal disease is caused by plaque which is caused by not cleaning regularly enough and properly after eating.

The viewer learns about the warning signs of periodontal disease

• Gums that bleed easily are red, swollen, or tender
• Gums pull away from teeth
• Constant bad breath
• Pus between teeth and gums
• Loose or separating teeth
• Change in your bite
• Change in how dentures fit

In addition the factors that increase the risk of periodontal disease are discussed

1. Smoking or chewing tobacco
2. Systemic diseases
3. Medications
4. Hormonal changes
5. Bridges or partial dentures that no longer fit properly

Of course the possibility of inflammation and periodontal disease and it’s role in your overall health is mentioned.

As is commonly recommend, the video informs the viewer to brush at least twice daily and floss once a day. It says how it is possible to have periodontal disease without having any warning signs and symptoms.

In addition it talks about how a dentist will measure the space between your teeth and gum with a periodontal probe and that this probing depth should be 3 mm or less for you to be considered healthy.

As a side note, the risk of Periodontal disease is a commonly cited reason to have wisdom teeth removed in young adults. Therefore I go into many more details about periodontal disease and their relation to wisdom teeth under the risks of keeping your wisdom teeth page.

The ADA tends to stay out of the wisdom teeth debate so this is not even mentioned in the video. However I was impressed by the video and thought it did a great job providing an introduction and knowledge needed by dental patients.

Additional information about the ADA Toothflix series is available on the ADA website at http://www.ada.org/2334.aspx.  There is no segment on wisdom teeth, but other segments include Tooth Extraction, Root Canal, Cracked Tooth, and Early Childhood Caries.

There are other Toothflix options available besides the complete series. I feel owning this DVD series may make a nice addition for dental offices and aid their patients in understanding and knowledge of their oral health.

Copyright © TeethRemoval.com

American Dental Association Toothflix Demo Series

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In the conclusion of the press release it states

“The AAOMS encourages patients and their families to talk to their general dentist, orthodontist or family physician to determine whether third molar surgery is indicated. If a decision is made to retain these teeth, regular dental check-ups and good dental hygiene to control or prevent periodontal disease are essential.”

The press release discusses a recent Advocacy White Paper released on Third Molar Surgery. This is located at http://www.aaoms.org/docs/evidence_based_third_molar_surgery.pdf

I think the this recent White Paper issued on November 10, 2011, is well worth the read for anyone considering having elective healthy wisdom teeth surgery performed.

The paper mentions some of the recent controversy of the medical necessity of removing erupted and impacted third molars.

Numerous references to the scientific literature are provided.

Of course as an adovacy paper it states

“ AAOMS fully supports the elective, therapeutic removal of impacted  third molar teeth that are not likely to erupt into a disease free position, whether the third molar teeth  exhibit symptoms or not, and preferably prior to the onset of periodontal or pericoronal disease”

Near the end of the white paper it states

“There is no pat answer, cookbook recipe, or  flow chart that is universally accepted regarding the decision making process. The presence of the third  molar teeth, their position within the jaws and or dental arches, the condition of the teeth and  associated teeth and structures, the presence or potential for pathology associated with the third molar  teeth must be considered carefully. The risks of complications involved with early treatment of third  molar teeth that are likely to cause problems versus the morbidity caused by retained third molar teeth  and subsequent treatment in an older patient must be weighed.”

Of course as an advocacy paper it is slightly biased towards surgical intervention.

There is discussion of a case in the literature

“of a patient who is “60 years old, had taken bisphosphonates, had undergone chemotherapy, aortic, and mitral valve  replacements”. She presented with acute cellulitis. Days of hospitalization, surgery, and rehabilitation  were necessary to restore her health”.

Of course as I like to point out a 60 year old who made it that long without problems from wisdom teeth is pretty good when compared to cases like mine of young healthy adults who had drastic and serious complications from wisdom teeth extraction as indicated over on the complications page http://www.teethremoval.com/complications.html

Copyright © TeethRemoval.com

Advocacy White Paper on Third Molar Surgery by AAOMS

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Hillsong United – Mighty to Save

Newsboys – Shine

Michael W. Smith – Open the Eyes of my Heart

Chris Tomlin – Our God is Greater

Jesus Culture – Oh Happy Day

Jeremy Camp – This Man

MercyMe – I Can Only Imagine

Matthew West – You Are Everything

Copyright © TeethRemoval.com

Music to Listen to After Wisdom Teeth Removal: Christian Music

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