Wisdom Teeth

Care Guidelines for Wisdom Teeth: 2014 Finnish Guidelines

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An article titled Current Care Guidelines for Third Molar Teeth appears in the May 2015 issue of the Journal of Oral and Maxilofacial Surgery (vol. 73, issue 5), written by Irja Venta. The article describes the 2014 Finnish Care Guidelines on wisdom teeth removal. The guidelines were written in mind for the best possible care to the patient without weighing against the resources of the health system. The author states “The updated guidelines for the third molar are based on evidence, with an extensive review of 180 references…Because nerve injuries continue to be the most common reason for malpractice claims submitted to the Finnish Patient Insurance Center, this issue warrants attention. Another important issue is the controversy surrounding the preventive, prophylactic, early, or elective removal of third molars; 4 distinct groups are suggested as candidates for early removal.” The guidelines … Read more

Does Not Treating Asymptomatic Wisdom Teeth Cause Harm?

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An interesting article appears in the July 2015, British Dental Journal, titled “Revolution vs status quo? Non-intervention strategy of asymptomatic third molars causes harm” written by V. Toedtling and J. M. Yates (vol. 219, no. 1, pp. 11-12.) The article addresses how the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England has asked the National Institute for Health Care Excellence (NICE) to re-assess their guidance on wisdom teeth extractions. This is because the group and doctors feel that there is an increasing amount of distal-cervical caries (cavities) in lower second molar teeth (teeth right next to wisdom teeth) when associated with asymptomatic partially erupted mesial or horizontally impacted lower wisdom teeth (mandibular third molars). The authors say that NICE has been reluctant to re-appraise their 2000 guidance and guidelines on wisdom teeth removal. The authors point … Read more

An Australian perspective of removing or retaining wisdom teeth (third molars)

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An article titled “Cost effectiveness modelling of a ‘watchful monitoring strategy’ for impacted third molars vs prophylactic removal under GA: an Australian perspective” appeared in the July 2015, British Dental Journal and written by A.A. Anjrini, E. Kruger, and M. Tennant (issue 219, pp. 19-23). The article discusses the direct and indirect costs associated with removing impacted wisdom teeth in Australia. A news article appearing on the Australian ABC Science (http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2015/08/17/4283895.htm) titled “Wisdom teeth: are we removing them more often than needed?” by Anna Salleh and written on August 17, 2015, discusses some of the points made in the journal article. The authors were interested in determining if a watchful waiting monitoring strategy should be used for impacted wisdom teeth or if a prophylactic strategy should be used. They looked at hospitalization data for impacted wisdom teeth removal for 2008 … Read more

Measuring Lingual Position of Lower Wisdom Teeth

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An interesting study titled “Measurement of the Lingual Position of the Lower Third Molar Roots Using Cone-Beam Computed Tomography,” appears in the January 2015 issue of the Journal of Oral and Maxilofacial Surgery (vol. 73, issue 1) and written by Yusuf Emes and et al. The authors set out to use Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) to evaluate the proximity of lower wisdom teeth roots to the lingual cortex, which can be used to determine the potential risk of root displacement during lower wisdom teeth removal. The study used CBCT images of 32 impacted lower wisdom teeth of 31 patients (5 men and 26 women). The images were collected for reasons not related to surgery including impacted teeth, dental implants, and cysts of the jaws. An evaluation was performed independently by 2 trained oral and maxillofacial surgeons who were experienced in … Read more

Comparing Narcotic Prescribing Habits For Oral Surgeons in the U.S. and Canada

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In a previous blog post titled “Do Oral Surgeons Prescribe Too Many Narcotics for use after Wisdom Teeth Removal?” the issue explored was that of whether or not oral surgeons prescribe more than an adequate amount of narcotic pain killers to young adults after wisdom teeth extraction. The article that found around 25% or so of the study respondents prescribe what the authors of the article declared as too many narcotics to control pain which opened the possibility of non-medical use. A new article titled “Comparison of Narcotic Prescribing Habits and Other Methods of Pain Control by Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons in the United States and Canada,” sought to explore whether Canadian oral surgeons have similar narcotic prescribing habits. This article was written by Bruce R. Pynn and Daniel M. Laskin and appeared in the December 2014 issue of the … Read more