Wisdom Teeth

Vitamin D Can Help Prevent Gum Infections

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A study appearing in the June 2011 issue of Infection and Immunity titled “Vitamin D-Mediated Induction of Innate Immunity in Gingival Epithelial Cells.” written by Laura McMahon and et al. (vol. 79, no. 6, pages 2250-2256), suggests that making sure you have enough Vitamin D can help with the immune defense in the oral cavity. The authors found that an innate immune regulator TREM-1 can be induced by treating gingival cells with vitamin D. While still much work needs to be done looking at how exactly vitamin D can fight infections there is potential for targeted therapies in the future. The authors state “As vitamin D and calcium defciences can lead to increased inflammation, it is reasonable to hypothesize that there is an association with periodontal disease….vitamin D-mediated gene regulation of the innate immune response may be associated with the … Read more

Dentalhealth.org

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I wanted to let everyone know about the site dentalheath.org. It is a site by the British Dental Health Foundation. There is a section for the public, a section for the press, and a section for professionals. Most people will find the Dental Health Information Leaflets section in the for the public part of the website to be useful. There are numerous useful dental related categories such as wisdom teeth, what to do following an extraction, x-rays, and so on. Since the site is from the British Dental Health Foundation, it’s intended audience is for people who live in Britain so this is important to keep in mind. Even so the information can be helpful for everyone. The site is arranged so that frequently asked questions for each category are asked and then answered. For example, in the wisdom teeth … Read more

Third Molar Multidisciplinary Press Conference

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Just a quick update to remind you that the Multidisciplinary Conference on Third Molars (Wisdom Teeth) will be occurring today October 19, 2010, at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel in Washington, D.C. at 11 A.M Eastern. To find out more details please refer to my previous blog post http://blog.teethremoval.com/multidisciplinary-conference-on-third-molars-wisdom-teeth/. If you are unable to make the conference and would like to listen in online, a live audio stream will be provided. Simply visit http://www.visualwebcaster.com/event.asp?id=73177 This conference is being put on by American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) and Ira. D Cheifetz, the immediate past president of AAOMS, will be in attendance. Update: I did get a chance to listen in on the conference which lasted just over an hour. The live stream also showed a PowerPoint presentation to accompany the speakers. The speakers who presented are seen in the … Read more

Do Wisdom Teeth Cause Crowding?

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For some reason which is not clear to me, people still often ask the question: do wisdom teeth cause crowding of anterior teeth? The answer to this question is a plain and simple no. Thomas B. Dodson, DMD, MPH says “extracting third molars to prevent or alleviate crowding of the dentition is not usually justified.” Jay Friedman, a retired dentist, says “It is not possible for lower third molars, which develop in the spongy interior cancellous tissue of bone with no firm support, to push 14 other teeth with roots implanted vertically like the pegs of a picket fence so that the incisors in the middle twist and overlap.” Dr. Jeff , a dentist, says “Wisdom teeth will not cause lower anterior crowding, ask any competent orthodontist, or just think about it from a logical standpoint. Realistically can a tooth … Read more

Anesthesia in the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Office

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The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) is continuing to attempt to increase their ability to attract young adults to elect to have their wisdom teeth removed. Back in May 2010 they released a video called “Anesthesia: Safety and Comfort in the OMS Office.” The video is over nine minutes long and takes viewers into actual Oral and Maxillofacial surgeon’s offices with interviews by Dr. M. Anthony Pogrel who is Professor and Chair of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of California, San Fransisco, Dr. Andrew Herlich who is Chief of Anesthesiology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Dr. Michael Miloro who is director for the Postgraduate Residency Training Program at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry, Dr. Michael Ding who is Chief Resident of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at … Read more