Wisdom Teeth Removal: Thoughts From Around the Internet

I try to highlight scientific analysis and debate regarding wisdom teeth and the risks and benefits of extraction on my site. The wisdom teeth controversy page is good start on the subject of wisdom teeth removal for those interested. 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 … Read more

Being Thankful For What We Have A Dentist Perspective

An interesting article ran in the MyView Section of the American Dental Association titled “A time to be thankful for all that we have,” written by Richard A. Mufson, D.D.S., and published November 7, 2011. http://www.ada.org/6541.aspx In the article Dr. Mufson discusses how he will typically ask other dentists the standard question of “how are you?” This typically goes into discussions of the dental practice and whether or not financially the practice is doing well or not. Dr. Mufson then says he had no real desire to talk about the dental practice but about how the person really is. Dr. Mufson goes on to say “When caught up in our daily routines and the trials and tribulations of everyday life, many of us may not always be closely in touch with, nor take the time to be grateful for, aspects in our … Read more

Mark Zuckerberg’s Dad is a Dentist

I am surprised I had not heard of this before, but Mark Zuckerberg yes the guy who is a co-founder and runs Facebook and who has an estimated wealth of many billions, has a dad named Edward Zuckerberg who is a practicing dentist. The American Dental Association (ADA) recently discussed Edward Zuckerberg in their article Websites a “no-brainer’ for dental practices written by Kelly Soderlund appearing September 8, 2011, and located at http://www.ada.org/news/6200.aspx Yes Dr. Zuckerberg has his own dental practice in New York and his website is located at http://painlessdrz.com/ Yes of course Dr. Zuckerberg also has his own facebook page http://www.facebook.com/painlessdrz I am a bit surprised that Mark Zuckerberg’s dad is still practicing dentistry and still works a full schedule since he is over 56 years old and his son is pretty well off financially. I suppose he … Read more

American Dental Association Toothflix Demo Series

Recently the American Dental Association (ADA)  has released a Patient Education DVD series called Toothflix. It contains 23 different video segments which explore different topics designed to educate patients on their oral health and prevention and treatment strategies. 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 … Read more

Advocacy White Paper on Third Molar Surgery by AAOMS

Recently the American Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) issue a Press Release located over at http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aaoms-white-paper-discusses-why-when-and-how-to-treat-third-molar-teeth-135889358.html 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 … Read more