oral surgery

Association Between Partially Erupted Mandibular Third Molar and Caries in Distal Second Molar

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An interesting article titled “Association between the presence of a partially erupted mandibular third molar and the existence of caries in the distal of the second molars,” appears in the International Journal of Oral and Maxilofacial Surgery by S. G. M. Falci and et. al. (October 2012, pp. 1270-1274). The article mentions how previous studies have shown that caries on the mandibular second molar due to the presence of partially erupted third molars has varied between 7% and 32%. The article criticizes prior work where studies based their prevalence data on panoramic radiographs which is not as good as periapical radiographs when diagnosing caries. The authors state “The lack of sample characterization, the absence of sample calculation, the deficient or inadequate statistical analysis and the absence of a description of the eligibility criteria, discredits the scientific evidence of these previous … Read more

Propofol-Remifentanil Versus Propofol-Ketamine for Third Molar Surgery

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A study titled “Comparison of Propofol-Remifentanil Versus Propofol-Ketamine Deep Sedation for Third Molar Surgery” appears in the 2012 Anesthesia Progress journal. The authors of the study set out to better determine what anesthetic to provide during third molar (aka wisdom teeth) surgery. In the study, two drug combinations for use as deep sedation during oral surgery were evaluated. Patients in a control group received a continuous intravenous infusion of propofol-remifentanil,  and patients in an experimental group received a continuous intravenous infusion of propofol-ketamine. This study was double blind in that neither patients nor surgeons were aware of which treatment was given. In this study, 37 patients  were monitored while sedated for respiratory, heart rate, and blood pressure stability. Emergence from the effects of anesthesia and total recovery time were recorded. In addition, patients and surgeons were both asked to rate … Read more

Alveolar Expansion Technique for Extraction of Third Molars (Wisdom Teeth)

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An interesting study titled “Comparison of an alveolar expansion technique and buccal guttering technique in the extraction of mandibular third molar. A pilot study,” appeared in the Open Journal of Stomatology (vol 1, pages 103-108, 2011) written by Babatunde O. Akinbami and Lukcy I. Ofomala from Nigeria. As stated in the abstract the background for this study was “The over-ambitious use of surgical drills for almost every case of third molar impaction is on the increase in most established oral surgery centers. The purpose of this study was to assess and compare the severity of post operative symptoms of swelling and pain that accompany the use of surgical drill in the buccal guttering technique and the non application of drill in an alveolar expansion technique.” The authors open in the introduction by discussion how bone around impacted third molar teeth … Read more

Third Molar Morbidity Among Troops Deployed

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A few articles have been recently released in late 2010 discussing third molars (wisdom teeth) among those serving in the military. Guidelines from NICE and SIGN as stated over at http://www.teethremoval.com/wisdomteeth.html due state that those who have a certain occupation such as in the armed forces should certainly strongly consider having wisdom teeth removed before they cause problems due to not being able to easily have access to dental treatment. A paper was put out in December 2010 titled “The Impact of Retained Third Molars on the Deployed Airman.” It is over at this link here. The article is written by Robert E. Langsten and William J. Dunn and states that as many as 22% of all emergency department visits at a deployed Expeditionary Medical Support facility can be attributed to dental problems. The article mentions how there is no … Read more

Why Bother With Research

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An intriguing article recently appeared in the International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery titled “Research – why bother?” (vol. 40, issue 12, page 1346, December 2011) written by G. Dimitroulis. The article discusses of oral and maxillofacial surgery needs research to make itself known as a professional body and not as just a technical trade. A brief mention is made that dual degree programs place time pressures on trainees at the expense of research. The author mentions how head and neck surgical oncology is shared by a number of surgical specialties with mutual interest. The author states “We cannot rely rely on the research experience of other surgical specialties if we are to secure the respect and trust of our medical and surgical colleagues from other disciplines who also have a mutual interest in head and neck oncology.” The … Read more