What is the Estimated Amount of Wisdom Teeth Extractions in the US

An interesting article titled “Estimated Cumulative Incidence of Wisdom Tooth Extractions in Privately Insured US Patients,” written by Alan R. Schroeder and et. al. appears in Frontiers in Dental Medicine (July 2022, vol. 3, article 937165). The article sought to determine the cumulative incidence and predictors of wisdom teeth extractions in the US. The article was motived by some of the controversy around wisdom teeth extractions and to better provide frequency estimates of the procedure to help inform future quality improvement initiatives and/or clinical trials. The authors used a national dental insurance claims database of privately insured patients (IBM MarketScan Dental Database), to help estimate the incidence of wisdom teeth extractions in the US and to determine variation by sex and geographic region. The authors included all patients in the database for their study who were under 60 years of … Read more

Tramadol dexketoprofen combination effective for relieving wisdom teeth surgery pain

Effective pain control for wisdom teeth surgery continues to be an area of much interest. In an article titled “ANALGESIC EFFICACY OF TRAMADOL/DEXKETOPROFEN VSIBUPROFEN AFTER IMPACTED LOWER THIRD MOLAR EXTRACTION: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL,” appearing in the Journal of Evidence Based Dental Practice written by C. Vallecillo and et al. (volume 21, issue 4, December 2021, 101618) the authors explore ibuprofen or tramadol-dexketoprofen as pain control after wisdom teeth surgery. In the article the researchers explored the effectiveness of Enanplus a capsule consisting of 75 mg tramadol hydrochloride and 25 mg dexketoprofen that is sold outside the U.S. Tramadol is an opioid class medication that inhibits the reuptake of noradrenaline and serotonin. Dexketoprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that has with fewer adverse effects than other more common NSAIDs. The authors conducted adouble-blind, parallel-group, randomized controlled clinical trial … Read more

Seventeen Year Old Teenager Due for Lung Transplant after Wisdom Teeth Removal

An unfortunate story appears in KRDO describing a seventeen year old man who had two impacted wisdom teeth extracted in October 2022 in Colorado. Seven days after the procedure the man started coughing up blood and ever since then his health has deteriorated. Prior to the surgery the teenager was in good health regularily lifting weights and playing with his siblings in his home state of Colorado. As reported in March 2023, now the man over four months later is an inpatient at a hospital and struggles to walk from a hospital bed to a bathroom that is five feet away. Two days after he started coughting up blood he went into septic shock where he was placed on a ventilator and moved into the intensive care unit of a hospital. His family is in a constant state of fear … Read more

Using an Eye Massager to Control Anxiety Before Wisdom Tooth Extraction

An interesting article titled “Massage Therapy to Control Anxiety Before Extraction of an Impacted Tooth,” appears in Cureus in October 4, 2022, written by Kunusoth R, Colvenkar S, Alwala A, et al. (vol. 14, no. 10, pp. 29893). The article discusses a simple technique to manage anxiety during dental visits using an eye massager. Many patients experience anxiety when seeing a dentist, see for example the posts Changes in Dental Anxiety over Time and Dental Anxiety and Fear: Impact on Oral Health. Dental anxiety can be caused by such things as a prior past negative dental experience, fear of needles, and a fear of gagging or choking. These patients are more likely to cancel their appointments and may be more difficult to treat. Various treatment options for dental anxiety exist such as described in the posts Do Wisdom Teeth Surgery … Read more

Treating Erectile Dysfunction with Viagra

If you suffer from erectile dysfunction (ED), you may be looking for something to help you with this condition. Viagra, a common medication for erectile dysfunction, can help you overcome this condition. Below, is some more information about Viagra’s effectiveness, side effects, and overall safety. Effectiveness Viagra increases blood flow to the penis, which helps men achieve and maintain an erection. The effectiveness of Viagra varies from person to person, but it has been shown to be effective in about 70-80% of men with erectile dysfunction. It is important to note that Viagra does not work for everyone and will not increase sexual desire. Make sure you consult a doctor before taking Viagra, as it can result in serious side effects in some users. How to Take Viagra Viagra is taken orally, usually around 30-60 minutes before sexual activity. The … Read more