Wisdom Teeth

Antibiotics After Wisdom Teeth Removal Can Lead to Life Threatening Infection

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One subject of debate regarding those who have wisdom teeth removed is whether or not to take antibiotics and if so should you take them before or after surgery. This has been covered on this site before in such posts as 1) Antibiotics for Dental Use Contributing to SuperBugs, 2) The Effect of a Single Dose of Antibiotics Prior to Wisdom Teeth Surgery, and 3) Patient’s Perception of Antibiotic Need After Teeth Removal. Some guidance seems to indicate that a single antibiotic before dental surgery should be given to high risk patients for postoperative infections but in other patients that are healthy an antibiotic is not needed. Some may question this approach, but antibiotics can contribute the development of Clostridium difficile (C. diff or C. difficile), a serious and possibly deadly infection that is accompanied by severe diarrhea. In one case a man … Read more

5 Tips on How to Run a Successful Dental Practice in 2021

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There are more than 180,000 dental practices in the United States, which are home to some dentists who simply aren’t happy earning a wage as an associate. If this sounds like you and you believe you have the expertise and finances to go at it alone, it may make sense to launch your own dental practice. Owning a dental practice will require hard work, patience, and determination. To build a patient base and grow in the right direction, here are some useful tips that can help you run a successful dental practice. Formulate a Well-Thought-Out Business Plan Before launching your dental practice to the world, you must remember that it’s a business at the end of the day. This means you must have a well-thought-out business plan that covers every base of your operation to avoid any problems from occurring. … Read more

Practice Approaches of British Oral Surgeons for Wisdom Teeth Surgery

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An interesting article titled “Current practice in mandibular third molar surgery. A national survey of British Association of Oral Surgeons membership,” written by Devine et al. appears in Oral Surgery in 2017 (vol. 10, pp. 11-19). The article discuss the current practices among member of the British Association of Oral Surgeons (BAOS) for wisdom teeth surgery. The authors conducted a survey of members of the British Association of Oral Surgeons from March to June 2015 where 250 of the 520 total members (48.1%) responded. The most common grade of the respondents was specialty dentist (25.2%), primary care oral surgeon (18.4%), associate specialist (18.0%) and oral surgery consultant (13.4%). About 17% of those who responded said that wisdom teeth removal comprises 75% of their workload and about 36% of those who responded said that wisdom teeth removal comprises between 50 and … Read more

Laser Therapy to Reduce Pain and Improve Healing After Tooth Removal

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An interesting study titled “The effect of the low-level laser therapy on healing and pain after tooth extraction: a systematic review” written by Ribeiro et al. appears in Oral Surgery in 2017 (vol. 10, pp. 174-183). The article attempts to perform a systematic review to determine if lower level laser therapy improves healing and reduces pain after having a tooth extracted. In the past several similar studies that have been conducted have been discussed on this site see for example Using Laser Therapy after Tooth Extraction to Improve Wound Healing and Can you Use Low Level Laser Therapy After Wisdom Teeth Removal to Reduce Pain?. Low level laser therapy aids in the healing process by providing radiation that is absorbed through cytochromes in the mitochondria and then converted into energy by adenosine-50-triphosphate (ATP) which causes protein synthesis and acceleration of … Read more

Percutaneous Exposure Incidents in Dentistry

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An interesting article titled “Percutaneous exposure incidents: a review of practice and awareness of current protocols at a Dental Faculty” written by Siddiqi et al. appears in Oral Surgery in 2017 (vol. 10, e80-e87). The article discusses accidental exposure to blood-borne pathogens at the dental office. In the past the possibility of this occurring has been discussed on this site see for example the posts More Dental Patients Warned of Potential HIV and Hepatitis Exposure in Pennsylvania and Infection Control Lapse in Hawaii at VA Dental Clinic. Sharps and needlestick injuries are sources of infections with blood-borne pathogens (such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV) in dentistry and are referred to broadly as a percutaneous exposure incident. The authors state: “The intimate nature of the patient-dentist environment, the presence of blood and saliva, the routine use of sharp instruments, … Read more