Wisdom Teeth

Getting Braces Before or After Wisdom Teeth Extraction: Which is The Better Option?

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Is it better to get braces or wait for a child’s wisdom teeth to come through? This is the most common question that most orthodontists are asked by their patients. The common concern that all parents have about their children getting braces early on is that their wisdom teeth may erupt at a later stage and throw the rest of their teeth out of alignment. The truth is that most children don’t get their wisdom teeth until they enter their early college years, and there are very few if any children who will want to wait until then to start their orthodontic treatment. Wisdom Teeth and How They Affect the Alignment of Teeth Wisdom tooth removal is not necessary for everyone but may be needed for children who need braces as emerging wisdom teeth may crowd the mouth which does … Read more

Top Do’s and Dont’s To Follow After Tooth Extraction

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Tooth extractions are fairly common, but it’s important to get your teeth extracted the right way and follow certain dos and don’ts after the extraction. The after-care process is very important if you want to prevent infection and bone loss. Below are the top do’s and dont’s from Dr. Chaben who is an experienced Livonia dentist from Platinum Dental Care that you should consider following after tooth extraction. Things to Do After Tooth Extraction Immediately after you return home, apply an ice pack to your jaw on the extraction side to reduce swelling. Change the gauze the dentist has packed into your extraction site at least every half hour to prevent infection. Bite down on the gauze for as long as you can, to help the wound clot and start healing. If you continue bleeding for a few hours after … Read more

Is Flossing Really Beneficial?

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As the perceived wisdom goes, flossing helps keep your teeth healthy and prevents gum disease. However, studies in recent years have called into question this long-established recommendation, see also https://blog.teethremoval.com/experts-insist-flossing-does-nothing-to-limit-tooth-decaycould-they-be-correct/. So what are the benefits of flossing, if any? Despite the apparent lack of evidence for any health benefits of flossing, both the British and American dental associations still recommend incorporating it into your daily routine. And whilst the evidence to support flossing isn’t there, there isn’t any evidence to show that the activity doesn’t have any benefits. The purpose of using dental floss is to remove food and other residue from between the teeth. It can also help to prevent bloody gums and inflammation from gingivitis, as well as reduce the build-up of plaque on teeth. Reducing all of these factors can help prevent gum disease. So although there … Read more

Deadly Dentistry: Death in the Dental Chair

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If you are thinking about having any dental work done for yourself or your loved ones you should know that in many cases it is not without risk and can even be deadly. There are many cases of death occurring in dental offices over the years for both children and adults having dental procedures. The Dallas Morning News made an in depth piece exploring various issues surrounding death in the dental chair and the story indicated cover-up and not holding offenders accountable. The seven part piece was published in 2015 and is available at http://interactives.dallasnews.com/2015/deadly-dentistry/index.html. It is a lengthy investigative piece, so you will need a fair amount of time to get through the entire story. For convience the links for each of the seven parts are also provided separately below. Part 1 http://interactives.dallasnews.com/2015/deadly-dentistry/part1.html Part 2 http://interactives.dallasnews.com/2015/deadly-dentistry/part2.html Part 3 http://interactives.dallasnews.com/2015/deadly-dentistry/part3.html Part 4 (which has … Read more

Are female patients using oral contraceptives undergoing wisdom teeth removal at higher risk of dry socket?

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An interesting article titled “A higher incidence of dry socket may be related to the use of oral contraceptives after impacted mandibular third-molar extraction” appears in the Oct. 2016 issue of JADA by Yumi Ogata and Yong Hur (Volume 147, Issue 10, pp. 840-842). The article discusses some of the issues surrounding whether in female patients undergoing impacted mandibular wisdom teeth removal, if the use of oral contraceptives increase the incidence of alveolar osteitis (also known as dry socket) when compared with female patients who do not use oral contraceptives. The researchers explore 3 electronic databases (MEDLINE via PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and Elsevier ScienceDirect) for relevant articles published up to April 2014. Two reviewers independently conducted quality assessments of the included studies by using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and resolve any disagreements through consensus with a third reviewer. The authors included 12 articles that reported on … Read more