Wisdom Teeth

Patient’s Perception of Antibiotic Need After Teeth Removal

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An interesting article titled “Patients’ Perception of the Need for Antibiotics Following Routine Tooth Extraction,” appears in the May 2015 issue of the Journal of Oral and Maxilofacial Sugery and written by Charles D. Boxx and Daniel M. Laskin (vol. 73, issue 5). The article seeks to perform a study of 120 patients having teeth removed in Richmond, Virginia, at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), to see their perception of antibiotic need. The patients were asked to complete a questionnaire about whether they expected to be prescribed antibiotics after tooth extraction, whether they would request them if not prescribed and the reason why, and whether they would expect to be prescribed antibiotics for a toothache or a dental abscess. The patients were further asked if they had ever requested antibiotics from a medical doctor for a cold. The patients also indicated … Read more

Using Povidone Iodine After Wisdom Teeth Removal

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The article titled “Effect of Low-Concentration Povidone Iodine on Postoperative Complications After Third Molar Surgery: A Pilot Split-Mouth Study” written by Hamid Mahmoud Hashemi and et. al. appears in the January 2015 issue of the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (vol. 73, issue 1). The article discusses polyvinylpyrrolidone iodine which is a highly potent antiseptic solution known for its bactericidal activity. The authors performed a prospective randomized split mouth study of patients undergoing surgical removal of impacted mandibular wisdom teeth to evaluate whether diluted povidone iodine can be used as an irrigant and coolant and if it has any effect on common postoperative sequelae, including swelling, pain, and trismus. A total of 30 healthy patients (18 to 25 yr old) with bilateral impacted mandibular wisdom with similar position and degree of impaction were recruited at Tehran University in Iran … Read more

Vertigo and Dizziness After Wisdom Teeth Removal

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One of the rare complications that can occur after wisdom teeth removal is Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) where one experiences symptoms of vertigo and dizziness. This is discussed over on the wisdom teeth complications page at http://www.teethremoval.com/complications.html. I have a long running survey on this website where I ask people to share their experiences with wisdom teeth removal see http://teethremoval.polldaddy.com/s/6E8CF57E23BD9041. Some previous survey responses appear over at https://blog.teethremoval.com/successful-and-positive-wisdom-teeth-removal-experiences/, https://blog.teethremoval.com/wisdom-teeth-surgery-survey/, https://blog.teethremoval.com/wisdom-teeth-extraction-survey/, and https://blog.teethremoval.com/wisdom-teeth-survey/. A few recent entries to my survey have discussed what seems to be getting BPPV after wisdom teeth removal. A Canadian women who had wisdom teeth extracted at age 21 said: “Diagnosed with BPPV 7 months after removal and chronic sinus infections that started 2 months after removal of wisdom teeth.” An American man who had wisdom teeth extracted at age 30 said: ” I went to … Read more

Can Dentistry Learn from the National Basketball Association (NBA)?

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An interesting article titled “What the ADA can learn from the NBA” appears in the July 2015 issue of JADA by Marko Vujicic. The article discusses how the National Basketball Association (NBA) implemented some changes that are relevant to health care workers. What the NBA did was start reviewing and evaluating all referee decisions during the last 2 minutes of any close games. The NBA wanted to be more transparent, more accountable, and show that most calls by a referee are correct. The NBA publicly discloses the results of their review of the calls of any close games. No longer do they wait until controversy causes them to act and instead are proactive instead of reactive. The author of the article feels “…that the underlying trends toward increased transparency, accountability, data-driven metrics, and emphasis on quality and outcomes that drove the NBA’s decision are precisely the … Read more

People with Missing Teeth May Have Increased Cardiovascular Events

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New research has suggested that tooth loss can indicate if a person will have future cardiovascular events, diabetes, and death. The study was conducted at the University of Helsinki in Finland and in collaboration with the National Institute for Health and Welfare. The study used National FINRISK 1997 study data which is a Finnish population-based survey of 8,446 subjects, ages 25 to 75, who filled a comprehensive questionnaire, and participated in clinical examinations. In the study the number of missing teeth was recorded at a baseline and future information regarding health was recorded at a 13 year follow up. It was found that having more than five missing teeth increased the risk for coronary heart disease events and myocardial infarctions by as much as 140 %. If one had more more than nine missing teeth they had an increased risk for diabetes … Read more