Rogue Dentist’s Crusade

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An interesting article appears recently over on Yahoo by Liz Goodwin, December 3, 2012, titled “Rouge dentist’s 30-year crusade against wisdom teeth removal extracts results,” located over at http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/rogue-dentist-30-crusade-against-wisdom-teeth-removal-105243007.html. The article discusses 86 year old (retired) dentist and public health advocate Jay Friedman. I have talked about Dr. Friedman before such as on this post https://blog.teethremoval.com/american-journal-of-public-health-author-jay-w-friedman-is-2009-author-of-the-year/. The article on Yahoo states “Friedman has argued for more than 30 years that removing a young person’s healthy wisdom teeth — called “third molars” by professionals — is an unnecessary and irresponsible practice. …Many dentists and oral surgeons have dismissed him as a traitor and a zealot…” The article discusses how oral surgeons have been angered by Dr. Friedman and have questioned his qualifications. Some say he is biased against wisdom teeth extractions because his aim is to save the insurance industry money. … Read more

Preservation of Confidential Health Care for Young Adults

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An interesting article titled “Health Reform and the Preservation of Confidential Health Care for Young Adults” written by Lauren Slive and Ryan Cramer appears in the Summer 2012 issue of the The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics (vol. 40, issue 2, pages 383-390). A discussion is made regarding how sometimes when getting health care services confidential information can be inadvertently disclosed. If a breach of confidentiality can occur then a minor or young adult may not seek the health care services. The authors state “Of primary concern is that young adults, not just minors, who remain on their parents health insurance plans often forgo sensitive services with the concern that explanation of benefits (EOBs) from such services will inform their parents, the policyholders.” In addition, of note and some may not be aware of, with the passage of the Affordable … Read more

Attending to the Patient in the Informed Consent Process

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An interesting article titled “Personalized Disclosure by Information-on-Demand: Attending to Patients’ Needs in the Informed Consent Process” written by Gil Siegal, Richard J. Bonnie, and Paul S. Appelbaum appears in the Summer 2012 issue of the The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics (vol. 40, issue 2, pages 359-367). A discussion is made of the current informed consent process and how it is the foundation of medical ethics and health law. Now is clear from the complications page of my website http://www.teethremoval.com/complications.html, I have numerous problems with the informed consent process. In the article the authors state “The underlying ethical principle on which informed consent rests — autonomy — embodies the idea that as rational moral agents, patients should be in command of decisions that relate to their bodies and lives. The corollary obligation of physicians — to respect and facilitate … Read more

Music To Listen to After Wisdom Teeth Removal: Gangnam Style

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I have previously made several posts with some recommendations for some music you can listen to if you are recovering from wisdom teeth removal surgery. See the posts Music to Listen to After Wisdom Teeth Removal: Christian Music, Music to Listen to After Wisdom Teeth Removal: Jazz Songs, Music to Listen to After Wisdom Teeth Removal: Rock and Roll Songs, and Music To Listen to After Wisdom Teeth Removal: YouTube Musicians. Now I wanted to make another post about some things you can do after having  your wisdom teeth extraction and this time make it Gangnam Style! PSY – Gangnam Style If you haven’t heard about this video yet, it is now the most watched video on YouTube and has over 800 million views. It recently surpassed Justin Bieber’s “Baby” which was previously the most watched video on YouTube. PSY’s … Read more

Keeping the Germs Off Your Toothbrush

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Kayla Holiday writes for 1Dental.com, which offers discount dental plans nationwide. She enjoys keeping people up to date on dental news and helping them save money on dental care. A toothbrush is a very important part of any dental hygiene routine. Toothbrushes are key in removing plaque from the surface of your teeth, even in hard to reach areas. However, your toothbrush could also be key in causing illness and stimulating bacterial growth in your mouth, depending on how well you’re taking care of it. Germs are on every surface. They are always present. Your toothbrush is especially vulnerable to housing germs as it contains both the plaque from your teeth, and it typically rests in the least sanitary room in the house—the bathroom. Airborne germs from the toilet or unwashed hands touching items near your toothbrush could all be … Read more