Wisdom Teeth and Mandibular Angle and Condyle Fractures

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An interesting article titled “The relationship between the lower third molar (M3) and mandibular angle/condyle fractures – a systematic review” written by Akadiri et al. appears in Oral Surgery in 2017 (vol. 10, pp. e7-e16). The article seeks to determine mandibular angle/condyle fractures risk when an impacted wisdom tooth is present or not. In some studies the the presence of impacted wisdom teeth has been associated with increased risk of mandibular angle fractures which those who suggest prophylactic removal of wisdom teeth like to use as a valid reason. However in other studies there has been show an increased risk for mandibular condyle fracture after removing a wisdom tooth. The authors performed a systematic literature review and explored articles from 1970 to 2015. Articles included in the review meet a set of author defined criteria including using Kelly and Harrigan’s … Read more

Teenager Sexually Assaulted by Dental Assistant during Wisdom Teeth Removal

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In the past on this site, discussion has been made of cases of sexual assault occurring during wisdom teeth removal. See for example Recent Cases of Dentist Assistant Sexual Assault During Wisdom Teeth Removal, Dentist Who Groped Patients Sentenced to Jail and http://www.teethremoval.com/sexual_assault_under_anesthesia_for_wisdom_teeth_removal.html. In recent years there seems to be more cases involving dental assistants sexually assaulting patients during wisdom teeth removal as opposed to a dentist or oral surgeon sexually assaulting a patient. Recent cases include when a dental assistant sexually assaulted 13 patients while each were having wisdom teeth extracted in 2015 and 2016 in San Diego, California, and when a dental assistant sexually assaulted a teenage woman while she was having wisdom teeth surgery in 2017 in Silver Spring, Maryland.  Recently in December 2019, an eighteen year old teenage woman scheduled for wisdom teeth removal was allegedly assaulted by … Read more

Woman wins $10,000 for paying it backward after wisdom teeth surgery

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Recently on this site, an article discussed a teenage woman who won $10,000 for a hilarious video of her still under the effects of anesthesia after wisdom teeth surgery. She won the money from Americas Funniest Home Videos and also was in the running for a $100,000 prize. However, she is not the only teenage woman who has won $10,000 so far this year from a video of her still under the effects of anesthesia after wisdom teeth surgery. Another woman from the Chicago suburbs in Illinois won $10,000 from Starbucks along with 10,000 Starbucks Rewards for a video of her paying it backward while at a drive through at Starbucks while still under the effects of anesthesia from wisdom teeth sugery. The woman was inspired to make the video from Ellen DeGeneres as part of her Ellen Presents: The … Read more

Oral Surgeons License Suspended for Five Years After Patients Contract Bacterial Infection of the Heart

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An oral surgeon in New Jersey has agreed to a five year suspension of his license after 15 patients contracted the bacterial heart infection endocarditis at his office. The oral surgeon also agreed to pay $243,500 in penalties and $50,000 in costs totaling $293,500, to resolve the State of New Jersey’s allegations that he exposed his patients to the risk of contracting endocarditis due to his failure to follow proper infection control procedures at this office. Twelve of the fifteen patients who contracted endocarditis required subsequent surgery and one died as a result of the bacterial heart infection. The investigation into the oral surgeon’s practice began after a 25 year old man was diagnosed with endocarditis about five weeks after having two of his wisdom teeth extracted in June 2014. Specifically the New Jersey Department of Health officials and Enforcement … Read more

Dentists Overprescribing Opioids to Adults in the U.S.

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In the past on this site, some studies have discussed how dentists and oral surgeons may be prescribing too many opioids to their patients. For example see the posts Important Studies on Opioid Prescribing: Implications for Dentistry, Do Oral Surgeons Give Too Many Opioids for Wisdom Teeth Removal? and Opioid Prescriptions From Dental Clinicians for Young Adults and Subsequent Opioid Use and Abuse. Now a new study has recently appeared in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine titled “Overprescribing of Opioids to Adults by Dentists in the U.S., 2011–2015”, written by Suda et al. (pp. 1−14, 2019 in press). The study found that between 25% and 50% of opioids prescribed to adults by dentists in the U.S. are overprescribed. This is important because dentists are responsible for prescribing 10% of all opioids to patients in the U.S. The authors feel that urgent … Read more