wisdom teeth complications

A case of bilateral kissing molars

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An interesting article titled “Bilateral ‘kissing’ molars: A case report” appears in Clinical Case Reports written by Bilal Aslam- Pervez and Emma Carr (2022;10:e06407). The article discusses a case of a 20 year old man who had a very rare bilateral kissing molars impaction. Kissing molars occur the occlusal surfaces of impacted molars are united by the same follicular space and the roots point in the opposite direction. This typically occurs between wisdom teeth and second molars, but can also occur between wisdom teeth and the fourth molar. In the article discussion is made of the 20 year old man who went to a hospital in Scotland complaining of a dull ache for the last year. The patient was healthy but did smoke around 10 cigarettes a day for the last few years. Upon examination a total of 7 teeth … Read more

Anxiety and Pain After Wisdom Teeth Surgery

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An interesting article titled “RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TYPES OF INFORMATION, DENTAL ANXIETY AND POST-OPERATIVE PAIN FOLLOWING THIRD MOLAR SURGERY, A RANDOMISED STUDY” appears in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery written by Ayodele Gbenga Akomolafe and et. al. (published online Nov. 1 2022). The article sought to determine the relationship between information types, dental anxiety and post-operative pain after lower wisdom teeth removal. In the article the researchers recruited 90 patients between the ages of 18 and 35 who had wisdom teeth extracted with local anesthesia. The patients were randomly divided online using a randomization software into to groups based on the method of information they received about the extraction: verbal or audiovisual. The information given included details about the surgery, information about surgical site closure with suture material and possible complications of extraction. Those in the verbal group were given … Read more

Laser therapy can reduce pain after wisdom teeth removal

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An interesting article titled “Extraoral low-level laser therapy can decrease pain but not edema and trismus after surgical extraction of impacted mandibular third molars: a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial,” appearing in BMC Oral Health is written by Ehsan Momeni and et. al. (September 20, 2022, Vol. 22, 417). The article seeks to explore the impact of using a low-level diode laser on pain, swelling (edema), and jaw opening (trismus) following surgery to remove impacted lower wisdom teeth. This topic has been covered before on this site see for example the articles Laser Therapy to Reduce Pain and Improve Healing After Tooth Removal and Using Laser Therapy after Tooth Extraction to Improve Wound Healing. In the article the authors explore laser therapy as a possible alternative to techniques such as medication, cryotherapy, and surgical closure techniques to minizime complications, pain, and … Read more

Woman in Singapore Dies After Wisdom Tooth Removal

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A 24 year old woman in Singapore died after having four wisdom teeth extracted in 2019. The woman had visited the National Dental Centre Singapore first in August 2018. At another visit in April 2019 she complained of severe pain in the upper and lower right side of her mouth. While at the appointment, it was determined that the pain could be due to her four impacted wisdom teeth. The woman decided to have wisdom teeth surgery under general anaesthesia. The woman had no known drug allergies and had previously been given general anaesthesia without any side effects. In May 2019, the woman was admitted to a hospital where she was given a pre-anaesthetic assessment where nothing out of the ordinary was noted. However it was noted the woman was obsese and had a skin condition known as hidradenitis suppurativa. … Read more

Dentist suspended after patient died after teeth extraction

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A dentist in the state of Washington has had their dentistry license suspended over allegations of unsafe practices after a patient died while having multiple teeth removed in 2022. The patient had a significant medical history and was having teeth extracted in June 2022 in advance of a scheduled heart valve surgery. The patient was under moderate sedation for abot five minutes before a drop in oxygen-saturation level, heart rate and blood pressure. The patient had hypertensive cardiovascular disease, valvular heart disease, congestive heart failure, pulmonary emphysema, chronic disease, diabetes, and obesity. In advance of the extractions the dentist had received medical clearance from the patient’s primary care provider but the dentist had not talked to any other doctors treating the patient. During the day of the extractions, the patient was given articaine, lidocaine, triazolam, midazolam, decadron, and cefazolin. Roughly … Read more