wisdom teeth extraction

Propofol-Remifentanil Versus Propofol-Ketamine for Third Molar Surgery

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A study titled “Comparison of Propofol-Remifentanil Versus Propofol-Ketamine Deep Sedation for Third Molar Surgery” appears in the 2012 Anesthesia Progress journal. The authors of the study set out to better determine what anesthetic to provide during third molar (aka wisdom teeth) surgery. In the study, two drug combinations for use as deep sedation during oral surgery were evaluated. Patients in a control group received a continuous intravenous infusion of propofol-remifentanil,  and patients in an experimental group received a continuous intravenous infusion of propofol-ketamine. This study was double blind in that neither patients nor surgeons were aware of which treatment was given. In this study, 37 patients  were monitored while sedated for respiratory, heart rate, and blood pressure stability. Emergence from the effects of anesthesia and total recovery time were recorded. In addition, patients and surgeons were both asked to rate … Read more

Some New Wisdom Teeth and Dental Information Websites

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Recently I have come across a few new websites in the dental space and wisdom teeth space on the internet. Update as of June 2019 both of these websites are dead and no longer exist. 1) One of these websites is http://www.teethcenter.com. This site says  “TeethCenter is an organization committed to providing consumers and dentists with an online resource for dental related and news and information. There are many “health” sites on the web, but, not a prominent site dedicated to dental news and information.” The website looks quite nice but it’s articles in terms of quality are the typical. For example, on the page “Should I Have my Wisdom Teeth Pulled,” discussion is made of some reasons for and against wisdom teeth removal but not statistics/data to help aid the reader is presented.  I have provided a lot of … Read more

The Evidence Base for Third Molar (Wisdom Teeth) Decisions

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An excellent editorial appears in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in the August 2012 edition titled “Those Who Ignore the Evidence Are Doomed to Misuse It” by Dr. Thomas B. Dodson (70, pages 1765-1767). Dr. Dodson explains how the debate regarding whether or not to either 1) remove asymptomatic, disease-free third molars, or 2) retain asymptomatic, disease-free third molars has become highly controversial. He argues that there are an assortment of viewpoints that play a role here. A) Payer-based clinical decision making: “The payer is the invisible hand in the operatory, influencing the treatment plan with a bold line that determines whether a service is covered or not. With PBCD, there is little regard or sympathy for what the OMS perceives about the individual patients and their circumstances. Thus, PBCD risks moral hazard by pre-empting services that the … Read more

Alveolar Expansion Technique for Extraction of Third Molars (Wisdom Teeth)

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An interesting study titled “Comparison of an alveolar expansion technique and buccal guttering technique in the extraction of mandibular third molar. A pilot study,” appeared in the Open Journal of Stomatology (vol 1, pages 103-108, 2011) written by Babatunde O. Akinbami and Lukcy I. Ofomala from Nigeria. As stated in the abstract the background for this study was “The over-ambitious use of surgical drills for almost every case of third molar impaction is on the increase in most established oral surgery centers. The purpose of this study was to assess and compare the severity of post operative symptoms of swelling and pain that accompany the use of surgical drill in the buccal guttering technique and the non application of drill in an alveolar expansion technique.” The authors open in the introduction by discussion how bone around impacted third molar teeth … Read more

One Star Yelp Reviews on Wisdom Teeth

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In this post I will examine some recent 1 star reviews of a dental and/or oral surgery practice on Yelp and some of the comments received. At an office in Seattle, Washington, a women writes in her review on Yelp ” I am still upset about what happened. It is a very long and disturbing story. Basically – [the doctor] performed the surgery in a very cold room [on my 19 year old daughter] and seriously damaged a muscle in her jaw. Within 24 hours after surgery she could not open her mouth more than a quarter inch….the doctors determined that she had a massive infection in her jaw and immediately put her on IV antibiotics….it took FOUR months for the damage to heal & for her to be able to open her mouth normally!” At a dental center in Virginia … Read more