Wisdom Teeth Extraction Videos on Youtube to Promote Dental Practices

I found some interesting videos showing how a dentist extracts a wisdom tooth on youtube. While these videos may appear to be innocent, they actually are designed to promote the dentist’s office and practice. Even so they are informative for those interesting in learning more about wisdom tooth surgery. The first video shows Jonathan H. Kim. D.D.S. who is a San Jose, California, dentist. The second video shows Dr. Jerry Gordon who is a dentist in Bensalem, Philadelphia. In the first video a woman has two wisdom teeth extracted. At the end of the video she says the surgery was painless and says that others should stop by. In the second video a woman has an upper wisdom tooth that has been bothering her removed.  At the end of the video the woman says the surgery didn’t hurt and she … Read more

Family Reaches $3 million settlement from faulty medical gas during wisdom teeth removal

I have previously reported on Austin Stone, a teenager who was left with partial blindness and neurological problems after having his wisdom teeth removed. Today a partial settlement has been reached for $3 million with Action Plumbing; however, they denied being liable. Legal action is still pending against other defendants. Austin visited Dr.  Steven Kirk Vincent in Lawrence, Kansas, U.S., in March 2009, to have all four of his wisdom teeth removed.  Dr. Vincent had just had a new dental surgery center opened and Austin was the first patient to visit on a Monday morning. Dr. Vincent began administering to Austin what he believed to be nitrous oxide and oxygen. Austin did not become sedated and so Dr. Vincent administered diazepam, fentanyl, and later propofol. Austin’s heart rate began to decrease and Dr. Vincent administered what he believed to be … Read more

The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Fails to Use Basic Statistics in Research on Wisdom Teeth

I have previously reported how the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) recently had a press conference on wisdom teeth in Washington, D.C. See https://blog.teethremoval.com/third-molar-multidisciplinary-press-conference/ for more information. Shortly after the press conference they issued a press release available at http://www.aaoms.org/docs/media/third_molars/press_release.pdf which is titled “Conventional Wisdom about Wisdom teeth Confirmed: Evidence Shows Keeping Wisdom teeth May be More Harmful than Previously Thought.” One of the additional key findings listed in this press release  is “Most patients (60 percent) with asymptomatic wisdom teeth prefer extraction to retention.” This finding comes from a recent article in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, titled “Most Patients With Asymptomatic, Disease-Free Third Molars Elect Extraction Over Retention as Their Their Preferred Treatment.”  The article is by Brian E. Kinard, BS and Thomas B. Dodson, DMD, MPH.  It appears in the December 2010 … Read more

Do Wisdom Teeth Cause Crowding?

For some reason which is not clear to me, people still often ask the question: do wisdom teeth cause crowding of anterior teeth? The answer to this question is a plain and simple no. Thomas B. Dodson, DMD, MPH says “extracting third molars to prevent or alleviate crowding of the dentition is not usually justified.” Jay Friedman, a retired dentist, says “It is not possible for lower third molars, which develop in the spongy interior cancellous tissue of bone with no firm support, to push 14 other teeth with roots implanted vertically like the pegs of a picket fence so that the incisors in the middle twist and overlap.” Dr. Jeff , a dentist, says “Wisdom teeth will not cause lower anterior crowding, ask any competent orthodontist, or just think about it from a logical standpoint. Realistically can a tooth … Read more

Anesthesia in the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Office

The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) is continuing to attempt to increase their ability to attract young adults to elect to have their wisdom teeth removed. Back in May 2010 they released a video called “Anesthesia: Safety and Comfort in the OMS Office.” The video is over nine minutes long and takes viewers into actual Oral and Maxillofacial surgeon’s offices with interviews by Dr. M. Anthony Pogrel who is Professor and Chair of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of California, San Fransisco, Dr. Andrew Herlich who is Chief of Anesthesiology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Dr. Michael Miloro who is director for the Postgraduate Residency Training Program at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry, Dr. Michael Ding who is Chief Resident of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at … Read more