wisdom teeth extraction

Green Glasses for Less Scary Wisdom Teeth Surgery

by

Getting your wisdom teeth pulled can provoke fear and anxiety for many. A new study titled “Effectiveness of wearing glasses with green lenses on dental anxiety for third-molar surgery” written by Gokhan Gurses and et. al. appearing in March 21, 2024, appearing in the Journal of the American Dental Association suggests a simple trick might help: wearing green glasses. Wearing green lenses for just 10 minutes before wisdom teeth surgery can significantly reduce anxiety and heart rate in patients. The benefits may even extend to the surgery itself, with patients reporting lower pain levels when wearing green glasses throughout the procedure. Why Green? The calming effect of green isn’t exactly new. Studies have shown that exposure to green spaces, like forests, can reduce anxiety and depression. Green light has also been linked to pain reduction and improved quality of life … Read more

Hydrocortisone Shows Promise in Reducing Pain and Swelling After Wisdom Tooth Removal

by

An interesting article titled “Efficacy of Hydrocortisone, Povidone-Iodine, and Normal Saline as an Irrigating Solution During Surgical Removal of Impacted Mandibular Third Molars: A Randomized Controlled Trial” written by Faheem Ahmed and et. al. appears in Cureus published February 01, 2024. The study sought to compare the effects of three irrigating solutions, hydrocortisone, povidone-iodine, and normal saline, on pain, trismus, and edema following removal of impacted lower wisdom teeth. Wisdom tooth removal, also known as the surgical removal of impacted third molars, is a common dental procedure, often accompanied by pain, swelling (edema), and difficulty opening the mouth (trismus). Researchers have been looking for ways to alleviate these post-surgical concers. The study metnioned in this article compared the effectiveness of three irrigation solutions used during surgery. The study involved 105 patients between the ages of 18 and 40 who needed … Read more

Prompts to reduce opioid prescribing

by

An interesting study with a potential technique to reduce opioid prescribing is published in Nature Communications by Doctor, J.N., Kelley, M.A., Goldstein, N.J. et al. titled A randomized trial looking at planning prompts to reduce opioid prescribing (vol.15, no. 263, 2024). The article suggests informing doctors about patients who died from overdoses, combined with specific guidance on safer prescribing practices, may be an effective way to reduce risky prescriptions of opioids and benzodiazepines. Despite efforts in the U.S. to reduce opioid addiction and related fatalities, it is believed too many opioids are still prescribed. Some evidence has shown that notifying doctors about an overdose death of a patient may be effective. Researchers from the University of Southern California investigated this approach by sending personalized letters to clinicians in Los Angeles County. Some received letters simply notifying them about a patient’s overdose death, while others received … Read more

Comparing the effectiveness of diclofenac, celecoxib and ibuprofen for wisdom teeth removal.

by

An interesting study titled “Comparative Effect of Celecoxib, Diclofenac, and Ibuprofen in Controlling Postoperative Pain, Edema, and Trismus After Third Molar Extraction: A Double-Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial” written by L. Bassyoni on February 06, 2024 appears in Cureus 16, no. 2, e53687. The study sought to compare celecoxib, diclofenac, and ibuprofen for managing postoperative pain, swelling, and mouth opening ability (trismus) after wisdom teeth surgery. The study included participants recruited from the oral and maxillofacial surgery specialty clinics at King Abdul-Aziz University Dental Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Only one impacted lower wisdom tooth was extracted at the time of surgery. The study was a double-blinded randomized controlled trial which meant that study participants were randomly assigned to one of the three medication groups and neither they nor the researchers the medications received. The study was rather small and only had … Read more

Marijuana derivative might be an alternative for opioids for dental pain

by

An interesting article titled “Cannabidiol as an Alternative Analgesic for Acute Dental Pain” written by V. Chrepa and et. al. was published November 1, 2023 in the Journal of Dental Research. The article sought to assess the effectiveness and safety of cannabidiol (CBD) as an analgesic for patients with acute dental pain. The study showed that CBD, a non-addictive and non-psychoactive component of Cannabis sativa, demonstrated potential as a therapeutic analgesic for acute dental pain. CBD may offer a safer and equally efficacious alternative to opioid-based medications. This is believed to be the first randomized clinical trial testing CBD for the management of dental pain. Currently dentists and oral surgeons have switched to anti-inflammatories such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen as the first line of defense for dental pain, see for example the post Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs better than opioids for pain after … Read more