Twenty something year old woman spends two nights in ICU after wisdom tooth removal and failures by dentist

In April 2018 in New Zealand, a twenty something year old woman had to spend two nights in the intensive care unit (ICU) after having a wisdom tooth removed. The woman had a lower right wisdom tooth extracted. This was after she presented at a dental clinic and told the dentist that she had experience on and off pain for over two years near the lower right wisdom tooth. Recently she had constant pain for over a week and and found it difficult to eat or open her mouth. The dentist diagnosed pericoronitis, which is inflammation of the tissue surrounding wisdom teeth and said the woman could either have an antibiotic to take or have the wisdom tooth extracted. The woman elected extraction. In the days that followed the woman “was in pain, her face was swollen, and she could … Read more

Lemierre’s Syndrome after Wisdom Teeth Removal

An interesting article titled “Lemierre’s Syndrome Following Extraction of Wisdom Teeth,” appears in the October 20, 2020 edition of the Cureus Journal of Medical Science (written by A. Keshary and M. Hagan, 12(10): e11061). The article describes a case of an 18 year old man who had his wisdom teeth extracted and then developed Lemierre’s Syndrome which rarely occurs after wisdom tooth removal but is is known to affect young and healthy adults; See Near Death Wisdom Teeth Removal Experience where another case has been discussed on this site in the past. Lemierre’s syndrome is a serious bloodstream infection typically caused by Fusobacterium necrophorum. It has a death rate of around 18% and thus if detected needs to be quickly treated with antibiotics. Very few cases of Lemierre’s syndrome after wisdom teeth surgery have occurred since antibiotics became readily available. In the … Read more

Record Numbers Predicted to Die from Opioids in the US

As has been covered on this site before, opioid abuse which can stem from wisdom teeth surgery at a young age is a major challenge in countries like the U.S. There are many stories of families where a young person in their teenage or twenty years has their wisdom teeth taken out and then are exposed to opioids to control pain. This exposure can lead to them become potentially addicted to opioids and then later die as a result of this addiction. Thus, finding alternatives to opioids for surgery like wisdom teeth removal is important to help curb a disturbing trend. See posts like Dentists Overprescribing Opioids to Adults in the U.S., New Research Being Conducted at Rutgers for Opioid Alternatives Could Lead to Less Potential Drug Abuse for those Having Wisdom Teeth Surgery, and Studies and Opinions on Opioids … Read more

Wisdom Tooth Extraction Leads to Giant Lung Abscess

A unique complication of wisdom teeth removal is described in the article titled “A 45-Year-Old Man With Acute Chest Pain, Fever, and Dyspnea After Tooth Extraction” appearing in the December 2021 edition of Chest written by Tashiro et al. (issue 160, no. 6, pp. e623 – e628). In the article, discussion is made of a healthy 45-year-old man who experienced respiratory failure due to a giant lung abscess that formed as a result of oral bacteria after a wisdom tooth extraction. Two days after having a wisdom tooth removed, the 45-year-old man in Japan developed chest pain on his right side. Two weeks after the wisdom tooth extraction, the man went to a hospital because he had a fever, difficulty breathing, and had a cough and purulent sputum. The man was in good health and visited a dentist twice a … Read more

Billie Eilish and Kaia Gerber have Wisdom Teeth Removed

Over the years various celebrities who have had wisdom teeth extracted have been discussed in various posts on this site. See for example the posts Brad Pitt, Cara Delevingne, and Russell Wilson Latest Celebrities to have Wisdom Teeth Removed in 2021 and Celebrities who have had Wisdom Teeth Extracted. Two other celebrities yet to be shared on this site who have had wisdom teeth extracted in recent years include Billie Eilish and Kaia Gerber. Billie Eilish Billie Eilish is a famous American musician. She had her wisdom teeth extracted in 2017. She has shared some clips of herself after the surgery where she appears out of it. These clips of herself recovering from the procedure while very out of it have of course generated many views. In December 2020, she shared a new clip in which she sits in the … Read more