wisdom teeth removal

Exploring Mandibular Wisdom Teeth Roots after Coronectomy

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Coronectomy involves the removal of part of the mandibular wisdom teeth but retention of the root. It is believed to cause less risk to the inferior alveolar nerve than extraction. An article on this topic titled “Histological evaluation of mandibular third molars roots retrieved after coronectomy,” appears in the 2015 British Journal of Oral and Maxilofacial Surgery and written by Vinod Patel and et. al (vol. 52, pp. 415-419). In the article the authors sought to find out the pulpal and periradicular status of retained roots of mandibular wisdom teeth and histologically evaluated coronectomy roots that were removed because of persistent symptoms. It is possible the roots had become infected. A total of 21 patients (with 26 roots) were included in their study with persistent symptoms after the roots had been retrieved. Of the 26 symptomatic roots, radiographic assessments showed coronectomy had been sufficient in … Read more

Painkiller Overdose in Michigan: Are Wisdom Teeth Extractions Contributing?

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Before on this blog I have talked about how oral surgeons prescribe powerful painkillers for use after wisdom teeth removal. It is possible some of these painkillers are instead used for non-medical use. See the posts https://blog.teethremoval.com/comparing-narcotic-prescribing-habits-for-oral-surgeons-in-the-u-s-and-canada/ and https://blog.teethremoval.com/do-oral-surgeons-prescribe-too-many-narcotics-for-use-after-wisdom-teeth-removal/. An interesting article titled “Synder officials take on painkiller overdose ‘epidemic’” located at  http://www.detroitnews.com/story/life/wellness/2015/10/12/prescriptions/73798342/ and written by Gary Heinlein and Joel Kurth, discusses a surge in overdose deaths in Michigan linked to the abuse of pain and anxiety medications (Oct. 12, 2015). One of the cases describe how a man’s addiction to painkillers was aided by a 30-day prescription for Vicodin after his wisdom teeth extraction. The article states “The state’s health department has said overdose deaths linked to opioids were increasing at a faster rate than for illegal drugs such as heroin — also on the rise — and cocaine. A state report also noted that … Read more

Wisdom Teeth Surgery: A Patient’s View

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Many who come to this blog and website are of course interested in learning more about wisdom teeth removal. In the past I have posted some successful and positive wisdom teeth extraction experiences see https://blog.teethremoval.com/successful-and-positive-wisdom-teeth-removal-experiences/. Even so this site has more negative experiences. For those who want a more detailed positive experience from the surgery an article by Laura Pacey in the May 2014, British Dental Journal titled “Third Molar Surgery” is helpful (vol. 216, issue 9, pp. 490). The article is written by the assistant editor of the British Dental Journal and describes her experience with having three wisdom teeth extracted. As someone who works in the dental field of course she may be more knowledgeable than the average patient. She describes how she feared that she would become another ill-fated statistic concerning complications following wisdom teeth removal. Prior … Read more

Using Povidone Iodine After Wisdom Teeth Removal

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The article titled “Effect of Low-Concentration Povidone Iodine on Postoperative Complications After Third Molar Surgery: A Pilot Split-Mouth Study” written by Hamid Mahmoud Hashemi and et. al. appears in the January 2015 issue of the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (vol. 73, issue 1). The article discusses polyvinylpyrrolidone iodine which is a highly potent antiseptic solution known for its bactericidal activity. The authors performed a prospective randomized split mouth study of patients undergoing surgical removal of impacted mandibular wisdom teeth to evaluate whether diluted povidone iodine can be used as an irrigant and coolant and if it has any effect on common postoperative sequelae, including swelling, pain, and trismus. A total of 30 healthy patients (18 to 25 yr old) with bilateral impacted mandibular wisdom with similar position and degree of impaction were recruited at Tehran University in Iran … Read more

Monitoring the Periodontal Status of Wisdom Teeth

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An interesting article titled “Monitoring for Periodontal Inflammatory Disease in the Third Molar Region,” appears in the April 2015, issue of the Journal of Oral and Maxilofacial Surgery written by Brent A. Golden and et. al. (vol. 73, issue 4). The study looked at participants who had asymptomatic wisdom teeth and sought to assess the periodontal status of those wisdom teeth at 2 year intervals for 6 years. The participants in the study were taken to have healthy periodontal status of their wisdom teeth if the probing depths were less than 4 mm. A total of 129 such patients were included in the study. In actuality the study participants were a subsample of another larger study were patients had 4 asymptomatic wisdom teeth. The subsample included all participants with a healthy periodontal status (all probing depths less than 4 mm) … Read more