wisdom teeth removal

Good News for Dental Phobes: Pain-Free and Needle-Free Dentistry May be Coming

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Dental visits often evoke fear and anxiety, largely due to the dreaded needle and potential pain associated with procedures. But what if there was a way to experience pain-free and needle-free dentistry? Griffith University in Australia is currently trialing a revolutionary device called the Nuralyte that may offer pain and needle free dentistry the future. The reseaschers are developing a technology utilizing light to temporarily block nerve conduction in the teeth and jaw, mimicking the numbing effect of a traditional injection. One burst of light from the Nuralyte may provide 15 to 20 minutes of pain relief. Unlike X-rays, the energy in this light source does not alter DNA. Developed by tech start-up Dentroid, the Nuralyte holds immense potential to transform the dental industry. For individuals with dental anxiety or those who experience difficulty achieving complete numbness from injections, this … Read more

Anxiety and Pain After Wisdom Teeth Surgery

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An interesting article titled “RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TYPES OF INFORMATION, DENTAL ANXIETY AND POST-OPERATIVE PAIN FOLLOWING THIRD MOLAR SURGERY, A RANDOMISED STUDY” appears in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery written by Ayodele Gbenga Akomolafe and et. al. (published online Nov. 1 2022). The article sought to determine the relationship between information types, dental anxiety and post-operative pain after lower wisdom teeth removal. In the article the researchers recruited 90 patients between the ages of 18 and 35 who had wisdom teeth extracted with local anesthesia. The patients were randomly divided online using a randomization software into to groups based on the method of information they received about the extraction: verbal or audiovisual. The information given included details about the surgery, information about surgical site closure with suture material and possible complications of extraction. Those in the verbal group were given … Read more

Laser therapy can reduce pain after wisdom teeth removal

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An interesting article titled “Extraoral low-level laser therapy can decrease pain but not edema and trismus after surgical extraction of impacted mandibular third molars: a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial,” appearing in BMC Oral Health is written by Ehsan Momeni and et. al. (September 20, 2022, Vol. 22, 417). The article seeks to explore the impact of using a low-level diode laser on pain, swelling (edema), and jaw opening (trismus) following surgery to remove impacted lower wisdom teeth. This topic has been covered before on this site see for example the articles Laser Therapy to Reduce Pain and Improve Healing After Tooth Removal and Using Laser Therapy after Tooth Extraction to Improve Wound Healing. In the article the authors explore laser therapy as a possible alternative to techniques such as medication, cryotherapy, and surgical closure techniques to minizime complications, pain, and … Read more

Woman in Singapore Dies After Wisdom Tooth Removal

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A 24 year old woman in Singapore died after having four wisdom teeth extracted in 2019. The woman had visited the National Dental Centre Singapore first in August 2018. At another visit in April 2019 she complained of severe pain in the upper and lower right side of her mouth. While at the appointment, it was determined that the pain could be due to her four impacted wisdom teeth. The woman decided to have wisdom teeth surgery under general anaesthesia. The woman had no known drug allergies and had previously been given general anaesthesia without any side effects. In May 2019, the woman was admitted to a hospital where she was given a pre-anaesthetic assessment where nothing out of the ordinary was noted. However it was noted the woman was obsese and had a skin condition known as hidradenitis suppurativa. … Read more

Factors that Influence Opioid Prescribing After Teeth Removal

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An interesting article titled “Factors influencing opioid prescribing after tooth extraction,” appears in the  Journal of the American Dental Association written by Douglas R. Oyler and et al. (published June 9, 2022). The article seeks to look at specific characteristics that infuence opioid prescribing after tooth extractions to help potentially lead to less opioid that are uncessarily prescibed. The subect of opioids and wisdom teeth extractions has been covered on this site frequently before, see for example the posts, Record Numbers Predicted to Die from Opioids in the US and Dentists Overprescribing Opioids to Adults in the U.S.. Patients in the U.S. are often first exposed to an opioid prescription from a dentist or dental care provider. Even so nowadays many dentists recommend nonopioid analgesics as the first option against pain reflief. In the article the authors reviewed records from … Read more