Wisdom Teeth

What is Kratom and Is It Legal in San Diego?

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Kratom is a tropical tree whose consumption is expected to leave mind-altering effects on its users. The media describes it as a natural, mild, pleasant, and a solution for opioid addiction. Opioid addiction after wisdom teeth removal has been discussed before, see for example the post Persistent Opioid Use After Wisdom Teeth Removal. Even though kratom has benefits, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned consumers about its harmful and deadly risks. The FDA believes it is as dangerous as heroin, LSD, marijuana, and ecstasy. Furthermore, the treatment for this substance should be taken as serious as other addictive opioids. Why is Kratom Growing in Popularity? Kratom, also known as Mitragyna Speciosa, is native to Southeast Asia. Farmers and rubber trappers used to consume Kratom to seek additional energy. Some people have suggested that it may improve the feeling of well-being, … Read more

Auctioning Off Wisdom Teeth: How Much Money Can you Make?

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It has been discussed before on this site how in some cases it may be beneficial to save your wisdom teeth if you have any of them extracted. Many companies offer the option to have your wisdom teeth stem cells cryogenically preserved for a fee. This has been discussed in the post Storing Wisdom Teeth Stem Cells. Companies such as Stemodontics have technicians crack open a tooth, remove the pulp, and then remove the stem cells. Patients are willing to pay such companies a fee based on the hope that these stem cells one day can be used to to help with dental and bone repair although this is not currently a process that can be utilized. However there may also be a different reason to save wisdom teeth: just plain money. A wisdom tooth of Edward VIII, the former late … Read more

Food Delivery after Wisdom Teeth Removal

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After having wisdom teeth surgery it is important to pay special attention to what one eats. It is suggested to only eat soft foods after having wisdom teeth removed for 2 to 3 days. You also want to avoid any particularly hard or crunchy foods for up to 2 weeks after the procedure. This information and some foods suggestions is available at the what to eat after wisdom teeth removal page. Some suggested foods include the following: milkshakes smoothies soups ice cream avocado banana rice applesauce yogurt mashed beans soft pasta You also want to drink plenty of water and possibly even Gatorade or fruit juices to stay hydrated. For those who receive sedation, you likely had someone accompany you to the surgery or at least was available to drive you home. Perhaps it was a family member or a … Read more

Studies and Opinions on Opioids After Wisdom Teeth Removal

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Recently on this site there have been several posts regarding giving patients opioids after wisdom teeth removal. In the post Do Oral Surgeons Give Too Many Opioids for Wisdom Teeth Removal? a study by Resnick et al. appearing in the 2019 edition of the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery was discussed (titled “Do Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Over-Prescribe Opioids After Extraction of Asymptomatic Third Molars?”). Recently some commentary in a letter to the editor appearing in the 2019 edition of the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery has been provided titled “Opioid Prescription Following Third Molar Extractions,” written by Subramanian and Quek which questions the validity of the study by Resnick. In the article by Subramanian and Quek some very valid points are made. First, the article by Resnick only relied on voluntary reporting of opioid use and this … Read more

Proving a Person is Older than 18 Years Based on the Periodontal Space (Ligament) and Root Pulp of Lower Wisdom Teeth from Imaging

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Recently, four articles that have been published on this site regarding using wisdom teeth as seen in an image from either panoramic x-ray or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to estimate age: 1) forensic age estimation using wisdom teeth, 2) using panoramic x-rays of lower wisdom teeth to legally prove if someone is older than 18 years and 21 years, 3) Using lower wisdom teeth developmental stages determined from panoramic x-rays to calculate age, and 4) dental age estimation using MRI of wisdom teeth. From these studies discussed their appears to be a need to further explore using the so called Olze methods from Olze et al., “Evaluation of the radiographic visibility of the root pulp in the lower third molars for the purpose of forensic age estimation in living individuals,” in the International Journal of Legal Medicine, vol. 124, pp. 183–186, 2010, and Olze et al., “Assessment … Read more