Wisdom Teeth

Reputation of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

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An interesting article titled “Reputation of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in the UK:the patients’ perspective,” appears in the 2015 British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (vol. 53, pp. 321–325) and written by M. Abu -Serriah and et al. The article seeks to explore the reputation of oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS). The authors state “One of these is the fact that professional reputations are gifted by salient stakeholders rather than being controlled directly by the professionals themselves, and an important group of stakeholders that has been reported (in publications on professions in medicine) to cause feelings of deprofessionalisation is made up of patients.” In the U.K. the OMFS has shifted to a medical base. OMFS overlaps with other surgical specialties, such as plastic surgery, ear, nose, and throat (ENT), and dentistry. Patients and the public can be confused by the inconsistent use … Read more

Anxiety in Dental Patients Before and After Tooth Extraction

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An interesting article titled “Assessment of general pre and post operative anxiety in patients undergoing tooth extraction a prospective study,” appears in the British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and written by Pia López-Jornet and et al. (vol. 52, pp. 18-23, 2014). The article sought to explore the amount of anxiety and fear before, immediately after, and one week after dental extraction. The researchers included 70 patients in their study. It is known that fear and anxiety in dentistry is usually associated with poor oral health and poor oral health related quality of life. Some studies have shown that those with lower socioeconomic status and with less education have more anxiety but others have shown those with more education have more anxiety. The researchers believe that oral surgery is stressful for patients and that anxiety fluctuates over time. They feel dental anxiety can be assessed with self-reported … Read more

Should bilateral inferior alveolar and lingual nerve blocks be given for wisdom teeth surgery?

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An interesting article titled “Should we be giving bilateral inferior alveolar and lingual nerve blocks for third molar surgery,” appears in the British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and written by J. Jabbar and et al. (2014, vol. 52, pp. 16-17). The article discusses how when someone is having their wisdom teeth extracted they are usually given general anesthesia and 2 inferior alveolar nerve blocks or local anesthesia in one or two visits. The authors feel there is controversy over whether 2 inferior alveolar nerve blocks should be given to patients in a single visit. The authors say the most common complications thought to be associated with bilateral inferior alveolar nerve blocks are injury to the tongue during anesthesia, unpleasant effects, loss of control of the tongue, and bilateral anaesthesia of the tongue, which can lead to collection of fluid in the oral cavity and aspiration. The authors mention a few past … Read more

How to treat your wisdom teeth during pregnancy

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It is completely safe to have regular dental cleanings while you are pregnant. Many women experience pregnancy-related gingivitis and other dental issues during pregnancy, and regular cleaning may help minimize the chances of developing a serious problem. However, we can’t always predict what will happen, and sometimes serious problems arise that need to be addressed. The topic of dental treatments during pregnancy is one that gets a lot of attention, and the information can be confusing. One issue that is particularly controversial is the issue of treating wisdom teeth. What can you do if you experience pain and swelling related to your wisdom teeth during pregnancy? Is it safe to treat them, or do you have to endure the pain until after you have your baby? The bottom line is that you should schedule an appointment with your dentist immediately … 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