wisdom tooth

Why Weren’t the Wisdom Teeth Removed Before They Caused Problems?

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Often on this blog and teethremoval.com I ask the question why were the wisdom teeth extracted? usually in response to a bad outcome as in complication from the surgery. A case recently came to light in Nevada and now has been added on the wisdom teeth risks of keeping them page. I became aware of the case by a Fox 5 News Story in Las Vegas, Nevada. http://www.fox5vegas.com/story/15079360/botched-medical-procedure-raises-questions. A 2 minute 36 second video clip presumably aired a few days ago and is at the link provided as well. A feel this segment that aired does not do the case justice. What is described by Fox 5 News is that a young male had his wisdom teeth extracted and was later declared brain dead. The story essentially makes the case that you need to do extensive research when you are … Read more

Patient Consultations for Wisdom Teeth Removal

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In my last post on the Well Informed Patient I discuss how Dr. Thomas B. Dodson talks about “…a new brand of well-informed patient.” In that post I attempted to make that case that many patients are not being well informed at all when it comes to wisdom teeth extractions and is partially due to the current model of informed consent in the U.S but also failure to provide their patients with current scientific evidence and information. In this post I will look specifically at 2 examples of patients who have in the past few years visited oral surgeons to discuss the possibility of having wisdom teeth removed and/or had wisdom teeth removed. From their writing one can make the case that they may have benefited from being better informed and aware of the fact that no current evidence supports … Read more

17 Year Old Female Dies After Wisdom Teeth Removal

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I was very saddened to recently hear about the death of a young 17 year old girl who was a junior in high school. The woman went into cardiac arrest while having her wisdom teeth removed. She was left in a coma and died 10 days later on April 6, 2011. She was involved in multiple choral programs and was hoping to be a professional singer. What really is upsetting to me about this is at the recent memorial service for her on April 17, 2011, her mother described the doctors calling this very unfortunate and premature death “freak.” One high school senior at the same school discussed how she was still planning to have her wisdom teeth extracted later in the week. The appropriate response should call into question the validity of extracting healthy wisdom teeth from young teenagers … Read more

Awareness Campaign to Prevent Unnecessary Tooth Extractions

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The Saving Teeth Awareness Campaign has been launched in the United Kingdom to provide information to those patients in need who have a tooth infection as this will lead to bone loss and potential loss of that tooth. http://www.savingteeth.co.uk/index.htm The campaign’s goal boils down to “If a tooth can be saved, it is the best choice.” The campaign wants to make those aware that root canal treatment is the first choice when a tooth is infected. Many will instead have the tooth extracted and replaced with a bridge or dental implant but they want to try to save as many teeth from extractions as possible. An endodontist is a specialist that will often perform root canal therapy The Root Canal Awareness Week will occur in the United States from March 27 to April 2, 2011. http://www.aae.org/rcaw/ The poster from The … Read more

Wisdom Teeth Extraction Videos on Youtube to Promote Dental Practices

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I found some interesting videos showing how a dentist extracts a wisdom tooth on youtube. While these videos may appear to be innocent, they actually are designed to promote the dentist’s office and practice. Even so they are informative for those interesting in learning more about wisdom tooth surgery. The first video shows Jonathan H. Kim. D.D.S. who is a San Jose, California, dentist. The second video shows Dr. Jerry Gordon who is a dentist in Bensalem, Philadelphia. In the first video a woman has two wisdom teeth extracted. At the end of the video she says the surgery was painless and says that others should stop by. In the second video a woman has an upper wisdom tooth that has been bothering her removed.  At the end of the video the woman says the surgery didn’t hurt and she … Read more