x-ray

Using imaging to assess the impaction of lower wisdom teeth as one ages

by

An interesting article titled “Impaction of lower third molars and their association with age: radiological perspectives,” written by Ryalat et al. appears in BMC Oral Health in 2018 (vol. 18, no. 1, Published April 4, 2018). The article explores the impaction pattern in radiographic images of wisdom teeth. The authors were motivated by the belief that if the impaction patterns of wisdom teeth can be identified this can help guide clinical decision making regarding to extract or to retain lower impacted wisdom teeth. Specifically, for the study two individuals looked at 1,198 orthopantomographs or panoramic radiographs with 1,810 impacted lower wisdom teeth or third molars. Originally a total of 4,600 orthopantomographs were retrieved from those taken at The University of Jordan Hospital between the years 2010 and 2014, but 3,402 were excluded due to patient age being outside of the … Read more

Lemierre’s Syndrome after Wisdom Teeth Removal

by

An interesting article titled “Lemierre’s Syndrome Following Extraction of Wisdom Teeth,” appears in the October 20, 2020 edition of the Cureus Journal of Medical Science (written by A. Keshary and M. Hagan, 12(10): e11061). The article describes a case of an 18 year old man who had his wisdom teeth extracted and then developed Lemierre’s Syndrome which rarely occurs after wisdom tooth removal but is is known to affect young and healthy adults; See Near Death Wisdom Teeth Removal Experience where another case has been discussed on this site in the past. Lemierre’s syndrome is a serious bloodstream infection typically caused by Fusobacterium necrophorum. It has a death rate of around 18% and thus if detected needs to be quickly treated with antibiotics. Very few cases of Lemierre’s syndrome after wisdom teeth surgery have occurred since antibiotics became readily available. In the … Read more

The Before and After of Tooth Surgery: Everything You Need to Know

by

Tooth extraction is a common procedure. When your teeth are severely decayed and broken, and the dentist cannot repair them with a filling or other dental procedure like a root canal, tooth extraction is the last option. When you know what to expect before and after tooth extraction, you will be at ease. By following clear instructions, you can prevent infections and avoid dry socket, which is a very painful condition. Let’s see what you should do before and after tooth extraction. Before Tooth Extraction Ask questions It is normal to have questions about the procedure. Don’t hold back. List down all your questions and remember that no question is too silly to ask. Get answers to your questions before proceeding with the tooth extraction procedure. The Dentist will Perform X-Rays Before the extraction, the dentist will perform x-rays of … Read more

Using Panoramic X-Rays of Lower Wisdom Teeth to Legally Prove if Someone is Older than 18 Years and 21 Years

by

According to two 2010 studies it is possible to use a panoramic x-ray of lower wisdom teeth to prove if someone is older than 18 years old and also to prove if someone is older than 21 years old. Recently on this site the issue of forensic age estimation using wisdom teeth was explored. In this article it was shown from several studies by Olze et al. that age estimation based on panoramic x-rays of wisdom teeth exploring tooth emergence must take into account populations representative of whom the person belongs in order to be more reliable. It was also discussed how Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the U.S. is using dental x-rays to attempt to determine the age of the migrant. More information on this can be found in the article titled “Here’s how ICE sent children seeking asylum … Read more

Forensic Age Estimation using Wisdom Teeth

by

Recently there has been a lot of discussion of immigration of migrants into the United States of America. Many times young children who travel to the U.S. are migrants seeking asylum but there age is not known. Different laws apply to those who are adults versus those who are children. In recent cases described in the article titled “Immigration agents X-raying migrants to determine age isn’t just illegal, it’s a misuse of science,” by Elizabeth A. Digangi published June 1, 2018, in MedicalXpress, there have been reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) using dental x-rays to attempt to determine the age of the migrant. The issue at hand is whether or not dental x-rays can provide information regarding the age of a person in regards to looking at wisdom teeth and if it is safe for use. Of course when … Read more