previous arrow
next arrow
Slider

Archives for June 2020

Is Wisdom Tooth Removal a Racket?

by

I recently read about someone quoting a dentist, Dr. Friedman, who said that early wisdom tooth removal is a racket. Is that true? My daughter has some impacted wisdom teeth. Our dentist suggested she have them removed within the next year or two. But, they’re not bothering her. Is it really necessary or is that quoted dentist true?

Melanie

Dear Melanie,

illustration of four impacted wisdom teeth

Examples of Impacted Wisdom Teeth

I know the article you are referring to. At least the one by Dr. Friedman. At the time the article went out, I had my suspicions he had not removed that many wisdom teeth himself based on some of the things he’s postulated.

False Narratives about Wisdom Tooth Extraction

In his article, published in The American Journal of Public Health titled “The Prophylactic Extraction of Third Molars: A Public Health Hazard,” he writes:

“Myth Number 2–early removal of wisdom teeth is less traumatic.”

Here he is positing that if you wait until the patient is much older, waiting to see if the impacted wisdom teeth actually become a problem, the procedure is actually less traumatic than if you did it when they are younger.

Anyone who has done any number of wisdom tooth extractions would tell you this is patently false. The best, least traumatic time to do a wisdom tooth extraction is when someone is in their late teens. This is because the roots of the wisdom teeth are almost completely developed but still pliable. The older you get, the more firmly set the roots get making the extraction MORE traumatic.

Because of his total ignorance, I decided to find out more about this Dr.Friedman. While he is a dentist, he hasn’t been in practice. Instead, he’s spent his life working as a consultant for insurance companies.

This tells me without the benefit of any real-world experience, he throws out theories that only benefit the insurance companies he works for.

Further, in this same article, he states:

“Furthermore, dry socket, secondary infection, and paresthesia are less likely to occur in persons aged 35 to 83 years than in those aged 12 to 24 years, who experience more third-molar extractions.”

Another blatant untruth. Most dentists will tell you, while they may have experienced any or all of the above issue, they will hardly ever happen in a teenager.

One way to know the truth of the issue is to ask a dentist or oral surgeon what he did with HIS teenagers. I’d be willing to bet he had theirs removed in their late teens if they were coming in impacted.

If you want my opinion, get her wisdom teeth out if a dentist is recommending it.

This blog is brought to you by Auburn, AL Dentist Dr. Raymond Bolt.

Whitening My Dental Crown

by

I want to get my teeth whitened but don’t know if there is something special I have to do to or with my dental crown. Any chance you have some advice for me?

Kathy W.

Dear Kathy,

Teeth Whitening Trays

I can help you here, but wish I had a little more information. There are several possible specifics you could be asking for and I don’t know which. I’ll try to cover the two most common issues.

Your Dental Crown is Stained

Let’s say you want to whiten both your teeth and your dental crown. Maybe it is getting old and has started picking up stains. Maybe your hygienist accidentally took off the glazing on the crown during your last cleaning and now it is picking up stains. Or maybe you just want whiter teeth than you had when you had the crown made.

The problem you will run into is, while teeth whitening is very effective, it only works on natural tooth structure. What this means for you is your natural teeth will whiten but not the dental crown. If it is old and at the end of its life, it will be in your best interest to replace it anyway. The key here is to do the teeth whitening first. Once your teeth are the color you want, you simply replace your old crown and have it made to blend with your new, whiter color.

If the crown isn’t old and the glazing was removed by your hygienist, they should replace it for you. This can happen if he or she uses something like a power prophy jet or acidulated fluoride during your cleaning. Taking that glazing off actually destroys it because the glaze is what protects it from picking up stains. This is why they should repair it at their cost.

Your Teeth Need Whitening but Your Crown is Fine

If it turns out that your crown is absolutely fine and the same color it was when you first received it, but your teeth have since picked up stains you can easily whiten your teeth. Some patients worry that the whitening gel will damage their porcelain crown.

The good news is while the whitening gel doesn’t whiten the crown, neither does it damage the crown. You can safely whiten your teeth with no fear of damaging the crown.

This blog is brought to you by Auburn, AL Dentist Dr. Raymond Bolt.

Our office follows all of the infection-control guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the dental setting, including updates for combatting the spread of the coronavirus. We are confident that you are safe with us.