Archive for the ‘ Blog ’ Category

CAN MICROSURGICAL REPAIR OF INFERIOR ALVEOLAR NERVE INJURIES IMPROVE SENSORY FUNCTION AND RELIEF OF PAIN?  

The nerve bundle that runs through the mandible provides sensory perception (feeling) to the lower lip and chin, the teeth and gums, and there is a branch that goes to the side of the tongue. The nerve enters the bone on the inside surface at the back of the jaw and then runs forward from […]

Is IV anesthesia needed and appropriate for my oral surgery treatment?

Sometimes we are questioned about the need for IV Anesthesia for treatment.  The typical concerns are for the appropriateness of care, risks of treatment, and cost of treatment.  This most often comes up when there is an urgent care need.  The patient is of course under some stress in that they have to see another […]

HOW SAFE IS OUTPATIENT SEDATION ADMINISTERED BY ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURGEONS?

The typical techniques used by Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (OMFS’s) have evolved over my years in practice, but the overall safety has remained the same. It is very safe. (J Oral Maxillofac Surg 79: 990-999, 2021). Anesthesia administered by OMFS’s has one of the highest safety records in medicine. There is a very good reason […]

SHOULD ORAL DEXAMETHASONE BE TAKEN PRIOR TO MANDIBULAR THIRD MOLAR SURGERIES?

In my practice, we anesthetize almost all of our third molar surgery (wisdom tooth surgery) patients and we also give a steroid – typically IV dexamethasone – to those patients when indicated. The use of oral dexamethasone for these patients would not be indicated as a premedication as we want the patient to be fasting […]

Does a  Preoperative Dose of Ibuprofen Reduce the Pain Associated with Wisdom Tooth Removal?

 Should I take a dose of ibuprofen prior to my wisdom tooth treatment?  There have been many studies through the years showing that taking an NSAID, such as ibuprofen, prior to extraction of wisdom teeth reduces post-treatment pain and swelling.  (J Oral Maxillofac Surg 77:1990-1997, 2019).  I believe this is true for most dental procedures […]

Should I Try One of These Other Methods to Remove Wisdom Teeth?

I (Dr. Wagner) have been removing impacted wisdom teeth for over 30 years.  I regularly have to treat very difficult cases, including cases where there is a significant risk to the neurovascular bundle in the jaw (inferior alveolar nerve), jaw cysts (odontogenic cysts), infections, and complicated/difficult extractions.  I am an expert in this treatment and […]

Is it Okay to Get Dental Implants if I Have Diabetes?

Another way to phrase the question would be, “Does the presence of diabetes cause problems with dental implant care?”  The quick answer to the question is “no”.  (JADA 2021:152(3):189-201).  Over the years, we have looked at the presence of diseases and the effect of these diseases on dental implant care.  This can be looked at […]

What is the Better X-ray for Wisdom Teeth, the Panoramic or the Cone Beam Scan?

The cone beam scan is by far the better of the two if you are just basing the question off which gives you more information (J Oral Maxillofac Surg 77:1968, 2019).  The panoramic is a two-dimensional x-ray picture of the jaw structure, and the cone beam imaging is a three-dimensional reconstruction of multiple scans, and […]

Has the COVID-19 Pandemic had an Effect on the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Literature?

As a trained and educated scientist, I have always approached literature, especially scientific literature, with skepticism.  What I have observed in the COVID-19 pandemic is a proof of something I have felt as I have read our scientific literature and attended many courses and symposia through the years — that is:  There is a considerable […]

Give Me a Good Reason to get the COVID-19 Vaccination!

First, I will give you a good reason not to get it — that is if your faith in God is based on a theology that vaccinations are in some way evil or represent a sin against God.  After that, as a scientist and as an individual with considerable education and knowledge (not an immunologist) […]