June 2021 | Williams Family Dentistry

My 19-year-old son needs one of his wisdom teeth extracted. Apparently, it is under the bone and my dentist asked if we wanted general anesthesia. That surprised me and I wasn’t sure how to answer. I worry about general anesthesia and the complications that can come with that, but I don’t want him in any unnecessary pain either. What is the right course of action? My dentist just says it is up to me.

Franny

Dear Franny,

Based on what you have said, I don’t think your son will need anything more than oral conscious sedation. If your dentist is saying it is up to you, then there does not seem to be any complicating factors to worry about. He is in the ideal age for wisdom tooth removal. At his age, the bone is quite pliable. As we age, cementum accumulates on the roots of the teeth. However, he is far too young for that to be a concern.

I will tell you what does concern me — your dentist. I am worried that he is not comfortable with this extraction and that may be why he is hinting for a stronger means of dealing with this extraction. I don’t think it is fair of him to not give you a real recommendation. That is part of his job as he is the one with the training.

A word about oral conscious sedation. This is still a strong medication. He will likely sleep through the procedure, but when he awakens he will be groggy and not quite lucid. Plan on spending the day with him just to be there in case he needs the restroom. He won’t be too steady on his feet. My advice is to set him up on the couch with his favorite streaming service.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.

My dentist fit me with three dental crowns. I later found out that they are Encore crowns which are 40% palladium. I was surprised to hear that. Given that palladium is toxic, would I be wise to remove these crowns and get zirconia instead, which is much more inert?

Cassie

Dear Cassie,

I was surprised by your comment about palladium. As someone who practices holistic dentistry, Dr. Weaver strives to keep abreast of issues like this. It is frustrating that so many dentists blow off the comcept of metal sensitivities because it is a real issue. However, we need to make sure our information is current and accurate.

After doing some research as a result of your question, I’ve found two main sources that people are quoting they received the information. The first is a Hollywood movie. The second is a natural news site. Let’s start with the movie. In Iron Man 2, Tony Stark has an arc reactor in his chest that has a palladium core. In the movie, the paladium is poisoning his blood. This is not a real world experience. Palladium is a noble metal, part of the platinum family, and highly biocompatible.

Now for the natural news source. They wrote that palladium is a highly toxic heavy metal. This is actually false. It is a light, precious metal. For the life of me I cannot figure out where they are getting their information. I did notice they have a link where readers can request a hair analysis for the low price of $325.00. That does give a motivation for the misinformation. I hate to think of how many people are being swindled by them.

I don’t see any reason to change your dental crowns. However, if you do want to, zirconia is metal-free and a great choice. Honestly, though, I think switching is a waste of your money.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.

Anesthesia for Wisdom Tooth Extraction?

Is the Palladium in my Dental Crown Toxic?

Archives for June 2021