Oral surgery and wisdom teeth

So I have been working for an oral surgeon this summer and it has been sooooo much fun!!! We have been very busy because all the kids are out of school, and need to get their wisdom teeth taken out, in addition to the regular oral surgery procedures. A typical day will include 6-8 surgeries and about 4-6 consultations. We work on patients with either local anesthetic, or more commonly, general anesthetic. Actually it isn't a full general anesthesia, it is known as "Twilight sleep." We do an I.V. in the arm, and administer the drugs. The patients are knocked out in about a minute. Typically they fall right asleep, but sometimes they fight a little bit. We do have to strap their arms down during the surgery so they don't fall off the chair, or hurt themselves...or us. We monitor their blood pressure, their pulse, and their oxygen. We are very careful about keeping their vitals in a normal range. The "worst" thing I have seen is when someone swallows saliva, water, or blood, and starts coughing and the doctor uses a suction down the throat to get it out. It is a very safe procedure.

There are 3 assistants in each surgery. One to pass instruments to the doctor, one to suction the blood/saliva, and one to hold the patient's head and monitor the vital signs. I have done all 3 positions. I would have to say that I am most confident in suctioning. It isn't always very easy to do, at times there are certain parts of anatomy that I have to be very careful to avoid (like the sinuses, a nerve, or an exposed fat-pad), but it is my responsibility to keep the area clear for the doctor to see. Holding the patient's head is very tiring, especially when it is a large man, heads are heavy!!!

The patients wake up within a minute, if not immediately after the surgery. At this point, they are basically drunk. I have had two men flirt with me, but most of them turn into comedians. It is quite fun to talk to them. Or sometimes they are just really tired and I have to keep them awake.

I thought I would let you all know a little about wisdom teeth while I am at it. Wisdom teeth, or 3rd molars, typically erupt at about 17-21 years of age. However they begin forming early in the pre-teens. Most people have their wisdom teeth removed for a few reasons:
1. The mouth is too small- this can cause other teeth to shift
2. Difficult to access to clean, therefore can cause gum disease or get cavities
3. The teeth come in crooked, or only partially erupt which may cause damage to adjacent teeth or become infected.
I have learned that the best time to have these teeth removed is before the roots develop. More and more teenagers (14-17 years old) are having their teeth taken out, rather than waiting until the teeth are fully erupted.


I guess if hygiene school ever didn't work out I think I would be interested to continue in oral surgery. It isn't just taking teeth out. We do biopsies of oral lesions, teeth implants, sinus lifts, bone augmentation (to prepare for dentures), etc. Let me know if you have any questions about oral surgery...as of now I have a very good source of information