Extraction of an impacted wisdom tooth and the adjacent second molar. 1) Radiograph x-ray shows the double impaction. 2) – 6) Different photos show the large osseous bone defect and the significant exposure of the distal furcation of the first molar. 7) – 8) Packing the defect with freeze-dried bone and gelfoam.

Mistaken extraction of the wrong tooth. This patient is a 27 year-old female who had recently moved to New York from Seattle. She brought prior x-rays and an interesting story involving dentistry in Seattle that I thought was worth relating. 1) In Seattle the patient was referred to an oral surgeon for the extraction of #1 but #2 was erroneously extracted instead. 2) Xray after extraction of #2 shows tooth #1 is still present. 3) This new, less clear Panoramic x-ray was taken a year later (still in Seattle) but the wisdom tooth #1 can be seen moving down into the second molar position on its own. 4) This radiograph was the first of the series taken in our office. The wisdom tooth #1 has almost fully erupted on its own after about two and a half years. PS – the patient was billed for and did pay for the extraction of the wrong tooth.