Jenny Olenick Dies During Wisdom Teeth Surgery, Parents Sue 'Negligent' Dentists

Wisdom teeth extractions are becoming routine surgical procedures for young people as organizations release data showing numerous health risks posed by the third molars.

But now the parents of one teen who lost her life from complications during the procedure are suing her surgeon and anesthesiologist, asking how their daughter could have died during a procedure performed on over 5 million Americans per year, ABC reported.

The civil suit raises questions about whether the procedure is actually as necessary as some organizations say and whether the risk of surgery actually outweigh the benefits. This was exactly what happened in this case, say the parents of 17-year-old Jenny Olenick, who died in April when her heart rate and blood oxygen dropped to fatally low levels during the surgery and doctors were unable to resuscitate her.

This isn't the first instance of death resulting from wisdom teeth extraction surgery. Another teen, 14-year-old Ben Ellis, died this December the day after undergoing the same surgery, Jezebel reported.

One strong proponent of extraction surgery is the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. In 2010, the organization released the report "Conventional Wisdom about Wisdom Teeth Confirmed" which outlines their research confirming "what dentists and health professionals have been telling patients for years: having your wisdom teeth removed while you are young helps you stay healthy."

"An absence of symptoms does not equal the absence of disease," the organization says in a press release. "Eighty percent of young adult subjects who retained previously healthy wisdom teeth had developed problems within seven years."

For others, however, more evidence is needed to prove that having dental surgery -- especially one that requires anesthesia -- is absolutely necessary to prevent health complications from wisdom teeth.

According to doctors from The Cochrane Collaboration, an organization that reviews medical research, a better approach to wisdom teeth might be "watchful monitoring" instead of jumping into surgery, Science Daily reported.

“Prudent decision-making, with adherence to specified indicators for removal, may reduce the number of surgical procedures by 60 percent or more,” the review author told Science Daily after studying medical research on wisdom tooth removal.

It may make sense that professional dental organizations discourage "watchful monitoring" instead of costly surgery considering the amount of money the procedure generates each year for the dental profession. According to Jezebel, dental consultant Jay Friedman wrote in the American Journal of Public Health that:

Third-molar surgery is a multibillion-dollar industry that generates significant income for the dental profession. It is driven by misinformation and myths that have been exposed before but that continue to be promulgated by the profession. At least two thirds of these extractions, associated costs, and injuries are unnecessary, constituting a silent epidemic of [physician-induced] injury that afflicts tens of thousands of people with lifelong discomfort and disability.

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Comments

[silvertoner]

02:01 PM on 04/07/2012

I can't understand why people feel it's necessary to go under general anesthesia for wisdom teeth removal. It's such a simple procedure. I wish oral surgeons were required to tell their patients that they have a choice of not having general anesthesia for wisdom tooth removal but I had a hard time finding an oral surgeon who would even do it without general anesthesia. I wouldn't trust anyone who wouldn't give me the option of having local anesthesia. Not to mention the cost was $300 to remove my wisdom teeth instead of $3000 that the other other oral surgeon was going to charge who refused to use only local anesthesia.

[Caitlin Huard]

10 hours ago ( 4:19 PM)

I went in for a consultation today and when I told them I only wanted a local anesthetic he told me 'you don't want to be awake for that!' When I told him it frightened me more to be put under general anesthesia than the actual procedure and that I also recently lost my job and couldn't afford extra costs, he insisted I needed to be put under and that it 'would be no big deal'. I really don't feel confident in someone who is unwilling to do the procedure while I'm awake. Plus I just feel like they want a bigger paycheck. I watched I can't count how many Youtube videos of people who just had local and were fine. He told me in the end, because they were impacted, he might not be able to numb it enough so I didn't feel it. I just don't believe him. He's the only Oral surgeon that takes my insurance but I think I'm going to call around and see if any dentists are willing to do it under local. This has put a bad taste in my mouth.

[silvertoner]

33 minutes ago ( 1:18 AM)

I would definitely recommend checking around to see if anyone in your area is willing to use local anesthesia. The person that my dentist referred me to only would do general so I searched on the internet for Oral Surgeons that had very good reviews and found one that gave the option of using only local anesthesia. He was very good and I was out of the office in 30 minutes. I've read that healing is faster without general anesthesia as well. My husband also had his wisdom teeth removed with only local anesthesia by two different oral surgeons and he had good experiences as well, not to mention the cost was so much more affordable with local anesthesia. I wish you the best and hope you find someone who you can trust and who understands your concerns.

[tnafller]

09:34 PM on 01/01/2012

The assumption that the Dr did not act quick enough is unfair. He was not just a dentist but a maxiofacial surgeon with nearly two decades experience working in ER trauma centers. He was highly qualfied to handle medical emergencies. Read his bio. Just because the parents sue doesn't mean their accusations are accurate. Human phisiology is not so simple. It's possible she had an allergic reaction and their was little they could do. The Dr likely followed every protocol. It is not helpful to assail the saff unless you where in the room. Especially since they can not defend themselves publicly by law and tell their side of what happened.

[Steven Vasconcellos]

11:56 AM on 12/31/2011

This is so sad. My condolences go to the family. There is no doubt that the staff did not act quick enough. I just had mine removed a few days. I did only local, I was awake and it was totally fine no pain just pressure. Patients should be warned about possible death/brain damage from general anesthesia. I did my research first. I believe that general anesthesia should be used only on surgeries that the patient can not possibly be awake.

[FinalHorcrux]

11:14 PM on 12/20/2011

Holy crap. I had the last of my wisdom teeth taken out on Saturday!! This is extremely scary.

[JHKH]

12:49 PM on 12/19/2011

"...One strong proponent of extraction surgery is the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons...." Hardly an objective source for funding or research.

[Blodo]

05:28 PM on 12/18/2011

I've still got all my wisdom teeth and they have never been a problem. So I would favour a policy of "watchfulness" that would only resort to surgery if complications start to be evident. All surgery has an element of danger, and the need ought to be well established before we go cutting into the human body.

[jozey57]

02:06 PM on 12/18/2011

Had my wisdom teeth extracted with local anesthetic at different times during my early twenties. My family dentist would not remove one he claimed was impacted and recommended surgery, so I went to another dentist who had no problem pulling it with just a local. Back then, I thought having surgery to remove a tooth was a bit extreme, though it was on my mind, as I felt the that dentist crack the bone around the tooth, what will I do if the guy can't pull it out. He did though, and pretty quickly too, thank God.

[derkomai]

12:29 PM on 12/18/2011

They should do more to discourage general anestesia. I had mine out (3 impacted, 1 painful) on just Novocaine and it wasn't that bad at all.

[darcysark]

11:59 AM on 12/18/2011

There is no such thing as a routine surgery.

[theroundearth]

11:17 AM on 12/18/2011

So, the average healthy American doesn't need more than 28 teeth to chew his burger?

[Blodo]

05:25 PM on 12/18/2011

Yep. The extra molars provided a reproductive advantage back when we used to live off mostly uncooked fibrous plant material. Now they don't. So along with our appendix and tonsils, they are evolutionary hangers-on.

[jal960]

12:10 AM on 12/18/2011

Anesthesia does not kill people. Todays anesthesia is very safe when properly administered. During surgery, people die from UNDERLYING, UNDIAGNOSED, PREVIOUS health conditions. This story is remarkably tragic, especially since the death could have been prevented by proper screening and good health physical. This girl may have had a congenital arrythmia or other heart condition. She may not have been healthy enough for or had a genetic predisposition to not tolerate the powerful drugs. If the doctors did not properly screen her, do a thorough family history and examine her then they should be sued and never allowed to practice again. It's the doctor, not the anesthesia!

[tonytonmsn]

07:39 PM on 12/17/2011

This girl died from a low heart rate and low blood oxygen levels. The low heart rate will create the second condition. The real question is why during anesthisia did her heart rate drop to point of expiration? Where was the anesthesiologist?
General anesthesia always has a risk of "not waking up" and you're required to sign a release. We all know that. What was different about her? Did her heart fail because of other conditions, or was it negligence?
I'm not even going to debate should you, or shouldn't you have the molars removed.
My wisdom teeth went all at once about 25 years ago. I still remember the headache I had for ten days. They knocked me out and used a chisel and hammer...Maybe, removing the second molar is not a bad idea...

[Teresa Benites]

06:59 PM on 12/17/2011

This is so sad. I'm so sorry for the parents. I had my wisdom teeth extracted in August of this year. My orthodontist actually told me that he doesn't believe wisdom teeth extraction requires general anesthesia, but being sedated with a light sleep. I honestly think that was such a better option. I felt nothing and was completely relaxed. I was also able to come back to my senses really quick after the procedure was done.General anesthesia is so powerful to the body, it should only be given for major surgeries lasting hours. Not a surgery that will last about 10-20 minutes.

[mijumom]

06:44 PM on 12/17/2011

"One strong proponent of extraction surgery is the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons."

Why am I not surprised that surgeons would be proponents of surgery? Anyhoo...

[doncatozza56]

11:09 AM on 12/17/2011

i had my wisdom teeth pulled when i was a teen-ager in two procedures one up one lower without being put under lots of novicaine .didn,feel a thing but it was pretty weird to feel the scapel cutting into me and the pounding to break the teeth loose.maybe the dentist should do the surgery in 2 procedures instead of one and use lots of novicaine.less chance of deaths .maybe a little painful afterwards,but better than dying .does everyone agree?sorry for the loss of the chidren!!!!