It’s a procedure most people end up needing, and one that almost everyone dreads: wisdom tooth removal. But aside from the puffy cheeks and pain and misery that follow, there’s one other drawback that accompanies the standard protocol and actually threatens lives: the use of highly addictive narcotics for surgical and post-op pain management. Dr. James Babiuk has been a practicing oral surgeon in Chicago for about 25 years now, and over time he’s noticed a marked increase in the number of people who have become reliant upon heavy-duty and highly addictive narcotics for pain management. He's seen first-hand how something as benign as a shoulder injury or back pain can result in long-term use of heavy narcotics for pain management and eventual addiction. As he began digging deeper into research regarding opioid use in the medical field, he learned that most people’s first exposure to narcotics is during and after wisdom tooth removal; this compelled him to take action. Dr. Babiuk set out to alter his technique in a way that would allow him to perform wisdom tooth extractions without the use of IV narcotics and without having to prescribe narcotics for post-op pain management. This might initially sound impossible, but Dr. Babiuk has made it a reality—one that's proving to be incredibly effective. Rather than follow the standard protocol which is to expect and alleviate the pain associated with wisdom tooth removal, Dr. Babiuk’s approach focuses on reducing the cause of the pain, which is simply inflammation. He joins the podcast to discuss all of this and more, including the need for medical providers to receive narcotic education and the long-term goals for his practice.  For more information, reach out via email at info@wisdomteethjoliet.com, visit wisdomteethjoliet.com, or call 815-254-1560.