Image: Daniel S. Lader, DMD – Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
Elizabeth Hulse of Allentown was reluctant to have her wisdom teeth removed. Oral surgery made her queasy, the prospect of swelling was stressful, and she didn’t want the procedure to affect her smile. But Hulse, now 22, can smile when she reflects on her experience with wisdom teeth removal at St. Luke’s Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS).
“I was pretty apprehensive to have that done, but the doctors really assured me, and the staff was wonderful, super kind and always welcoming,” Hulse said. “They calmed my nerves, which made the procedure pretty easy.”
Wisdom teeth removal is a common oral health procedure, particularly for teenagers, because fitting 32 into a mouth designed to hold 28 often doesn’t work. Erupted wisdom teeth can cause pain, misalignment, tooth decay, and further dental issues. No one wants that, but, as Hulse said, the procedure still causes anxiety.
Hulse experienced pain when her wisdom teeth began erupting, so her dentist referred her to St. Luke’s OMS for surgery. Dr. Daniel Lader performed the procedure, backed by a surgical team that alleviated Hulse’s concerns through the entire process.
Wisdom teeth removal requires a comprehensive oral examination, personalized surgical plan, and options for sedation. Hulse said that the St. Luke’s OMS team explained each step clearly, completely, and with empathy.
On the day of surgery, Dr. Lader reassured Hulse that the procedure itself would be quick and pain-free. When she woke up, Hulse felt minimal soreness and noticed nominal swelling. Two days later, she was back to normal.
“Dr. Lader was fantastic,” Hulse said. “I would recommend anybody who needs an extraction to see him. He’s a super-genuine guy and was so accommodating.”
Patients considering wisdom teeth removal have plenty of questions about the outpatient procedure. Will it cause pain or complications? Will it require sedation or local anesthesia? What is the recovery time?
Hulse asked all those questions, which the St. Luke’s OMS staff answered thoroughly. She looks back on the procedure positively, from the initial consultation to surgery to recovery. Best of all, Hulse said, no chipmunk cheeks due to swelling.
“They couldn’t have made it easier for me from start to finish,” Hulse said. “They were great with communication and overall morale, just making sure I felt good about it as well.”
For more information about wisdom teeth removal, and to schedule a consultation, visit the team at St. Luke’s OMS.
About St. Luke’s
Founded in 1872, St. Luke’s University Health Network (SLUHN) is a fully integrated, regional, non-profit network with annual net revenue of more than $4.5 billion. With 23,000+ employees at 16 hospital campuses and 350+ outpatient sites, it is the Lehigh Valley’s biggest employer.
The Network’s service area includes 11 counties in two states: Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Montgomery, Monroe, Schuylkill and Luzerne counties in Pennsylvania and Warren and Hunterdon counties in New Jersey. St. Luke’s hospitals operate the largest network of trauma centers in Pennsylvania, with the Bethlehem Campus being home to St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital.
Dedicated to advancing medical education, St. Luke’s is the preeminent teaching hospital in central-eastern Pennsylvania. In partnership with Temple University, the Network established the Lehigh Valley’s first and only four-year medical school. It also operates the nation’s oldest School of Nursing, established in 1884, and 50+ fully accredited graduate medical educational programs with 500+ residents and fellows.
St. Luke’s has been named a Leapfrog Group and Healthgrades Top Hospital and a Newsweek World’s Best Hospital. It is the only Lehigh Valley-based health care system to earn Medicare’s five-star ratings (the highest) for quality, efficiency and patient satisfaction. In 2025, the Network earned straight A’s from Leapfrog across all of its 11 acute care hospitals. It has earned 100 Top Hospital designations from Premier 11 years in a row, including in 2021 when its flagship University Hospital was identified as THE #1 TEACHING HOSPITAL IN THE COUNTRY. Utilizing the Epic electronic medical record (EMR) system for both inpatient and outpatient services, the Network is a multi-year recipient of the Most Wired award recognizing the breadth of SLUHN’s information technology applications such as telehealth, online scheduling and online pricing information.
Information provided to TVL by:
Sam Kennedy
