Medical professionals in Pennsylvania should pay close attention to a medical malpractice case currently taking place in Maryland. According to ABC News, the parents of a teen in that state have sued an oral surgeon and anesthesiologist for medical malpractice after the young patient died during surgery to remove her wisdom teeth.

The 17-year-old died from complications during the outpatient surgery. This is a surprising case largely because so many people undergo surgery to remove their wisdom teeth each year. According to ABC News, some 5 million U.S. residents undergo this outpatient surgery on an annual basis.

The malpractice lawsuit claims that the oral surgeon and anesthesiologist acted negligently when they failed to resuscitate the young patient after her heart rate and oxygen level dropped during the surgical procedure. A spokesperson for the victim's parents said that they hope the lawsuit raises awareness of the risk of wisdom teeth surgery and the need to provide better emergency training to oral surgeons and dentists.

According to an investigation performed by Maryland's chief medical examiner, the teen officially died of hypoxia, oxygen deprivation.

Unfortunately, this isn't the only time that a young patient has died following surgery to remove wisdom teeth. In Georgia, a 14-year-old boy was found dead in his bed after undergoing the surgery the day before. That death took place just one day before the Maryland case. The Georgia death is still under investigation.

The deaths have renewed a debate over whether the extraction of wisdom teeth is even necessary. Critics argue that dentists routinely remove wisdom teeth because it's a lucrative part of their practice. Supporters of the surgery say that removing the teeth prevents future dental problems.

This debate will likely continue. Hopefully, though, we won't see any more tragic deaths related to this kind of surgery.

Source: ABC News, "Parents Sue After Teen Dies During Wisdom Tooth Surgery," Katie Moisse, Dec. 15, 2011