Ellie Rosenfeld, DDS, MD, FACS

Ellie Rosenfeld, DDS, MD, FACS Board Certified Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon

04/23/2026

Coronectomy is a great option in select high risk third molars where the roots are in close proximity to the IAN and the patient is asymptomatic.

I section and remove the crown, sometimes having to section the crown into 2 pieces. Then reduce to just below the CEJ while making sure the roots are not mobilized.

If the roots start to move, you are no longer doing a coronectomy.

I tell patients that root migration can happen and is expected in some cases. Most remain asymptomatic, but they need to understand the possibility of needing a second procedure later.

Curious how others are approaching depth of reduction and follow up imaging.

04/16/2026

Why do patients get such vague information about their wisdom teeth??

Everyone knows they’re supposed to brush and floss. It’s basic. It’s not presented as optional. It’s very common knowledge.

But wisdom teeth somehow get treated completely differently. Patients hear things like “we’ll watch them” or “only if they bother you” or “maybe you’ll need them out someday.”

Why is that?

Because the ambiguity doesn’t start with patients. It starts with us.

Dental schools do not teach third molars with the same clarity. And as a result, a lot of dentists are not actually confident about when and why wisdom teeth should come out. They are repeating what they were told without a strong framework behind it.

So patients get inconsistent messaging. And when something is not presented clearly, people assume it is not that important.

We are failing them on this.

There are clear indications. This should not feel confusing.

If patients feel unsure about their wisdom teeth, that is not on them. That is on the system that trained their dentist

04/10/2026

What’s not to like?

Handles the same or better than my regular Ethicon 4-0 chromic. It does dry out, but that’s the nature of dried blood on chromic gut.
Not sure if it’s my imagination, but it feels stronger, maybe like a 3-5.
Love love love the non glare black needle.

and it’s stainless steel inside right? With a black coating? Because graphite is not radioopaque…

Honestly, I have no critique per se. But I’m in the camp- my favorite suturing needle is reverse cutting 3/8 of a circle. And I prefer 3-0 for wisdom teeth. Will elaborate in my stories. But 4-0 on a tapered 1/2 circle needle has its place, and I do need it often for ext/grafting cases.

Overall love it. Would recommend. Thanks for letting me try it!

04/01/2026

The main reason I stand on the left side to take out number 17 is my height. I am 5 foot 2.5”. With my shoes I’m 5’ 3”.

As I’ve said many times, I’m just not tall enough to see down there. So I always switch to the left side to take out tooth number 17.

But I have discovered an additional benefit to standing on the left side. Because I can keep the patient’s head in the neutral position, all of the water from my drill pools in the vestibule, and none of it goes down the airway.

So while I could theoretically stand on a stool and stay on the right side, I actually really like switching. It takes 5 seconds. When I built my office, I designed my operatories to have enough room either in front of or behind the patient to facilitate switching.

I encourage all my residents to try switching and see the benefits and decide for yourself!

03/26/2026

I am a righty, but I switch to the left side for just about every single lower left molar.

I guess it’s just that the chairs don’t go low enough for me. I am 5 foot 2 1/2. And no matter what, even though my hands can technically reach the tooth, my torso isn’t long enough to see properly. Switching sides has changed my life.

you absolutely cannot beat the visibility that you get from standing on the left side. I know many of you switched to the left side to do a coronectomy on tooth number 17. So this is really no different.

Hand placement, however, can be challenging. But I have adapted. In this video, I’m showing how I have adapted my hands to facilitate the extraction.

My left hand is holding the Minnesota and supporting the jaw. My right hand is holding the drill and it’s kind of over the patient’s head. at first, it was awkward, but so is everything at first, right? You can train your hands to get good at anything.

it’s similar in orthognathic surgery. I’ve gotten used to standing on the left side so that my resident first assisting me can have the easier side if they are a righty. And now, standing on the left side for orthognathic cases is just easier for me.

We are highly adaptable creatures. It’s really all a matter of training yourself.

03/12/2026

It’s always 10/10. Always.

Can you relate?

03/05/2026

Extracting premolars absolutely has its place in the arsenal.

But please consider underlying skeletal discrepancies and facial esthetics before jumping to this last resort!!

Because if the patient actually has a skeletal issue, and they really need jaw surgery, the effects of removing the wrong premolars and retracting the anterior teeth can have disastrous effects on both facial esthetics and airway.

I have seen too many heartbreaking nightmare stories.

If you’re not sure, just call me. Seriously. I’m happy to guide you through the decision making process.

02/26/2026

All humor is based on a modicum of truth, right?

02/19/2026

Impactful words I learned during residency that stuck forever.

All of the current literature today recommends continuing anticoagulants and NOT stopping them for extractions.

So why are there dentists still asking cardiologists to stop blood thinners? Why do patients come to me for an extraction and say their cardiologist said it’s ok to stop the anticoagulant?

We need to follow the evidence and stop being stuck in the Dark Ages for all eternity.

Disclaimer: Not medical advice. Education and entertainment only.

bloodthinner dentalwisdom toothextraction dentaleducation

02/12/2026

Genioglossus advancement is one of the most effective ways to expand the airway when the tongue base is contributing to obstruction. The genioglossus muscle attaches to the genial tubercles on the lingual surface of the mandible, so bringing that bone segment forward mechanically advances the tongue as well.

When a patient needs airway improvement but would not look good with additional chin projection, genioglossus advancement becomes an important option. Instead of advancing the entire chin, I remove a small rectangular segment of bone in the midline that includes the genial tubercles. I plan this virtually of course, using custom surgical guides that I design so that I make sure to capture the genial tubercles. I draw this segment forward, fix it into its new position with K-wires so that the lingual cortex of the segment aligns with the facial cortex of the mandible, and then contour the remaining bone so the surface is smooth. This can advance the tongue base by up to 10 mm without creating unwanted changes in facial aesthetics.

This procedure is often performed as part of a broader treatment plan for obstructive sleep apnea or upper airway resistance, and it can be combined with other skeletal or soft tissue interventions depending on the patient’s anatomy and goals. My goal is always to choose the technique that will meaningfully improve airway function while keeping the patient’s facial balance intact.

If you want to see more airway surgery breakdowns or have questions about when I choose genioglossus advancement over other procedures, feel free to ask.

Disclaimer: Not medical advice. Educational content only.

02/05/2026

We are all a little bit tweakers right?! 😬 Now that I put it all out there it seems like a lot!!

I started with some innocent Botox in 2015 or so, fillers in my tear troughs and lips a bit after, and the reel tells the rest. Of course I’ve kept up both over the years. I mostly injected myself at first, because it was fun to experiment and I could go at my own pace, and sculpt gradually. But now that I’m getting older, I let do it because let’s face it a 40’s and beyond face is just more technique sensitive.

One thing I did do is experiment with chin filler on myself to see what I would look like with an augmented chin before moving forward with genioplasty. That was very helpful.

What I’ve left out of the reel is my skincare by ,
As well as hydrafacials at

Every 12-16 weeks I go to for microneedling with PRF (aka vampire facial).

One big difference I notice is in my eyes. In 2014, I was a very young new attending, with a little chip on my shoulder and lots to prove. I was not super confident, being surrounded in a male dominated field, in a male dominated group practice. Almost 12 years later, I have over a decade of experience behind me, and I have found myself as a surgeon. So despite looking older, I see in my own eyes the increased confidence and comfort with myself that comes with all of that.

buccalfatremoval genioplasty

01/29/2026

Please share this reel to overcome the surgery shadow ban!! How else can we provide education on here?

Ok so the cowhorn is a freaking genius instrument.
And if you don’t love using it, you’re probably using it wrong. Once you learn how to use it properly, it unlocks another level of surgical skill.

People who “don’t like” the cowhorn almost always:
• under-squeeze
• under-move
• choose terrible cases

In this reel I share 5 key principles of cowhorn use that will change your life.
1. Case selection
Generally patients younger than 60. Lower molars with a visible furcation. Preferably no endo. Some coronal integrity.

2. Complete anesthesia
The patient must be numb, and they also have to be able to tolerate pressure sensation. If they can’t tolerate pressure, this is not the instrument for this case.

3. Accurate placement
You must get the beaks of the claw into the furcation, both buccal and lingual. If you’re not in the furcation, you’re just squeezing enamel and accomplishing nothing.

4. SQUEEZE
As hard as you can. I hold the ends of the forceps to get better squeeze with less hand pressure. This is why OMFS have jacked forearms. And once you squeeze, don’t let up until the tooth is out. The squeeze is continuous.

5. THE MOVE
ALL THE WAY UP. ALL THE WAY DOWN.
I see even OMFS residents do this little sissy up-down movement. that’s just not going to cut it. The forceps must touch the upper teeth, then go all the way down and touch the lower teeth.
I notice residents don’t like to go all the way down to the lower teeth, but that is the most important part. The beaks are literally pushing their way into the furcation, causing displacement of the tooth.
About every 5 full up-downs, add a small bucco-lingual wiggle to help loosen the tooth from the PDL.
The entire time, never let up your squeeze.

Remember every single one of these principles, and the cowhorn will not fail you.

Disclaimer: not medical advice blah blah blah so I don’t get in trouble.

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1325 Franklin Avenue Suite 101
Garden City, NY
11530

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