Vital Information to Assure You a Comfortable Oral Surgery Procedure
Before you receive anesthesia
• Avoid eating and drinking (water also) for eight hours prior to your procedure.
• Refrain from smoking at least 12 hours before your procedure and as soon as possible following your procedure.
• Arrange for a responsible adult to accompany you to your procedure appointment. Confirm that they will wait and/or return to drive you home following your procedure.
• Dress comfortably for your procedure.
• Remove jewelry, lipstick, excessive make-up, etc at the time of your procedure.
• Inform our office about any illness such as a cold, sore throat, stomach issues, etc prior to your procedure.
• Communicate any medications you’re taking prior to your procedure.
When you have dental implants placed
• Care for your implant site. Avoid rinsing or touching the implant area following your procedure.
• Be aware of bleeding. Some bleeding or irritation is normal following implant placement for 24 hours. Inform our office of any excessive bleeding.
• Treat swelling with an ice bag or towel containing ice on your cheek at the implant site. Apply ice as needed.
• Drink plenty of water. Avoid hot foods and liquids. Enjoy soft foods the day of your implant placement and return to a normal diet as you’re comfortable.
• Use pain medications and antibiotics as directed following your procedure.
• Use care when doing your oral hygiene routine. Ask about and follow our instructions for rinsing, brushing, and flossing.
• If a partial or full denture is involved follow our recommendations for wear post-procedure.
When you have your wisdom teeth extracted
Follow all post-operative instructions to assure that your extraction site is free from infection and longterm swelling.
• Keep gauze in place for a half hour following your extraction.
• Avoid aggressive rinsing or touching your surgical area.
• Use the recommended and prescribed pain medication for discomfort.
• Restrict your activity following your procedure and resume when you feel comfortable doing so.
• Place ice packs on each side of your face where you’ve had the extraction.
• Be aware of bleeding and swelling. Contact us if either continues or becomes excessive.
• Manage your pain according to our recommended or prescribed medication.
• Follow our dietary guidelines post-surgery. Avoid drinking beverages through a straw as the “sucking” reflex can dislodge your necessary blood clots from each extraction site.
• Maintain a clean mouth with our recommended rinsing and irrigation techniques.
• Communicate any ongoing discomfort, nausea, vomiting, or questions about medication or antibiotics.
When you have a tooth extracted
• Allow a blood clot to form. This stops the bleeding and helps the site heal.
• Avoid disturbing the clot.
• Expect some pain and swelling. Use an ice pack outside the area. Contact us if pain or swelling continues.
• Use recommended and prescribed medication.
• Resume your normal oral hygiene routine 24 hours after your procedure.
When you have multiple teeth extracted
• Expect a small amount of bleeding to occur. Allow the areas to clot and avoid disturbing the clot. Contact us if your bleeding persists.
• Use ice packs on your cheeks outside the treated areas. Continue ice application during awake times for up to 36 hours.
• Use recommended pain medication for discomfort. Contact us if your pain continues.
• Drink water and healthy fluids.
• Avoid rinsing your mouth the day following your procedure. After day one use a warm salt water rinse a recommended number of times per day.
• Eat soft foods or drink liquids until you are comfortable doing otherwise. Resume your normal diet once your surgical sites heal.
• Ask about and follow extraction instructions that apply to the having more than one tooth removed.
• Be aware of any health related issues such as sore throat, swelling, bruising, etc following your multiple extractions. Contact us with any related questions.