How Do You Prepare For Oral Surgery?
If you recently were told you will need oral surgery for the first time, you probably will have many questions. And while the best source for answers will always be your dental team, it can always be helpful to get some general guidelines in regards to preparing for your dental visit or for your post-care. In this article, we will cover how to prepare for oral surgery, what happens during oral surgery treatments, and general post care treatments. Here at Pemberton Dental Associates, we provide a variety of dental treatments for patients in the Lawrence Massachusetts area. For more information, please contact our team.
How Do You Prepare For Oral Surgery?
First and foremost, make sure to talk to your dentist or oral surgeon about any specific preparation instructions they have for you. There are different types of oral surgery from wisdom tooth removal to tooth implant placement treatments. Different surgical procedures can have different pre- and post-care instructions. That said here are some general pieces of advice for preparing for oral surgery.
- Plan Your Ride Home: It is often unsafe for patients to operate vehicles after oral surgery due to the types of anesthesia that are used. For example if you receive anesthesia from an IV you will need someone to drive you home after surgery.
- Avoid Food/Beverages: Most oral surgeons will recommend that you stop eating and drinking 8-10 hours before your surgery, but make sure to talk to your oral surgeon and get specific instructions from them.
- Prepare For Your Recovery at Home: It might be helpful to set up your bed so that it is easy to sit at an incline while you are recovering. Additionally, you want to make sure that you will be able to easily relax and recover at home for a few days after your surgery, so make sure you have everything you need.
What Happens During Oral Surgery
Oral surgery procedures differ greatly based on what a patient needs and what an oral surgeon is doing. For example, one of the most common oral surgeries is the removal of impacted wisdom teeth. This surgery requires teeth to be pulled after an incision is made. Because oral surgeries differ, the specific steps of the procedure can vary. But there are some general steps that almost always happen. They include the following:
- Anesthesia: There are a variety of types of anesthesia applications for oral surgery. Generally speaking, oral surgery requires that the patient be awake, so anesthesia will often be used to fully numb the treatment area. Other medications including sedatives might be used to help a patient relax while staying conscious. However, there are some cases where a dentist might recommend using general anesthesia to fully put a patient to sleep during their oral surgery.
- Treatment: During your oral surgery your dentist and their team will make incisions and then follow the unique steps of the specific treatment you are receiving.
- Stitches: It is very common to need stitches after surgery. Because of this, your dentist will have recommendations for how to keep your stitches clean so they do not get infected. It is also often necessary to have the stitches removed at a later date.
Post-Care Tips For Oral Surgery
It is vital that you follow your oral surgeon’s instructions when it comes to post care. The following are some general guidelines that apply to many types of oral surgery.
- Reapplying Gauze: You will likely be given gauze by your oral surgeon. The gauze needs to be removed and reapplied after an hour. Clean gauze should be placed on the surgery site and lightly held in place by biting down softly on it.
- Pain Medication: Your oral surgeon will likely write you a prescription for pain medications with specific instructions on how and when to use your pain medication.
- Antibiotics: Antibiotics help prevent infections by fighting bacteria. If your oral surgeon prescribes antibiotics make sure you take them according to their instructions.
- Rinsing: Starting the day after your surgery, you will likely need to rinse out your mouth with warm salt water. You should dilute a teaspoon of salt in 8 ounces of warm water and gently rinse your mouth a few times every day to remove food particles.
- Brushing Your Teeth: you should avoid brushing near your surgical sites on the day of your surgery. You want to avoid anything touching your stitches. That said you should begin your normal oral hygiene as soon as you can. It is recommended to brush the areas you are comfortable brushing.
- Food: Your oral surgeon will provide recommendations on what you can eat and when. At first, you might only be able to have broth or other liquids. You will then be able to slowly work yourself up to soft foods.
Schedule A Dental Appointment in Lawrence Massachusetts
Our dental office provides dental services and treatments for adults in the Lawrence Massachusetts area. To schedule an appointment, please call our office.