SURGERY INSTRUCTIONS

Before Intravenous Anesthesia Sedation

Before being sedated with intravenous anesthesia for a dental procedure at Southeastern Dental Specialists, please remember not to have anything to eat or drink (including water) for at least eight hours prior to your appointment. We also recommend that if you smoke, you not do so for at least 12 hours prior to surgery.


Since you might still be a little sedated after the treatment is over, we suggest having a responsible adult accompany you to the office and drive you home. Operating heavy machinery such as a vehicle is something you should avoid for 24 hours after having anesthesia.


We do also have suggestions for clothing to wear to the office on the day of your anesthesia. We recommend loose-fitting clothing with sleeves you can roll up past the elbow. We do not recommend coming in with lipstick, excessive makeup, or nail polish on. If you are wearing contact lenses, dentures, or jewelry, they will have to be removed at the time of surgery. For your feet, we recommend low-heeled shoes.


If you take routine oral medications, please check with your specialist here at Southeastern Dental Specialists prior to your surgical date for instructions.

After Tooth Extraction

What you will need to focus on most after a tooth extraction is stopping the bleeding. We will give you a gauze pad to put over the site of the extraction and bite on. We will have you continue to bite on the gauze pad for a good 30-45 minutes. Once the gauze pad becomes saturated with blood, we suggest placing another gauze pad to continue the process until the bleeding stops.


The next thing to do is to be careful with the site of the extraction after the bleeding stops and a blood clot forms. The last thing you want is for something to happen that causes the site to open up again. Please avoid brushing the extraction site, smoking and drinking alcohol, rinsing excessively, and sucking on straws for at least 72 hours. All of the above can cause the blood clot to dissolve and open up bleeding again.


You can expect some pain and discomfort in the hours after surgery. We recommend using an ice pack to discourage swelling and the use of prescribed pain meds. Swelling should begin to subside after 48 hours. Please call the office if swelling continues or pain is not decreasing after 48 hours. Typically, you should begin to feel comfortable enough to drink and eat soft food on the day of your surgery. You should also be able to resume the normal dental routine of brushing and flossing after 24 hours.

 

After a few days, you will feel fine and can resume your normal activities. If you have heavy bleeding, severe pain, continued swelling for 2-3 days, or a reaction to the medication, call our office immediately at (910) 689-1475.

After Placement of Dental Implants

The most important thing to remember with a dental implant is to be careful not to disturb the wound. Try to avoid touching the wound with your fingers and stop using a rinse in your mouth as the wound heals. Spitting of any kind is also discouraged.


Some bleeding is to be expected in the hours after surgery. To control the bleeding, bite on a gauze pad for at least a half an hour. You can expect some bleeding and redness for up to 24 hours. Excessive bleeding where your mouth quickly fills up with blood is a cause for concern if it does not stop with the use of gauze. Call our office in this case.

Swelling is also to be expected for around 36 hours after surgery. Use an ice bag or towel with ice on the area where swelling is occurring. Applying the ice continuously should ease the swelling.


You can eat immediately after the surgery, just remember to stick to soft foods and liquids on the day of surgery. Make sure not to have hot liquids or food. On the second day after surgery, you can begin to return to a normal diet.


Pain meds will be necessary to help you manage the discomfort after your anesthetic wears off. You can take over-the-counter medication, such as Tylenol, Advil, or Motrin, to help curb the pain. For more severe pain, medication may be prescribed by our office. Also, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics to help prevent the onset of infection.


Our office may also prescribe Peridex Oral Rinse to be used before bed and in the morning to promote good oral hygiene and healing of the wound. Warm saltwater rinses can also be used to help.


We would encourage you to avoid exercise and other strenuous activities in the aftermath of your surgery. These activities could initiate pain and bleeding.


Finally, if you wear a prosthesis, such as dentures or flippers, you should avoid using it for at least 10 days.

Pre-Prosthetic Surgery

There may be some treatment needed in advance of prosthetic surgery in order to prepare your mouth for placement of a prosthesis and ensure comfort. There are often cases where an underlying bone in your mouth may need to be smoothed out or reshaped so a denture can be placed comfortably on the bone ridge. Excess bone may also need to be removed and the bone ridge may need to be reduced. We can also remove excess gum tissue and expose impacted teeth.

After Exposure of an Impacted Tooth 

The important thing to remember with the exposure of an impacted tooth is to not disturb any of the surgical packing. This packing needs to stay in place to keep the tooth exposed. There is no reason to panic, however, if the tooth gets dislodged or falls out.


Bleeding and swelling are normal in the hours after surgery. You can bite on gauze repeatedly to help curtail the bleeding. However, excessive bleeding in the mouth that won’t stop may be cause for a call to our office. To treat the swelling, use an ice bag, plastic bag, or towel filled with ice over your cheek on the area where surgery took place.


You are welcome to drink plenty of fluids and even eat after you come home from surgery. However, make sure to stick to soft foods and liquids only and avoid hot food and beverages.


You should expect to begin to feel pain and soreness once the anesthetic wears off. That’s when you can begin taking pain medication. There are over-the-counter meds you can use, such as Tylenol, Advil, or Motrin, as well as pain meds prescribed by your doctor.


Keep your wound clean by brushing your teeth after each meal and rinsing with warm saltwater several times per day as the wound heals.


Exercise and other strenuous activities are not something we would recommend as you heal from surgery. These activities could stimulate bleeding and cause lightheadedness.

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