Patients

Pre-Op and Post-Op Care

How To Handle Before And After

All pre and post operation instructions can be downloaded by clicking on the links below:

Pre-Op Care

We have a few ways for helping you prepare for your procedure the following day. We recommend putting a padlock on your refrigerator so that you don’t accidentally sleepwalk your way to a midnight snack. Wind chimes or some sort of buzzer system will also do in a pinch, if you have a loved one who will listen for them and stop you. Bottom line, no eating or drinking after the clock strikes 12.

You’ll also want to bring that loved one or somebody else along, because they will be your driver for the day. Choose this person wisely, or they may film your ramblings after surgery and post them online for the amusement of the Internet. And don’t try to go back to work on the day of your operation. You shouldn’t need to be anybody’s hero. We all know you’re brave and you don’t have to prove it.

You may not have anything to eat or drink after midnight the day before the appointment. A small amount of water may be taken for pre-operative medications.
No smoking for 48 hours after surgery. Ideally, cut down or stop smoking as soon as possible prior to the day of surgery.
A responsible adult must accompany the patient to the office, remain in the office during the procedure, and drive the patient home.
The patient should not drive a vehicle or operate any machinery for 24 hours following the anesthesia experience.
Please wear loose fitting clothing with sleeves which can be rolled up past the elbow, and low-heeled shoes.
Contact lenses, jewelry, and dentures must be removed at the time of surgery.
Do not wear acrylic “false” nails on the day of surgery.
If you have an illness such as a cold, sore throat, stomach or bowel upset, please notify the office.

Post-Op Care

There are also some items to address for afterwards. These things include not spitting or rinsing too much and using the gauze. We give it to you for a reason and that’s to keep pressure over the affected area until it clots, while changing the gauze out about every half hour to hour. You can use toothbrushes and toothpaste like normal too, along with ice packs in the first 24 hours. Follow instructions on your prescriptions to the letter and remember that your stitches will dissolve after about a week.

Sometimes the after-effects of oral surgery are minimal, so not all of these instructions may apply. Common sense will often dictate what you should do. However, when in doubt follow these guidelines or call our office for clarification.