Pre-Operative Instructions for Oral Surgery
Wear simple, loose, comfortable clothing. CLOSED TOED SHOES. Shirts should be short sleeve without elastic and should button down in the front. Jewelry, make-up, lipstick, acrylic nails, contact lenses (wear your glasses) or nail polish should not be worn. PHONES, PURSES, WALLETS SHOULD BE LEFT WITH YOUR DRIVER.
If you wear hearing aids or dentures please bring a case with you since it is best if these are not worn during the actual surgery.
If you may need any special medication because of a health problem, please bring it with you and inform us of this medication before the surgery. (Example: nitroglycerin tablets or respiratory inhalers).
For diabetic patients please bring your glucometer/accu-check with your surgeon.
Please take any heart, thyroid or blood pressure medication (with a small sip of water) as instructed unless otherwise specified by your surgeon.
PRE-OP INTRUCTIONS FOR PATIENTS RECEIVING I.V. ANESTHEISA
DO NOT DRINK OR EAT ANYTHING AFTER MIDNIGHT BEFORE THE DAY BEFORE YOUR SURGERY APPOINTMENT. (THIS INCLUDES WATER, COFFEE, TEA ETC.). If you do have something to eat or drink before your appointment, your surgery will need to be rescheduled. Only exception is prescribed medication for blood pressure, heart or diabetes etc.
For the comfort of you, our patient, we request that your driver (driver must be a licensed driver at least 18 years of age) wait in our office until the completion of your appointment.
You should not drive for 24 hours if any sedation is administered prior to or during your procedure. Restricted/limited activity for the first 24 hours following surgery.
Please stop taking any blood thinning medication prior to surgery. The amount of days will be determined by your physician. This includes all forms of aspirin and prescription medication such as Plavix, Coumadin, Warfan.
Please notify us immediately if you are experiencing cold/flu like symptoms or feeling under the weather. Your appointment will need to be rescheduled.
Post-Operative Instructions for Oral Surgery
DO NOT DISTURB THE AREA: For the next few days, and especially the first 24 hours, it is very important to allow your body to form a good clot and start the natural healing process. Swishing, sucking through a straw, blowing your nose and smoking can all dislodge the clot. Keep anything sharp from entering the wound (crunchy food, toothpicks, eating utensils). Be sure to chew on the opposite side for 24 hours.
BLEEDING: When you leave the office, you might be biting on a gauze pad to control bleeding. Keep slight pressure on this gauze for at least 30-45 minutes. Don't change it during this time; it needs to remain undisturbed while a clot forms in the extraction socket. After 30 minutes you may remove it.
You may bite on another gauze or a tea bag for another 30 minutes if you feel it is still bleeding. Small amounts of blood in the saliva can make your saliva appear quite red. This is normal and may be noticed the rest of the day after the procedure.
SWELLING: Applying an ice bag to the face over the operated area will minimize swelling. Apply for 15 minutes, then remove for 15 minutes. Continue this for the first day.
MEDICATION: Pain medication can be taken immediately with soft food such as apple sauce or pudding. If you were given an antibiotic prescription, take all of them as directed until they are gone.
Women: some antibiotics can reduce the effectiveness of birth control pills. Use alternate birth control methods for two months.
BRUSHING: Do not brush your teeth for the first 8 hours after surgery. After this, you may brush your teeth gently, but avoid the area of surgery for 3 days.
RINSING: Avoid all rinsing or swishing for 24 hours after extraction. Rinsing can disturb the formation of a healing blood clot which is essential to proper healing. This could cause bleeding and risk of dry socket. After 24 hours you may begin gentle rinsing with a saltwater solution (1/2 teaspoon salt + 1/2 teaspoon soda + 8 ounces warm water). Avoid commercial mouth rinses.
DIET: Eat soft foods for the first two days. Maintain a good, balanced diet. Return to normal regular meals as soon as you are able after the first two days. Drink plenty of water. Avoid alcohol for 48 hours.
ACTIVITY: After leaving the office, rest and avoid strenuous activities for the remainder of the day. Keeping blood pressure lower will reduce bleeding and aid healing.
FOLLOW-UP APPOINTMENTS: You may need to return to the office to have sutures removed, or just for a brief follow-up healing check.
ANESTHESIA PATIENTS: Keep patient awake for 2 hours. Do not allow patient to sleep with gauze in their mouth. Please call our office if you have:
- uncontrollable pain
- excessive or severe bleeding
- marked fever
- excessive warm swelling occurring a few days after the procedure •reactions to medications, especially rash, itching, or breathing problems
Following these instructions very closely will greatly help your comfort, and promote uneventful healing of the area. If any of the instructions are not followed, you might have significantly more discomfort, and the success of the procedure may be affected.
Post-Operative Instructions for Root Canal
Root canal therapy often takes two or more appointments to complete. After each appointment when anesthetic has been used, your lips, teeth and tongue may be numb for several hours. Avoid any chewing on the side of the treated tooth until the numbness has completely worn off.
A temporary filling or crown is placed by your dentist to protect the tooth between appointments.
Between appointments, it's common (and not a problem) for a small portion of your temporary filling or crown to wear away or break off. If the entire filling falls out, or if a temporary crown comes off, please call our office so it can be replaced.
To protect the tooth and help keep your temporary in place:
·Avoid chewing sticky foods (especially gum).
·Avoid biting hard foods and hard substances, such as ice, fingernails and pencils. ·If possible, chew only on the opposite side of your mouth.
It's normal to experience some discomfort for several days after a root canal therapy appointment, especially when chewing. It is not uncommon for a tooth to be uncomfortable or even exhibit a dull ache immediately after receiving root canal therapy. This should subside within a few days (or even weeks). Even if you were not experiencing any discomfort prior to treatment, it is normal for you to experience some degree of discomfort for a few days after. The tenderness is normal and is no cause for alarm.
To control discomfort, take pain medication as recommended by your dentist. If antibiotics are prescribed,
continue to take them for the indicated length of time, even if all symptoms and signs of infection are gone. Should you experience discomfort that cannot be controlled with pain medications or should swelling develop, please call our office.
To further reduce pain and swelling, rinse three times a day with warm salt water; dissolve a teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water, then rinse, swish, and spit. It's important to continue to brush and floss normally.
Usually, the last step after root canal treatment is the placement of a crown or filling on the tooth.
This protects the tooth from breaking in the future. Unless otherwise noted by the dentist, it is critical to have a crown or filling placed on your root canal therapy treated tooth as soon as possible. Delay in obtaining final restoration may result in fracture and/or possible loss of the tooth.
If your bite feels uneven, you have persistent pain, or you have any other questions or concerns, please call our dental office 310-539-7835.
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