Pre-OpCare Guide

PREOPERATIVE INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS

The following information is provided to refresh your memory after your consultation and before your surgery. Please read it and be certain to ask any questions which have not been answered.

The doctor has already discussed with you the type of oral surgical procedure that you will have. Treatment options have also been discussed. If you have any specific questions about the planned procedure or need to be reminded about possible alternatives, please call the office or ask before consenting to surgery.

If you are going to be sedated, the medication will be administered through a vein in your arm. Remember that with the intravenous sedation techniques used in this office you may be vaguely aware of the surgical procedure being performed. You will be relaxed, even sleepy, and with the use of local anesthesia should feel minimal, if any, discomfort during the procedure.

We have found that most patients are not aware of the procedure being performed. After your surgery, you can expect an average of two to four days of discomfort. Each individual’s reaction to surgery varies—the sensation can range from mild discomfort to severe pain.

Knowing this, we will provide you with a strong pain medication to help you through the first few days. If you find that you do not need it, either use half of the prescribed pill every four to six hours or take a nonprescription pain medication at the same time interval. A variable amount of swelling can be expected following the surgery.

This should also begin resolving after the third day. As with any surgery, there can be complications or unanticipated results that you should be aware of. The most common problem encountered following surgery is infection. This usually requires an office visit to relieve pressure and drain any pus that may have accumulated near the surgical site. Rarely, patients need to be admitted to the hospital for intravenous antibiotics and further surgical drainage.

We realize that the surgery is in your mouth and also that maintaining your nutrition is important. Occasionally food particles or bacterial by-products can cause irritation in extraction site(s). This is frequently referred to as “dry socket.” Patients who smoke and women taking birth control pills may be at a higher risk for this to occur. Adequate treatment may require several visits to the office to inspect the extraction sites and to place small “dressings” in the sockets to minimize your discomfort.

These are usually changed several times before they are finally removed. For this reason, we urge you to be available for follow-up visits for at least ten days following your surgery.

Remember, if after three days you feel an increase in pain, swelling, or develop a fever, contact the office as you may require attention. Other temporary problems you may experience in the postoperative period include stiffness in the jaws, chafing around the corners of your lips, facial bruising, and oozing of blood from the extracted sites.

The postoperative instruction sheet should answer many of your questions. If not, don’t hesitate to call the office. If you are given antibiotics and take birth control pills, you should be aware that the birth control pill may become ineffective and take appropriate precautions.

It is our goal to make your surgical experience as comfortable as possible.