What You Should Do To Prepare For Oral Surgery

Oral surgery is necessary for a variety of reasons. You might need to get your wisdom teeth pulled, or have other teeth pulled in order to make room for orthodontic treatment. No matter the reason, it is important that you prepare before having surgery. You should do things like figure out transportation, have the consultation with your oral surgeon, and learn more about the procedure and what is expected during recovery. Here are some tips for preparing for oral surgery:

Know What to Eat and Drink

Find out from your oral surgeon what you can or cannot eat or drink before surgery. If you are getting general anesthesia or intravenous sedation, you will probably be instructed not to eat or drink anything for several hours before surgery. Usually, it is easiest to say you will not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before, and nothing the morning of surgery, aside from having water. This is the safest way to give you anesthesia, where you get enough to stay asleep.

If you are getting local anesthesia, you should only have a light meal the morning before the oral surgery and brush and floss thoroughly afterward. In either case, do not smoke the day before or day of your surgery.

Arrange Transportation

Oral surgery requires anesthesia, whether local or general, so it is not safe to drive home after the procedure. Make sure you arrange proper transportation to get you home from your appointment. You may not be awake or alert enough for public transportation or a taxi, so it is always best to contact a friend or relative to give you a ride home. You should also arrange for someone to sit with your children during your first day of recovery.

Dress Comfortably

Just like any other outpatient surgical procedure, you want to be dressed as comfortable as possible. Wear loose and soft garments, such as a soft t-shirt and sweatpants or pants made of a stretchy material. Do not wear any jewelry or accessories, and consider removing your contact lenses and bringing your glasses instead. You should also avoid makeup, though using lip balm is a good idea because lips get chapped during dental procedures.

Prepare Your Post-Surgical Food

After oral surgery, you are not going to go right into eating anything you like. You will want to be on a liquid diet first, then a soft foods diet. Stock up on things you can eat and drink, such as protein drinks, smoothies, pudding and gelatin. When you start eating soft foods, mashed potatoes is a very good food to start with as it is easy to eat and easy on your stomach.

If you have other questions, contact a company like Iowa Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons, PC to learn more.

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