If you are undergoing oral surgery in the next few hours, you must prepare yourself so as to carry out the procedure without complications and have enough time to recover. Oral surgery usually involves local or general anesthetic and can be carried out on an outpatient basis.
From the patient’s perspective, similar to other surgeries, you must approach oral surgery diligently. This means you have to follow all the post-operative instructions from experts like this professional dentist in Cookeville and make preparations to prevent the risks of infection. Some of these preparations you may need to do before your surgery include:
- Stock up Easy-to-Chew and Soft Food
Pick up foodstuffs, such as ice cream, yogurt, and soup before your oral surgeon operates on you. Try to hold off eating crunchy and hard foodstuffs for eight weeks before your surgery because they may hurt sensitive gums.
You also need to eat foods, which are at room temperature. The same goes for beverages. If you want your coffee fix, ensure it cools for a while before taking it.
- Be Informed
Oral surgery may address a lot of problems in the mouth, gums, and jaws, though a common reason for the operation is tooth extraction. You might require tooth extraction if you have tooth decay, which you may not fix with a root canal.
It is vital to be fully enlightened, so ensure you have the clarification you require regarding the below topics:
- What risks are related to the procedure?
- Why do you require oral surgery?
- What happens during the procedure?
- Which benefits will you get?
- Avoid Eating Before the Oral Surgery
You need to avoid eating anything for 12 hours before the oral surgery. This might prevent nausea after and during the procedure. If you want to have a local anesthetic, you might not require to fast that long, though be sure to consult your surgeon first.
It is also advisable not to smoke before the oral surgery. As a matter of fact, this can be a suitable time to stop smoking for good. Smoking immediately after the procedure might as well slow the healing process and put you at more significant risks for ‘dry socket,’ which is a severe problem requiring medical attention.
- Pick Medications in Advance
Immediately you have oral surgery, you will have to be in full recovery mode. This means you will not have time to leave your home to get medication.
Hence, ensure you go to the pharmacy before the oral surgery procedure to pick all the medications you will require for your recovery process.
- Share Your Medical History
Ensure that your surgeon knows all your medical details. It is imperative to share your medical history before the surgical procedure starts.
You need to be thorough and remember to give out all the details your dentist needs. This may include reports to your:
- Immune system
- Bacterial endocarditic history
- Liver disease
- Biological valves
- Artificial replacement of joints
- Congenital cardiovascular illness
Concluding Remarks!
If you have an oral surgery coming up on the calendar, you must get prepared for the procedure.
With the proper preparations like fasting and buying all the medications, you will likely have a smooth surgery procedure and speed recovery.