Post Op and Pre Op Instructions
Select a procedure from the list below for instructions to follow before and after receiving treatment.
Pre Operative Instructions For IV Sedation
1. Nothing to eat or drink past midnight the night before your appointment (No coffee, water, gum etc.) Drink lots of fluids up till midnight the day before to prepare your veins.
2. No smoking (cigarettes, vape) the day of surgery.
3. No recreational drug use 1 week prior to your surgery. This includes medical marijuana. We have zero tolerance policy, for your safety. We reserve the right to cancel your appointment if the use of illicit substances has been discovered or if your anesthesia is not successful because you have used these substances.
4. No alcohol consumption the day before the procedure.
5. Someone over the age of 18 must come with you who can wait for you in the office while you are in surgery and can drive you home after. You can not drive for 24 hours after IV sedation.
6. Please plan for someone to take care of you at home after the procedure.
7. No nail polish and/or long acrylic nails as it interferes with our oxygen sensors.
8. Please remove contact lenses and all jewelry (including watches) before surgery.
9. Please wear clothing with short or loose fitting sleeves and comfortable shoes (no sandals).
10. If the patient is a minor (under 18), he/she must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
11. If you take any medications on a regular basis, please contact the office to see if you should
take these on the day of your procedure.
12. If you use an inhaler, bring it with you on the day of surgery.
Please call the office 229-241-1010, if you have any other questions.
Post Operative Instructions For IV Sedation
Care of your mouth after surgery has an important effect on healing. Swelling, discomfort and restricted jaw function are expected and should not cause alarm. These may be minimized by following the instructions below. Please read them carefully.
1. No rinsing, no spitting, no straws for the first 24 hours. Spitting or sucking causes
bleeding to continue. Slight bleeding or oozing is normal for the next few days.
2. Smokers are advised not to smoke for at least 3 days following surgery. Smoking can cause bleeding and delay healing.
3. Replace your gauze pad every 30-40 minutes ONLY if there is active bleeding, which could last several hours. If bleeding is excessive, place a moistened tea bag over the wound and bite firmly for 30 minutes with constant pressure. Once the gauze is light pink in color, you don’t need it anymore. Do not lie down or sleep with gauze in your mouth (choking hazard).
4. Apply an ice pack 15 minutes on, 15 minutes off for the first 24-48 hours. Peak
swelling should occur between the third and fourth day post operatively and
diminish slowly thereafter.
5. Soft foods and plenty of fluids today, nothing that requires chewing until the
numbness is gone. Then soft foods are recommended for the next several days, gradually resume your normal diet as soon as possible.
6. You may brush your teeth before bedtime, but try to avoid the extraction area the first couple days.
7. Starting tomorrow, the mouth may be rinsed gently with warm saltwater, 4 times daily for one week (1/2 tsp. salt for 8 oz. of water). When doing this, pour the solution in your mouth and rock your head side to side, then let it drip out into the sink (no forceful spitting).
8. If you have sutures, they will come out on their own within 5-10 days.
9. Avoid overexertion and get adequate rest. Advoiding sports, exercise and strenuous activity for at least 2-3 days is generally recommended.
10.If you have had intervenous anesthesia or while taking pain medication, do not drink alcohol, drive or run heavy machinery for 24 hours.
11. It is usually best to avoid routine or elective dental care (including orthodontic or
hygiene visits) for approximately 2 weeks after surgery unless your doctor has advised otherwise.
Instructions On The Use Of Your Prescription Medications
You may have been given one or more of the following prescriptions to make your recovery more comfortable.
Penicillin, Clindamycin (Cleocin) or Amoxicillin:
This is an antibiotic to decrease the chance of infection. Take this as soon as you can. Follow the instructions on the bottle and finish all the medication.
Peridex (Chlorhexidine) Rinse:
This is a medicated oral rinse. Use twice daily, once in the morning after you have eaten and then just before bed. USE FOR ONE WEEK ONLY.
Decadron (Dexamethasone):
This is a steroid to keep the amount of swelling to a minimum. Take the first dose at bedtime on the day of surgery then follow the instructions for the next several days.
Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) and Tylenol (Acetaminophen):
Take 600mg of ibuprofen with Tylenol 500mg every 6 hours as needed for pain (as long as it doesn’t interfere with any medical conditions that prohibit you from taking it).
DO NOT TAKE ANY MEDICATIONS ON AN EMPTY STOMACH
Signs of infection include increased pain and swelling after 3 days, redness, warmth, drainage of pus, foul smell and/or fever. If these occur, contact our office at: 229-241-1010
Platelet Rich Fibrin (PRF) is exactly what its name suggests. The substance is a by-product of blood (plasma) that is rich in platelets. Until now, its use has been confined to the hospital setting. This was due mainly to the cost of separating the platelets from the blood (thousands) and the large amount of blood needed (one unit) to produce a suitable quantity of platelets. New technology permits the doctor to harvest and produce a sufficient quantity of platelets from only 55 cc of blood drawn from the patient while they
are having outpatient surgery.
Why all the excitement about PRF?
PRF permits the body to take advantage of the normal healing pathways at a greatly accelerated rate. During the healing process, the body rushes many cells and cell-types to the wound in order to initiate the healing process. One of those cell types is platelets. Platelets perform many functions, including formation of a blood clot and release of growth factors (GF) into the wound. These GF (platelet derived growth factors PGDF, transforming growth factor beta TGF, and insulin-like growth factor ILGF) function to assist the body in repairing itself by stimulating stem cells to regenerate new tissue. The more growth factors released sequestered into the wound, the more stem cells stimulated to produce new host tissue. Thus, one can easily see that PRF permits the body to heal faster and more efficiently.
A subfamily of TGF, is bone morphogenic protein (BMP). BMP has been shown to induce the formation of new bone in research studies in animals and humans. This is of great significance to the surgeon who places dental implants. By adding PRF, and thus BMP, to the implant site with bone substitute particles, the implant surgeon can now grow bone more predictably and faster than ever before.
Post Operative Instructions For Local
Care of your mouth after surgery has an important effect on healing. Swelling, discomfort and restricted jaw function are expected and should not cause alarm. These may be minimized by following the instructions below. Please read them carefully.
1. No rinsing, no spitting, no straws for the first 24 hours. Spitting or sucking cause bleeding to continue. Slight bleeding or oozing is normal for the next few days.
2. Smokers are advised not to smoke for at least 3 days following surgery. Smoking can cause bleeding and delay healing.
3. Replace your gauze pad every 30-40 minutes ONLY if there is active bleeding, which could last several hours. If bleeding is excessive, place a moistened tea bag over the wound and bite firmly for 30 minutes with constant pressure. Once the gauze is light pink in color, you don’t need it anymore. Do not lie down or sleep with gauze in your
mouth (choking hazard).
4. Apply an ice pack 15 minutes on, 15 minutes off for the first 24-48 hours. Peak swelling should occur between the third and fourth day postoperatively and diminish slowly thereafter.
5. Soft foods and plenty of fluids today, nothing that requires chewing until the numbness is gone. Then soft foods are recommended for the next several days, gradually resume your normal diet as soon as possible.
6. You may brush your teeth before bedtime, but try to avoid the extraction area the first couple days.
7. Starting tomorrow, the mouth may be rinsed gently with warm saltwater, 4 times daily for one week (1/2 tsp. salt for 8 oz. of water). When doing this, pour the solution in your mouth and rock your head side to side, then let it drip out into the sink (no forceful spitting).
8. If you have sutures, they will come out on their own within 5-10 days.
9. Avoid overexertion and get adequate rest. Avoiding sports, exercise and strenuous activity for at least 2-3 days is generally recommended.
10.It is usually best to avoid routine or elective dental care (including orthodontic or hygiene visits) for approximately 2 weeks after surgery unless your doctor has advised otherwise.
Signs of infection include increased pain and swelling after 3 days, redness, warmth, drainage of pus, foul smell and/or fever. If these occur, contact our office at: 229-241-1010
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