Preparing for Your Upcoming Oral Surgery

Preparing for oral surgery can be daunting.

Let’s face it, no one exactly looks forward to someone poking and prodding around in their mouth. But there’s one thing you should know…

Preparing for oral surgery is essential. With proper preparation, you can help ensure your procedure goes as smoothly as possible. It also helps you avoid complications. Only 16% of dental patients receive optimal preoperative oral care from their providers. Don’t be one of the other 84%.

In this post, you will learn:

• Crucial Pre-Surgery Prep Steps You Can’t Skip
• Medical History Factors That Could Literally Save Your Life
• Food To Eat (And Avoid) Before Oral Surgery
• Oral Surgery Recovery Timeline
• Post-Surgery Care Essentials

Why Preparation Is Worth Far More Than You Might Think

Do you know what’s kind of a secret?

Patients who receive appropriate preoperative care are far less likely to experience surgery complications. We’re talking postoperative pneumonia rates dropping from 3.76% down to 3.28%.

Now, that may not sound like a lot.

But when it comes to your oral health and wellbeing, that’s a serious improvement.

When patients don’t prepare for oral surgery properly, things can go wrong:

• Infections (and longer healing)
• Extended recovery time
• Increased post-op pain
• Potential surgical issues
• Longer healing period overall

When you work with an experienced professional oral surgery practice, they’ll take you through the entire preparation process to help optimize your results.

But here’s the thing…

Most of these preparation steps are fairly simple. You just need to know when and how to do them.

Medical History: Everything They Need to Know

First and foremost, surgeons need to be aware of your complete medical history.

This means:

• Current medications(including vitamins and supplements)
• Previous surgeries or medical procedures
• Any allergies(medication, material, food, etc.)
• Chronic health conditions(diabetes, heart disease, etc.)
• Prior adverse reactions to anesthesia

Trust me, nothing is too small to mention. Something as simple as that blood pressure medication or herbal supplement could have a direct impact on your surgical outcome.

Tell the truth about everything. Your surgeon’s surgical team isn’t there to judge you. They’re there to keep you safe.

Pre-Surgery Fasting: Timing Is Everything

This is a must:

Patients are required not to eat or drink for at least 8 hours before their procedure.

Reason: Anesthesia may cause nausea and vomiting. If you have anything in your stomach, it could be aspirated into your lungs. That’s bad news.

Exception: In the case of a life-saving medication, you may take a sip of water to swallow the pill. However, you should check with the surgeon about this beforehand.

Your surgery preparation time should look something like this:

• 8+ hours before:No food, beverages
• 24 hours before:No alcohol
• 72 hours before:No recreational drugs
• Night before:Get a good night’s sleep

What to Wear and Bring on Surgery Day

Comfortable is the name of the game.

Wear:

• Loose-fitting clothes with sleeves that roll easily.
• Low-heeled, comfortable shoes.
• Leave jewelry, contact lenses, and excessive makeup at home.

Bring:

• Insurance cards, ID, etc.
• List of current medications
• Driver to get you home
• Soft foods for post-surgery meals

Avoid:

• Lipstick or nail polish (messes with monitoring equipment)
• Tight clothing
• High heels, flip-flops

The surgical team needs access to your arms to place IV lines. They also need to be able to monitor your vital signs, and things like nail polish get in the way of that.

Transportation and Support Arrangements

Patients aren’t allowed to drive after oral surgery.

Even if you feel okay, anesthesia medications can impact your motor skills and judgment for up to 24 hours after the procedure. Arrange for a reliable person to:

• Drive you to and from your appointment
• Stay with you for at least the first 24 hours after the procedure
• Assist with meal prep if needed
• Help with medications if needed

Pro tip: Prepare your home and recovery area before your surgery. Make sure to have pillows to elevate your head. Soft foods in the fridge, and easy access to your post-operative medications.

Medication Management Pre-Surgery

This gets complicated because the protocol for taking or avoiding medications can vary.

Blood thinners: Your surgeon will advise you on when to stop blood thinners. Typically, it’s 3-7 days before the procedure.

Pain medications: Do NOT take aspirin or ibuprofen for several days before your surgery. They increase bleeding risk.

Supplements: Stop all herbal supplements at least one week before surgery. Many supplements interact with anesthesia or increase bleeding.

Prescription medications: NEVER discontinue a prescription medication without discussing it with both your surgeon and the prescribing doctor.

Some patients require antibiotics before surgery. This is especially true for patients with heart valve issues, joint replacements, or immunocompromised patients.

Recovery Timeline: What to Expect

Here’s what you need to know about oral surgery recovery…

First 24-48 hours: You will feel some discomfort and swelling. This is normal.

Days 3-7: Most people start to feel much better. Swelling usually peaks around day 2-3 and then starts to improve.

Week 2: Soft tissues have usually healed. Most patients can return to normal activity.

Month 1: Soft tissue healing is usually complete.

Up to 6 months: Bone healing is usually complete for major surgeries.

Most patients feel like themselves again within 2-3 days post-op. But each patient is different, and some take longer to recover than others.

Post-Surgery Care Preparation

Get these items before your procedure:

Pain management: Ice packs, prescribed pain medications, soft gauze pads

Nutrition: Soft foods like yogurt, applesauce, soup, etc. Plenty of water. (Avoid using straws as they can dislodge blood clots)

Oral hygiene: Salt and water for gentle rinse, soft bristled toothbrush, antimicrobial mouthwash if recommended

Common Preparation Mistakes to Avoid

Don’t make these newbie mistakes:

1. Eating/drinking too close to surgery time
2. Not arranging transportation
3. Not disclosing all medications and supplements
4. Wearing jewelry or contact lenses to surgery
5. Planning to return to work right after surgery

Final Pre-Surgery Checklist

Review this checklist the night before your procedure:

• Stopped eating/drinking 8+ hours before appointment
• Transportation arranged
• Recovery space prepped
• Medications organized
• Emergency contact numbers available
• Comfortable clothes laid out
• All questions answered by surgical team

If you can’t check at least one of these off the list, contact the surgeon’s office.

Maximize Your Success Rate

With proper preparation, oral surgery has a high success rate. Dental implants alone have a 97% success rate at 10 years when patients follow appropriate protocols.

Your preparation will impact your success.

Patients who do the best are those who:

• Follow all pre-operative instructions
• Maintain good oral hygiene
• Arrange a proper support system
• Take recovery seriously
• Communicate openly with their surgical team

Getting Started Today

Don’t leave oral surgery prep to the last minute.

Start putting your surgery preparation together as soon as you have your procedure scheduled. The more prepared you are, the better your experience will be.

Proper preparation leads to better outcomes, faster healing, and fewer complications. It’s as simple as that.