Preoperative Instruction for Patients Scheduling for I.V. Sedation

The patient should not eat or drink (including water or coffee) for eight (8) hours prior to surgery.

Patients who wear contact lenses should leave them out or bring their lens case and remove the lenses prior to surgery.

Patients should plant or wear loose fitting clothing to permit access to the area where anesthesia is to be administered at the level of the elbow.

A responsible adult should accompany the patient and should be in the office at the completion of the procedure to drive the patient home.

Following sedation, patients should not plan to drive an automobile, operate dangerous machinery, or undertake any responsible business matters for 24 hours.

If, prior to your procedure, you develop a cold, sorethroat, or otherwise become ill, please contact the office. Your appointment may need to be rescheduled.

IMPORTANT:

	All patients under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian at the consultation and the surgical visit.
	If you plan to undergo a procedure utilizing IV sedation, we require that you have nothing to eat or drink for at least 8 hours prior to your procedure.
	You must bring an adult, 18 years of age or older to drive you home if you plan to undergo a procedure utilizing IV sedation.

Postoperative Instruction for Patients Care of the Mouth Following Oral Surgery

Care of the Mouth Following Oral Surgery

Surgery of the mouth is similar to surgery in other parts of the body and requires careful attention to postoperative instructions,

1. DO NOT DISTURB THE WOUND - Do not rinse the mouth or use a mouth wash the day of surgery, Do not smoke for at least four days fol lowing surgery. Avoid probing the wound. A Water Pick should not be used during the early healing period. The above activities will dislodge the blood clot and a painful "dry socket" condition often develops.

2. SWELLING - Facial swelling occurs following most extraction and oral surgery procedures. To help control this, apply an ice pack to the face for 20 minutes; remove for 20 minutes, Repeat this alternating procedure during the first day only. To be most effective, the application of ice packs should begin as soon as possible. The maximum amount of facial swelling normally occurs 2-3 days after surgery.

3. PAIN - A variable amount of pain follows most extraction and oral surgery procedures, if you are given a prescription for pain tablets, please use as directed. If not, one or two pain tablets of your choice should be taken every 3-4 hours as needed. Excessive or increasing pain after the third day following surgery is not normal. Should this occur. Please return to the office promptly or call for treatment of pain.

4. BLEEDING - A slight amount of bleeding or oozing is to be expected even up to 24 hours. These conditions are no cause for alarm. Following your oral surgery, a small sterile gauze compress was placed on the wound and you were asked to maintain steady biting pressure on the gauze.

If excessive bleeding should occur, the following procedures should be done:

a) gently wipe excess blood from the mouth.

b) place a clean sterile gauze pad directly over the area which is bleed- ing and maintain steady firm biting pressure on the gauze for 30 min- utes. If not successful, repeat procedure with gauze soaked in a strong solution of tea (or bite on a moist tea bag) for another 30 minutes.

c) remain quiet, sit upright, and apply an ice pack to the face.

d) if these measures do not succeed, call the office or the after hours emergency number.

5. DISCOLORATION - Facial discoloration (black and blue bruising) often follows many extraction and oral surgery procedures. It will disappear after a few days. Discoloration is normal and is no cause for alarm.

6. JAW STIFFNESS - For several days following most oral surgical pro- cedures, the jaws become stiff.

7. DIET - Soft foods and liquids are recommended. Try not to skip any meals and keep up normal fluid intake.

8. ORAL HYGIENE:

MOUTH RINSES - The day following surgery begin using warm salt water rinses after meals and several times during the day for one week following surgery. One-half teaspoonful of table salt in a full glass of warm water is recommended.

TOOTHBRUSHING - Brush teeth as normal on the day following surgery.

9. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND REST - Keep physical activity to a mini- mum. Avoid athletic and strenuous activity and get plenty of rest. Most patients can resume normal activities in 3-4 days.

10. STITCHES - Following many extraction and oral surgery procedures, stitches are placed in the gums. Dissolvable stitches usually "fallout" in 5-7 days.

11. DRY SOCKET - Despite the best of care, a small percentage of patients who have teeth removed develop, what is known as a "dry socket". A "dry socket" is a condition where the normal blood clot does not form properly after removal of a tooth. A "dry socket" usually develops about 3 days after removal of the tooth and the patient experiences an aching pain where the tooth was removed. The aching pain, which steadily worsens, radiates along the jaw and into the ear. If the patient develops the aching painful symptoms of a "dry socket", he should immediately return to the office for the treatment of the pain.

12. POSTOPERATIVE CARE - There is no charge for any postoperative care.

13. BIRTH CONTROL PILLS - Antibiotics are often prescribed to treat an infection. Some antibiotics have been shown to decrease the effective- ness of birth control pills and therefore another form of birth control should be used. Please consult with your physician.