Before Anesthesia

Pre-operative instructions for patients undergoing intravenous sedation or general anesthesia:

• You may not have anything to eat or drink (including water) for six (6) hours prior to the appointment.
• A responsible adult must accompany the patient to the office, remain in the waiting room during the procedure, be able to drive the patient home, and stay with the patient for the remainder of the day.
• Patient should not drive a vehicle, operate machinery or make any legal decisions for 24 hours following the anesthesia experience.
• Please wear loose comfortable clothing with sleeves that can be rolled up past the elbow, and low healed shoes. Contact lens, jewelry and dentures must be removed at the time of surgery.
• Do not wear lipstick, excessive make-up or nail polish on the day of surgery.
• If you have an illness such as a cold, sore throat, stomach or bowel upset, please notify the office in advance of the appointment time.

If you take routine oral medicines in the morning, or have been prescribed a pre-medication by Dr. West or Dr. Truitt, take medication with sips of water only. Please contact our office if you have any questions regarding your medications.

Removal of impacted wisdom teeth and surgical extraction of teeth is quite different from the extraction of erupted teeth. The following conditions may occur, all of which are considered normal:

• The surgical area will swell
• Swelling peeks on the 2nd or 3rd post operative day.
• Trismus (stiffness) of the muscles may cause difficulty in opening your mouth for a period of days.
• You may have a slight earache.
• A sore throat may develop.
• Your other teeth may ache temporarily. This is referred pain and is a temporary condition.
• If the corners of your mouth were stretched out, they may be dry and crack. Your lips should be kept moist with cream or ointment.
• There will be a space where the tooth was removed. After 24 hours this area should be rinsed following meals with warm salt water, until it is healed. This cavity will gradually fill in with new tissue over time.
• There may be a slight elevation of temperature for 24-48 hours. If increased temperature persists, please notify the office.
• It is not unusual to develop bruising in the area of an extraction.
• You may wish to stock up on soft, cool food items such as yogurt, pudding, applesauce, ice cream, popsicles and italian ices.
• Women – please note – some antibiotics may interfere with the effectiveness of your birth control pills. Please check with your pharmacist.