When it comes to oral surgery, many people worry about what’s going to happen to them during their procedure. However, an oral surgeon will tell you, what you do before and after your surgery is just as important as anything that happens during treatment to ensure a safe, successful outcome. Keep reading to learn more about the importance of following pre and post-operative care instructions.
Avoid Complications During Surgery
In order to avoid unexpected complications during surgical procedures, it’s important that you follow pre-operative instructions. Some of the things you’ll need to consider prior to your surgery include:
- Altering prescription medication routines, especially if you take blood thinners
- Completing any antibiotic therapy as directed
- Avoiding food within eight or twelve hours of treatment
- Following care instructions to protect your surrounding teeth prior to treatment
Prevent Discomfort or Infection After Treatment
Once your surgical procedure is complete, you’ll need to follow the specific instructions provided to you by your oral surgeon in order to remain comfortable and heal quickly. While you should receive personalized treatment instructions, some basic post-op instructions you should consider following treatment include:
- Use over the counter pain relievers or prescribed pain medications or anti-inflammatories as directed to prevent pain or discomfort
- Take prescribed antibiotics as directed
- Adjust your other medications, if necessary as determined by your oral surgeon and physician
- Use ice packs or cold compresses at 20 minute intervals (20 on/20 off) to reduce swelling, slow bleeding, and relieve pain
- Eat soft foods and avoid chewing on the side of the mouth where the surgical procedure was completed
- Clean the treatment site using antimicrobial rinses and any prescription oral hygiene products to avoid infection
Improve Success Rate of Procedures
Without your full cooperation in following pre and post-op care instructions, your surgical procedure is significantly less likely to be successful. In fact, you are more than twice as likely to experience dental implant failure, dry socket, infection, and other health concerns that impede your ability to successfully heal following an advanced treatment. Your oral surgeon will only get to see you for a few hours, and they will do their utmost to provide effective care. Once you leave the office, the success of your oral surgery is in your hands. Before and after treatment, you need to follow care instructions to ensure your surgery is successful.
Meet Dr. Lee
Dr. Jeff Lee and the Marietta team at Muskingum Valley Oral Surgery are here to help if you have questions before or after your surgical treatment. We will carefully evaluate your current oral and overall health and walk you through what to do to get ready for your surgical procedure, and following treatment, we’ll provide personalized care instructions to ensure you remain healthy and heal quickly. If you ever have questions or need help following treatment (even if we didn’t perform the surgery), please don’t hesitate to contact our dedicated team. We’ll be happy to help. You can check our blog regularly to learn more about oral surgery.