About Surgery Preparation & Recovery

If you are considering any surgeries offered, please review the information that is presented in the preparation and recovery lists. Following protocols is essential for getting optimal results. If you have additional questions or concerns please call our office at 988 2121.

Preparing for Anesthesia

You may not have anything to eat or drink (including water) from midnight the night prior until after your appointment. No smoking at least 12 hours before surgery. Ideally, cut down or stop smoking as soon as possible prior to the day of surgery. A responsible adult must accompany the patient to the office, remain in the office during the procedure, and drive the patient home. The patient should not drive a vehicle or operate any machinery for 24 hours following the anesthesia experience. Please wear loose fitting clothing with sleeves which can be rolled up past the elbow, and low-heeled shoes. Contact lenses, jewelry, and dentures must be removed at the time of surgery. All tongue, nose and lip rings must be removed prior to surgery If you have an illness such as a cold, sore throat, stomach or bowel upset, please notify the office. If you take routine oral medications, please check with Dr. Urig/Dr. Young prior to your surgical date for instructions.

Preparing for Chemical Peel

Prior to your chemical peel you should stop your skin conditioning program 2 days prior unless told differently by the doctor. You may also be given pre-operative medications to take prior to the procedure. The medicines could include Valtrex(anti-viral) and an antibiotic. These should be taken one day before the procedure. If you will be having sedation for the procedure you must not eat or drink past midnight the night prior and you should wear loose fitting clothes and no make-up or jewelry.

Preparing for Hair Removal

During your initial consultation, you will be asked to provide a detailed medical and hormonal history. When indicated, we will obtain blood tests in order to uncover any hormone-related causes, which may be associated with the excess production of body hair. Before and during treatment please remember no tanning, tweezing, or waxing of the area. For patients on Retin A facial treatment please stop the use of the Retin A one week prior to your treatment. Please shave the area three days prior to treatment.

Dental Implants, Wisdom Teeth, Impacted Tooth, Removal of Multiple Teeth

The gauze pad placed over the surgical area should be kept in place for at least one and a half hours After this time, the gauze pad should be removed and discarded. Vigorous mouth rinsing or touching the wound area following surgery should be avoided. This may initiate bleeding by causing the blood clot that has formed to become dislodged. Take the prescribed pain medications as soon as you begin to feel discomfort this will usually coincide with the local anesthetic becoming diminished. Limit your activities the day of surgery Place ice packs to the sides of your face where surgery was performed. Refer to the section of swelling for explanation.

Bleeding

A certain amount of bleeding is to be expected following surgery. Slight bleeding, oozing, or redness in the saliva is not uncommon. Excessive bleeding may be controlled by first rinsing or wiping any old clots from your mouth, then placing a gauze pad over the area and biting firmly for thirty minutes. Repeat if necessary. If bleeding continues, bite on a moistened tea bag for thirty minutes. The tannic acid in the tea helps to form a clot by contracting bleeding vessels. To minimize further bleeding, do not drink hot liquids, become excited, sit upright, and avoid exercise. Do not remove immediate denture unless the bleeding is severe, expect some oozing around the side of the denture. If bleeding does not subside, call for further instructions.

Swelling

The swelling that is normally expected is usually proportional to the surgery involved. Swelling around the mouth, cheeks, eyes and sides of the face is not uncommon. This is the body’s normal reaction to surgery and eventual repair. The swelling will not become apparent until the day following surgery and will not reach its maximum until 2-3 days post-operatively. However, the swelling may be minimized by the immediate use of ice packs. Two baggies filled with ice, or ice packs should be applied to the sides of the face where surgery was performed. The ice packs should be left on 20 minutes on 20 minutes off while awake. After 48 hours, ice has no beneficial effect. If swelling or jaw stiffness has persisted for several days, there is no cause for alarm. This is a normal reaction to surgery. Forty-eight hours following surgery the application of moist heat to the sides of the face is beneficial in reducing the size of the swelling.

Oral Hygiene

Do not rinse your mouth for the first day, or while there is bleeding. After the fist day, use warm salt water rinse every 4 hours and following meals to flush out particles of food and debris which may lodge in the operated area, (1/2 teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water, 8 oz.). After you have seen your dentist for denture adjustment, take out denture and rinse 3 or 4 times a day.

Pain

For moderate pain, one or two tablets of Tylenol or Extra strength Tylenol may be taken every three to four hours or Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) four 200mg. tablets may be taken every 8 hours. For severe pain take the tablets prescribed for pain as directed. The prescribed pain medicine will make you groggy and will slow down your reflexes. Do not drive an automobile or work around machinery. Avoid alcoholic beverages. Pain or discomfort following surgery should subside more and more every day. If pain persists, it may require attention and you should call the office. If an antibiotic has been prescribed, finish your prescription regardless of your symptoms

Diet

Drink plenty of liquids. If many teeth have been extracted the blood lost at this time needs to be replaced. Drink at least six glasses of liquid the first day. Restrict your diet to liquids and soft foods, which are comfortable for you to eat. As the wounds heal you will be able to advance your diet.

Activity

Keep physical activities to a minimum immediately following surgery. If you are considering exercise, throbbing or bleeding may occur. If this occurs, you should discontinue exercising. Keep in mind that you are probably not taking normal nourishment and this may cause weakness.

Wearing Your Prosthesis

Partial dentures, flippers or full dentures should not be used immediately after surgery for at least 10 days.

Other Complications

The removal of many teeth at one time is quite different than the extraction of one or two teeth. Because the bone must be shaped and smoothed prior to the insertion of a denture, the following conditions may occur, all of which are considered normal: A sore throat may develop. The muscles of the throat are near the extraction sites. Swelling into the throat muscles can cause pain. This is normal and should subside in 2-3 days. There may be a slight elevation in temperature for 24-48 hours. If temperature continues notify our office.