Preoperative Instructions

Preoperative Instructions for Patients Undergoing Intravenous Anesthesia

• You may not have anything to eat or drink (including water) after midnight prior to your appointment.
• 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.

The 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 peaks on the 2nd or 3rd post-operative day
• Trismus (stiffness) of the muscles may cause difficulty in opening your mouth for a few 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 the mouth are stretched out they may 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.
• There may be a slight elevation of temperature for 24 to 48 hours. If temperature continues, notify us.
• It is not unusual to develop bruising in the area of an extraction. Please take all prescriptions as directed.

Women please note: Some antibiotics may interfere with the effectiveness of your birth control pills. Please check with your pharmacist.