What to Have at Home Before Coming In for Oral Surgery

Posted on 9/21/2020 by Dr. Chad Rebhun

At our offices, we always take time out to orientate our patients about what they can do personally to increase their chances of succeeding with their oral surgery. Depending on various aspects of the surgery, including the anesthetics, duration of the surgery, and post-surgery care, we might implore you to put certain things in place at your home in readiness for the procedure and to prevent any risks of post-operative infections and other complications.

Foods and Drinks

Patients who will be placed on an intravenous (IV) or general anesthetic need to eat 8 – 12 hours before the surgery. If you'll be getting a local anesthetic, you can have a meal an hour or two before the surgery. It's best to eat soft foods that require little or no preparation and chewing before and after the surgery such as oatmeal, smoothies, yoghurts, etc. We normally dish out a peculiar diet plan for each patient, but we always recommend foods with low acid and sugar contents. The foods must also be free of spices that might irritate the gums. We also require all our patients to abstain from smoking at least 12 hours before and at least 24 hours after the surgery.

Clothing

You need to turn up dressed for the occasion on the day of the surgery. That means you need to keep the right clothing in place for both the operation and recovery. These should be dresses that you wouldn't mind disposing of just in case they get stained by during and after the procedure. Your clothing for surgery day should be loose and comfortable. You should avoid wearing shirts with long sleeves so they don't obstruct us when we need to use your arms to check vital signals, inject an IV, and also monitor your blood pressure.

Medications

Depending on your unique personal needs, we might place you on some antibiotics or pain medications prior to your surgery to help minimize the risks of pains and infections. But we generally require patients to stock up on antibiotics and painkillers in preparation for their surgery and recovery.

Home Setting

You also need to set up your home to be a suitable place where you can be nursed back to health after your surgery. Try to make the place as comfortable as possible. You should try changing your bed sheets in case they get stained by blood or other fluids. Use heavy curtains to shade natural light.
All in all, we'll always monitor your situation closely before and after your surgery to ensure success. Call us today to let's help you restore your oral health with a smooth-sailing surgery.

Dental Blog | Optimum Oral Surgery Group
At Optimum Oral Surgery Group, Dr. Donald G. Rebhun has created this informative blog to help educate the community. Read the dental blog posts here.
Optimum Oral Surgery, 21 E Main Street, Moorestown, NJ 08057; (856)778-8686; optimumoralsurgery.com; 9/30/2023; Related Phrases: oral surgeon Moorestown Voorhees Mullica Hill;