Before Anesthesia Instructions | Heritage Oral Surgery & Implant Centers (2024)

FAQs

What are the instructions before anesthesia? ›

Do not eat or drink anything for 8 hours prior to your sedation or general anesthesia. No food, water, coffee, or juice. Certain patients with diabetes may have a different requirement. Your doctor will advise you of your diet requirement prior to anesthesia if it is different.

If you're going to have anesthesia, your dentist will recommend that you do not eat or drink anything for at least eight hours prior to your surgery. If you need to take medication, only use a small sip of water if necessary. Doing so will help you to avoid any risk of aspiration during surgery.

If you're going to be sedated, don't eat or drink anything, including water, after midnight of the evening before your surgery. This reduces your risk of aspiration, a rare but serious complication of anesthesia that fills the lungs with the contents of your stomach.

If you are scheduled to have intravenous sedation: You may not have anything to eat or drink for 8 hours before your appointment. For morning surgery, no food or liquids after midnight the night before surgery. Clear liquids (anything you can see through) may be taken up to 4 hours before surgery.

The Don'ts

Do not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before your surgery. This includes water, coffee, gum, or mints. If you do, it may be necessary to cancel your surgery. Do not smoke or use chewing tobacco after midnight the night before your surgery.

It is very important for every patient to have an empty stomach before any surgery or procedure that requires anesthesia, for two reasons: To prevent nausea. To keep any food or liquid from getting into the lungs.

Brush your teeth as usual, but be sure not to swallow any water or toothpaste. Do not wear any make up or nail polish. If you regularly wear contact lenses, please remove them prior to surgery. Jewelry and dentures will also need to be removed before surgery.

You may brush your teeth and rinse your mouth with a small sip of water, but do not swallow any of it. If you have been told to take medicine the day of surgery, take them with just a small sip of water. Stop smoking for at least twenty-four (24) hours before surgery.

Oral surgery is invasive and takes long. Therefore, you might need to be asleep during the dental procedure. Your specialist will provide general anesthesia to prevent pain and offer comfort. When put under general anesthesia, you will be unconscious and won't remember anything after the oral surgery.

Peak Pain and Swelling

Usually occurs 2 or 3 days after the surgical day, not counting the surgery day itself.

What happens if you wake up during oral surgery? ›

The condition, called anesthesia awareness (waking up) during surgery, means the patient can recall their surroundings, or an event related to the surgery, while under general anesthesia. Although it can be upsetting, patients usually do not feel pain when experiencing anesthesia awareness.

You will be fitted with a surgical gown during the surgical procedure, so please wear a loose fitting shirt or blouse that can be easily removed and low-heeled shoes. Contact lenses, jewelry, and dentures must be removed at the time of surgery.

It's best to avoid wearing makeup or jewelry to your implant surgery appointment as it can get in the way of the procedure and increase the risk of infection. We also recommend wearing comfortable clothing. How long will the procedure take?

You will be prescribed an antibiotic, corticosteroid, and pain medicine. The antibiotic will reduce the chances of implant infection by outside sources of infection: colds, flu, etc. and gives added protection to the implant site. You will start the antibiotic 1 HOUR BEFORE the implant surgery.

Your dentist will give you comprehensive pre-surgery instructions to follow. Your instructions may include the following: Eat a healthy breakfast on surgery day. However, if you are receiving a sedative for your surgery, your dentist will ask you to not eat food the evening before your surgery.

Patients are kept asleep and comfortable and have no memory of the surgery. General anesthesia is very safe and effective.

Your dental surgeon will likely tell you to fast for eight to 12 hours before dental surgery, unless you're diabetic. That means no eating or drinking, not even water. Take any medications as you normally would, but try to only have a small sip of water.

General anesthesia is meant to put you completely asleep, so you will be unaware of your procedure, during which, your oral surgeon will monitor your vitals and supply you with oxygen using a face mask.

This method of anesthesia is very safe and effective for most minor procedures. Local anesthesia is safe and has few side effects. You will feel numbness in your cheeks, lips, and gums for a few hours following the procedure. Be careful not to bite too hard!