Whether you’re having a tooth extracted, or dental implants placed, oral surgery can make people feel nervous. However, our team takes steps before and during the treatment, and even after, to ensure the treated area heals quickly and that you avoid major discomfort. In today’s blog, your Santa Rosa , CA, oral surgeons talk about what to expect from your oral surgery treatment.
Before You Arrive
Our team will discuss the best ways to be prepared for your oral surgery. Before you arrive, we may recommend avoiding food or drink for about eight hours in preparation for the sedation. You should make arrangements for a friend or family member to be on hand to take you home afterward, and be sure you wear loose and comfortable clothing. In some cases, people receiving oral sedation may be provided with medication to take at home in the hours before the procedure again so by the time you arrive the effects are in place. Be sure to arrive on time too!
Once You’re In-Office
When you’re here, we will start your oral surgery by administering sedation to help you enter a calm and relaxed state. We could recommend nitrous oxide for minor procedures, in which you inhale a gas through a mask over your nose and instantly enter a calm state, conscious and able to respond to the dentist. The effects wear off when the procedure ends, and many people drive themselves home or even return to work or school. Oral sedation is a deeper state of calm and is administered through a pill or liquid. This is a deeper state, so the effects take time to wear off. IV is the deepest form and is administered intravenously. We will have trained anesthesiologists on hand to monitor you throughout the process. When you’re properly relaxed and comfortable, we will move forward with the procedure. The sedation we recommend will depend on multiple factors, such as your age, weight, medical history, and of course, your anxiety levels too.
The Procedure
Our team has experience in minor and complex cases of oral surgery. We can provide gentle tooth extractions, place dental implants, or even rebuild weakened smiles with jawbone grafting or sinus lifts. We can also conduct jaw surgery and treat facial trauma! Our surgeons are also part of the Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital Trauma Team, so we’re ready to handle the more complex jaw and facial injuries, and can rebuild your smile. We plan the procedure in detail with digital x-rays and intraoral camera images, so we’re ready to help you enjoy your best possible smile. Our approach to oral surgery doesn’t just focus on the function and health of the smile, we also take time to ensure you have good smile esthetics afterward too, so you can smile with confidence once again.
Aftercare
When the oral surgery procedure ends, a friend or family member can bring you home, as most sedation will take time to wear off completely. Take the day off, as you also need to recover from your surgery and that means limiting activity and strain. We will provide detailed aftercare instructions and prescriptions for medications that can assist with the healing process and keep you comfortable.
For the first day or two, eat soft foods and avoid straw use or prodding the site with your tongue. Be very gentle when you brush and floss, too! For example, with an extraction you want a blood clot to form as part of the healing process, and you don’t want to dislodge it, which could cause discomfort. Avoid tobacco products and strenuous activity, just rest and relax. We may schedule a follow-up to remove sutures and monitor your smile to ensure everything is healing properly.
Whether you need a tooth extracted or an impacted tooth bracketed, we can help address these concerns. We also work alongside your general dentist and orthodontics too, so your treatment can continue seamlessly following the surgical portion.
If you have any questions about what to expect for your oral surgery, or if you have a serious issue that needs attention, such as facial trauma or missing teeth, then contact our team to schedule a consultation and get started. We want to help transform your smile, and we offer care for children and seniors too!
Talk To Your Santa Rosa, CA Oral Surgeon About Your Upcoming Procedure
We would like to make sure your experience with our team is a positive one. If you would like to learn more about oral surgery, then contact your Santa Rosa, CA, oral surgeons by calling (707)545-4625.
