Dr. Garrett and our team at Carolina Bright Smiles can handle just about any dental problem you might face throughout your lifetime.
We talk a lot in our blog about how to ensure your teeth and gums stay strong and healthy, but today, we’re looking at what happens when you experience setbacks that require oral surgery.
As frightening as it might sound, it’s actually nothing at all to worry about, especially when you come to our Hillsborough, NC dental office for your procedure.
Times That Call For Oral Surgery
At this point, oral surgery is just another day at the office for our experienced dentists. But we understand that the idea of any kind of surgical procedure can sound a bit scary and intimidating.
The fact is, it’s quite routine. We see it as just another means of keeping your smile healthy despite certain setbacks to your dental health.
Here are some of the times an oral surgery may be in order:
*Your jawbone needs to be prepared to support a dental implant.
*You need to have a dental implant placed in your jawbone.
*You have wisdom teeth that need to be removed.
*A tooth has been too overcome with decay for a standard filling and needs to come out.
*You’ve lost, or are at risk for losing, a tooth because of recessed gums or injury.
*You have an oral infection that requires tooth extraction.
We do all we can to help you avoid these situations by keeping your teeth and gums as strong and healthy on their own as possible. But life doesn’t always work out the way we planned.
You could lose a tooth or need to have one removed in order to save the rest of your teeth. The good news is that oral surgery in our Hillsborough, NC dental office is the solution, not the
problem. You can trust that our skilled team will help you overcome whatever problems that are threatening your healthy, beautiful smile!
Steps For An Easier Oral Surgery & Relaxing Recovery
If you follow our recommendations for before and after a surgical procedure, you’ll have a smoother, more comfortable experience overall.
*Go To The Grocery Store For Soft Foods*
A couple of days before your procedure, make sure you stock your refrigerator and pantry with foods that won’t cause you any discomfort as you’re healing.
The spot where you had surgery will probably not be able to handle hard, crunchy foods or anything that’s too spicy.
Make sure you have items on hand for easier eating like pudding packs, popsicles, various soups, and mashed potatoes.
*Have Pain Relievers & Cold Compresses Ready*
With some oral surgeries, you might experience a little pain or swelling as you heal. That’s why it’s not uncommon for us to prescribe pain meds you’ll want to have filled beforehand, if possible.
You can also keep things at home to make you feel comfortable such as cold compresses in the freezer and OTC pain relievers in the medicine cabinet.
*Set Up An Entertainment Station Beforehand*
Depending on your specific procedure, you may need some time to rest and heal in the days after your oral surgery. That means you’ll want to create an environment for your recovery to allow you to take it easy.
Collect anything you might need to keep yourself entertained such as games, electronics, books, or magazines you can reach easily. Also keep all chargers and remotes close to the spot you’ll likely be recuperating.
*Give Yourself Time To Ask Questions About Instructions*
When it comes to pre-op and post-op instructions from one of our dentists, you’ll want to make sure you understand everything before it’s too late to ask questions or gather the things you’ll need before surgery day.
That’s why you definitely don’t want to make the mistake of waiting until the night before or morning of your procedure!
You could miss important information that may possible delay your procedure.
*Dress Comfortably & Leave Jewelry At Home*
The day of your surgery isn’t the time to worry about your looks. The important thing is that you’re comfortable, so dress in loose clothing that will enable you to feel as relaxed as possible in the chair.
Although, clothes that hang too loosely could get snagged during your procedure, so don’t wear anything too baggy.
You also should avoid makeup or jewelry the day of your appointment to avoid any safety hazards or unnecessary mess either of these can cause.
*Follow Directions About Eating & Drinking Before Surgery*
We can’t tell you specifically how long you’ll need to abstain from eating or drinking anything before surgery in today’s blog because everyone’s instructions may vary.
But we can tell you that you should expect to avoid food and water, except for taking any necessary medication, roughly eight hours or more beforehand.
Schedule Your Procedure
We know that the ideal scenario is never having needing oral surgery in the first place. That’s achievable as long as we’re able to see you every six months for cleanings and exams. It allows us to catch problems early enough so you can get restorative treatment right away and prevent the need for a more complicated procedure.
However, Dr. Garrett and our team know that not all oral surgeries can be avoided entirely. But that’s okay because we’re highly trained to handle whatever problem you may be facing and are
experienced with providing patients efficient and comfortable oral surgery to keep their oral health intact.
Call Carolina Bright Smiles today at 919-644-7400 or fill out our online form to schedule your oral surgery in our Hillsborough, NC dental office.