At OC Oral Surgery, our top priority is patient satisfaction, which is evident in our commitment to providing comprehensive care from the moment you walk into our office through to the end of your treatment. Regardless of your reason for visiting our office, we strive to ensure you are safe and comfortable, which is why we provide specific instructions to follow so you can experience optimum results after your oral surgery. Patients will usually receive pre-operative instructions for directions on how to prepare for surgery and, based on their specific procedure, post-operative instructions with directions for care following surgery. It's vital that you adhere to these instructions so you can have a quick and easy recovery and know what to expect before, during, and after treatment.
Reviewing these instructions will help you feel well informed, whether you come in for the treatment of a TMJ disorder or facial trauma injury, or for a general or wisdom tooth extraction. After you have read through your instructions, if you have more questions or feel that you don't understand them, please contact our office. It's important you have a clear understanding of your instructions, and we are always available to listen and address your concerns.
For any patients planned for or anticipating IV anesthesia: No eating or drinking at least 6 hours prior to the procedure. Your regular medications, including blood pressure and heart medications, should still be taken with sips of water as instructed by our doctors. Please call us for further instructions. A driver is required to take you to and from our…
Proper post-operative care after surgery is very important to optimize the healing process and to reduce the complications of tooth extractions. Immediately Following Surgery for Tooth Extraction The gauze pack should be kept in place with firm pressure over the area from which the tooth was extracted. Remove the pack after 30 minutes. If there is continued excessive bleeding, replace…
Proper post-operative care after surgery is very important to optimize the healing process and to reduce the complications of wisdom teeth removal. Immediately Following Wisdom Tooth Extraction Surgery The gauze pack should be kept in place with firm pressure over the wisdom tooth extraction site. Remove the pack after 30 minutes. If there is continued excessive bleeding, replace with new…
After Dental Implant Surgery After dental implant surgery, it is important to carefully follow all post-operative instructions and take all medications as instructed. After a dental implant has been placed, there may be a small metal cylinder (healing abutment) protruding through the gums. Be careful and avoid traumatizing or chewing directly on this area. There also will be sutures that…
After Sinus Grafting If you had sinus grafting or a sinus lift procedure done, you may or may not have had a dental implant placed at the same time as surgery. If you had implants placed, there might be a round metal cylinder (healing abutment) protruding through the gums. Be very gentle with the areas and do not disturb the…
After Bone Grafting There are various types of grafting procedures, and the extent of post-operative pain and swelling will depend on the type of grafting that was done. If you had an extraction and grafting into the socket, there will be sutures in place. Avoid chewing directly in this area for several weeks. Some of the graft material may dislodge.…
After Biopsy There are various types of biopsies, and the amount of swelling, pain, and recovery time will vary based on the extent of the biopsy and the location of the biopsy. If you had sutures placed in the area of the biopsy, generally they will slowly dissolve on their own. Avoid the sutured area and chew away from the…
After Exposure Post-operative care after surgery is very important to reduce complications after the exposure of an impacted tooth. If a surgical packing was placed, leave it alone and try not to disturb it. If it dislodges on its own, gently rinse with warm salt water and keep the area as clean as possible. If there is a chain with…
Junil Ahn, DDS, MD Kenneth Girard, DDS
