If you have an oral surgery coming up, you probably have a lot of questions for your oral surgeon in Anchorage, AK.
At Turnagain Dental, we are always here to help you by answering your questions and addressing your concerns!
Many patients wonder what steps they can take to prepare themselves for their upcoming procedure. Most procedures, including wisdom tooth extraction and dental implant placement, don’t require a large amount of preparation on your part. The procedures aren’t long and complicated and recovery is fast.
Here’s what you can do to make sure your treatment and recovery goes smoothly:
- Follow all of Dr. Kennedy’s instructions. If you need to pick up prescriptions prior to the procedure, make sure to do this.
- Stock your pantry with soft foods. Yogurt, pudding, smoothies, hard-boiled eggs, and cool soups, and protein shakes are all great choices for nutrition following oral surgery. Dr. Kennedy can let you know how many days you should be prepared for.
- Stop smoking. Smoking can interfere with recovery from oral surgery in a number of ways. The sucking action of smoking a cigarette can dislodge the clot from your socket, which is needed for healing. Smoking also causes blood vessels in your mouth to restrict, delaying the healing process. This delay can create a greater opportunity for infection or other complications. We can discuss smoking cessation options with you ahead of time.
- Schedule work and other activities accordingly. You will want to make sure you have a day off from work and other activities, like driving. If you are taking a prescription for pain, you want to be especially careful to avoid these types of activities. Arrange for a day or two off following your procedure as well.
- Make arrangements for someone to drive you to and from your appointment. This will allow you to relax and take your medications right away.
We want you to have an excellent experience. Any time you have questions, please don’t hesitate to call our Anchorage dental office and ask!