Before Care

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Lakewood

The patient should wear loose-fitting, short-sleeved clothing.
No fingernail polish, eye makeup, or facial makeup should be worn.
A responsible adult that is physically able to assist the patient, must be available to drive the patient home and be with the patient at home after anesthesia and surgery.
You should plan on resting quietly for the remainder of the day of your surgery. Do not plan to drive or operate machinery during the first 24 hours after your procedure.
Do not have anything to eat or drink at least eight (8) hours prior to surgery.
If you develop an upper respiratory infection or cold when scheduled for IV sedation or general anesthesia, the procedure will need to be postponed until after the infection has resolved.
Take all regular prescription medications with a small sip of water unless otherwise directed.
For third molar surgery, three prescriptions will be given to you during your preoperative appointment. A narcotic, ibuprofen, and decadron will be given to you. The morning of the appointment, take 600 mg of ibuprofen to provide a loading dose prior to surgery. Decadron (dexamethasone) is used the evening after the surgery, and then postoperatively as directed.
After the surgery, take 600 mg of ibuprofen every 6 hours. If the ibuprofen does not provide adequate pain relief, use the narcotic pain reliever along with the ibuprofen.