Having oral surgery can be a scary
situation. Many people aren’t sure what to expect and imagine the worst.
Besides having an excellent surgeon, such as
Thomas Ocheltree, there are some things you can do to be ready for the big
day. Knowing and having these things ready ahead of time can help make the
process easier and take a little bit of stress away. The 5 points that are
listed in this article are the most important things you can do to ensure that
you’re ready for your surgery.
1. Be Informed
One of the biggest things you can do is be informed. Being informed can really help the entire process go much more smoothly. Not only can you ask your surgeon questions, but you can also get information from reputable medical websites. There are a few things you want to know about in advance. For starters, you’ll want to know exactly what’s going to happen during the surgery and what you should expect to feel like afterwards. You’ll want to know how long the surgery will take and what it will be like during the healing process. You should also find out what’s normal and what should be a cause of concern during healing because you don’t want to get into a situation where you get an infection or need to go back into surgery. If need be, make a list of questions and find out everything you can!
2. Know What’s Required
Another thing to know is what will be required from you. For example, you might have to fast or refrain from smoking starting at a certain time. You also want to make sure you don’t wear anything that’s prohibited, such as jewelry or nail polish. Wearing jewelry or nail polish might not seem like a big deal, but it can actually get in the way of the surgeons and assistants. As for fasting, not doing so could result in the surgery being cancelled and rescheduled, which might require you to pay additional fees. Usually, you won’t be able to eat or drink anything after midnight, but it might be different depending on your surgeon. Make sure you also take any antibiotics or medications that are prescribed by the surgeon.
3. Wear Appropriate Clothing
Depending on what kind of surgery you’ll be having, you’ll want to wear different kinds of clothing. For instance, if you’ll just be sedated in the office, you’ll want to make sure you wear a short sleeve shirt that will make it easy to monitor your oxygen and blood pressure. This will also make it easier for the surgeon and assistants to give you anesthesia. On the other hand, if you’ll be having surgery in the hospital, you’ll probably want to wear something that can easily be taken off and put back on because you’ll probably have to put on a gown. If you aren’t sure what to wear, ask your surgeon or the assistants at the dental office.
4. Set Up Transportation
You should also make sure you set up transportation. This is extremely important because, chances are, you won’t be able to drive yourself. Not only will you be in pain, but you’ll probably still be feeling the effects of the anesthesia. The last thing you want to do is cause an accident or get hurt because you’re trying to drive.
You have a few options. The first
option is to ask a friend or family member to drive you home. If you don’t have
anyone, you can try and set up something like a taxi or Uber. If you can’t do
that either, you could always try and book a room at a nearby hotel and have
someone run you to your room. It doesn’t matter which one you choose as long as
you aren’t driving yourself.
5. Have Food Ready
Finally, Thomas Ocheltree stresses that you want to make sure you have appropriate food ready for when you’re done with surgery. This includes both food and drink. For drinks, you should stick with something like water because it doesn’t have a lot of sugars or ingredients that could hinder the healing process. When thinking about food, you don’t want anything that’s going to be hard to eat or anything that will hurt your mouth. A good idea is to stick with things like pudding, jello, mashed potatoes or broth. You’ll have an easier time if you eat foods that won’t require you to do too much chewing.
Hopefully these things will help you be more ready and less stressed about the surgery. While you might still have a little bit of apprehension, you’ll be able to have a better understanding of what’s going to happen. Remember, if you have a good surgeon, like Thomas Ocheltree, then they’ll be able to answer your questions and put you at ease.