Oral surgery requires preparation in order to go smoothly. If you’re getting oral surgery soon, it’s important to coordinate with your dental professional in Palmdale, Valencia and the West Valley. Your dental professional at Heritage Oral Surgery & Implant Centers can help you plan for this event by giving you instructions. In addition, the following tips can help.

1. Arrange for a ride.

Your dentist may tell you that you need a ride home from your appointment. Anesthesia can impair your judgment, so you should not operate a car following receiving anesthesia. If you don’t have anyone who can give you a ride back to your home, you may also take public transportation or a rideshare service.

2. Buy any soft foods recommended by your dentist.

Your dentist may recommend that you only eat soft foods during the healing process. Have a range of soft foods on hand at your house, such as yogurt, apple sauce and protein shakes.

3. Be ready to all pre-op instructions provided to you by the dentist.

Most likely, your dentist will give you some instructions that are unique to your procedure. Have them written down and read through them before going through your procedure, to ensure you’re ready to follow them.

4. Pick out the right clothes.

If you’re getting sedation at your dental procedure, then you’ll need to give them your arms for the sedation itself, and so they can monitor your vital signs. Wear short-sleeved shirts to make this easier.

5. Arrange for time off work.

You’ll need to take off at least the day of your surgery, and possibly other days following your surgery. Arrange for whatever time off work is necessary. Your dentist will let you know the bare minimum number of days that you’ll need to take off before you can return to work. Let your workplace know that you’ll need at least this number of days off, and you may need more.

Have questions? Communicate with your dentist ahead of your surgery.

Are you getting oral surgery in Palmdale, Valencia, or the West Valley? Talk to your dentist at Heritage Oral Surgery & Implant Centers to learn more about what you can do to prepare for the upcoming event.

You’re probably expecting some type of discomfort after dental surgery in Canoga Park, CA. Ideally, your dentist would have given you some indication of this well before you agreed to the procedure. However, you may be wondering how bad it should be and what constitutes an abnormal reaction. We look at whether you should be concerned.

What’s Normal

Pain, bleeding, swelling: these are not necessarily signs of a problem. As time goes by, the pain should get better. Follow the directions of your dentist in Valencia, CA, which may mean refraining from strenuous activity for a few days or only eating soft foods for a week. For those who’ve had a tooth pulled, you should avoid straws as it can potentially loosen the blood clot that forms at the site of the pulling.

What’s Abnormal

You should be concerned if you experience any of the following:

• Severe lightheadedness/trouble breathing: This is rare, so there’s no reason to expect this by any stretch. However, you may have a poor reaction to the surgery in this case, so it’s important to seek emergency help if you feel like you might pass out or you can’t get enough air.
• Severe pain: Usually, over-the-counter medication can handle a lot of the pain. Or you may need to rely on prescription medicine from your dentist. If the pain doesn’t get any better after taking the meds, you should seek immediate care.
• Split incision: An open incision can be a major health hazard, so you’ll need to get it closed up immediately if it splits.
• Infection: Severe heat, redness, and swelling are not normal. If the pain is getting worse or you have red streaks from the surgical site, draining pus, or a fever, you may have an infection.
• Nausea: If you can’t keep down fluids or you’re having a severe stomachache, you’ll need to contact your dentist or the ER for help.

Dentists in Valencia, CA

Heritage Oral Surgery has locations in Canoga Park, Valencia, and Palmdale, CA, and our staff is here to help you get through any surgery you might need. From root canals to extractions, we do everything we can to make your experience as quick and painless as possible.

Do you know someone who has experienced the pain of dry socket? Dry socket can happen following the extraction of a permanent tooth. Normally, a blood clot develops in the cavity where the tooth used to be, acting as a shield to protect the nerve endings and bone until they’re sufficiently healed. When a blood clot fails to form, or if it becomes dislodged too soon after your oral surgery, you may feel intense pain. The empty socket may become inflamed, and bits and pieces of food debris may lodge inside, worsening the condition.

If you’re experiencing a significant amount of pain following a recent oral surgery, your dentist in Valencia, CA, may diagnose dry socket. Usually, it takes a prescription-strength painkiller to bring relief. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to prevent dry socket from developing, and they include preserving the protective blood clot until the socket has had time to heal. There are several things you can do immediately following your oral surgery.

1. Refrain From Using a Straw in Your Beverage

Using a drinking straw is one of the most common ways to induce dry socket. The force required to draw liquid up through the straw can also suck the blood clot away from the socket. To be safe, refrain from using a drinking straw for at least a week following your tooth extraction.

2. Get Plenty of Rest

You should plan a day of rest following your oral surgery, instead of returning immediately to work or school. Rest will help prevent any type of vigorous activity that might dislodge the blood clot. It’s also good to avoid participating in sports or exercising rigorously immediately afterward.

3. Eat Soft Foods

Foods such as pudding, yogurt, or soft noodles are good options following your procedure. Avoid chewing on the side of your mouth that’s affected, and avoid foods that are too hot or too cold for at least several days. Hard or crispy foods such as potato chips or chewy candy should be avoided.

Following your oral surgery in Valencia, CA, your dentist will give you a list of post-operative care instructions to help you avoid the pain of dry socket. However, if you’re experiencing any type of unusual pain in the few days following, contact Heritage Oral Surgery & Implant Centers right away.

Oral surgery in West Valley, Valencia and Palmdale, California is for patients who need to have certain oral health issues taken care of. Typically, oral surgery is used to remove wisdom teeth before they’ve erupted above the gum line, remove the bone for bone grafting, do dental implants, repair injury from accidents, and much more. Oral surgery is major surgery and it is just as serious as other kinds of surgery, carrying the same number of risks. However, by taking certain steps, the inherent risks associated with oral surgery can be mitigated.

Infection

Any time there is surgery, there is the risk of infection. Since oral surgery in West Valley, Valencia and Palmdale, California is performed in the doctors’ offices instead of in a hospital, some risks of infection are avoided. Your oral surgeon will do everything in their power to avoid the risk of infection, too, by maintaining the highest standards of hygiene. As a patient, you can help reduce this risk by ensuring that you eat right and exercise moderately in the weeks leading up to the surgery. The healthier you are, the less chance that infection has a chance to take hold.

Dry Socket

Oral surgery carries a specific type of risk called dry socket. This is a condition where an empty tooth socket takes a much longer time to heal because of loss or minimization of blood flow. This risk is often related to the patient’s habit of smoking or allowing food debris to sit in the pocket due to poor oral hygiene post-surgery. Dry socket is highly preventable. Talk to your oral surgeon about ways to prevent it.

Sinus Problems

The sinus cavity is located very close to where upper wisdom teeth come in. If you’re having wisdom teeth surgically removed, there is an inherent risk that you may develop sinus problems. Typically, the problem resolves itself after a short period of time. However, if you notice that your newly developed sinus problems persist, talk to your oral surgeon about possible treatment.

Oral surgery carries inherent risks no matter what you are having done, or who performs the surgery. Your oral surgeon will apprise you of all risks so that you are well-informed ahead of time.