Before any surgery takes place, your dentist will perform a full oral examination to determine what procedure you require. Some forms of oral surgery include wisdom teeth removal, dental implants, tooth extractions, exposure and bracketing. Each surgery is different and calls for slightly different preoperative protocols. This is why it’s important to have a detailed discussion with your dentist before your oral surgery. During your consultation, they will be able to answer any questions or concerns that you may have.

For the most part, preparing for oral surgery will require you to not eat or drink anything about eight to twelve hours before your surgery, especially since you will most likely be put under local anesthesia. It is important to inform your dentist before your procedure if you are feeling ill. This could interfere with the operation and your surgery will have to be rescheduled.

Depending on the surgery you received, generally speaking, you should be expecting discomfort and some bleeding around the surgical site after your procedure. There may also be a minor amount of swelling. Your dentist will prescribe pain medication and antibiotics to make your recovery as comfortable as possible. During your recovery, it is highly recommended that you avoid crunchy, hard foods as this could interfere with the healing process. Also, avoid sucking through a straw, especially if you had a tooth extracted, as this could cause something called dry socket, which would require additional treatment.

Some additional things to avoid while recovering from oral surgery are as follows:

• Don’t smoke
• Don’t rinse your mouth vigorously
• Don’t brush the surgical area
• Don’t fall asleep with gauze in your mouth

It is important to note that every surgery is different and can affect individuals differently. It is also vital to watch out for signs of infection. Though this is uncommon, if you're still experiencing pain and discomfort weeks after your operation, contact your dentist right away.