When it’s time to have dental work done, you’ll want to be prepared, NoVA dentists say.
“Generally, if you’re having extractions done, you don’t want to be taking blood thinners or aspirin or Advil on a regular basis because it leads to more bleeding,” says Falls Church dentist Dr. Karen Harriman. If you are taking a blood thinner, your dentist and doctor should communicate before any changes are made, she says.
For simple procedures where you are just under local anesthesia, Harriman says it’s important to have a meal first. “We don’t want your blood sugar dropping during the procedure,” she says.
Get a good night’s sleep and hydrate. Dress comfortably. For sedation patients, short sleeves may be recommended so vital signs can be taken more easily.
For complex surgeries, your oral surgeon will provide a list of what to do. Fasting, not smoking, and having someone to take you home will likely be recommended.
After surgery, Dr. Mehrdad Favagehi, a periodontist with Falls Church Periodontics & Dental Implant Surgery, encourages patients to avoid fried or sugary foods that easily allow bacteria to metabolize. Instead, nosh on foods that fight inflammation. “The better inflammatory response you have, the better wound healing you have,” he says.
“We encourage exercise. We used to tell people not to exercise before surgery or after surgery,” Favagehi says, adding patients should not overdo it immediately after procedures.
Feature image of patient getting dental work by Spectral-Design/stock.adobe.com
This story originally ran in our November issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
