Some patients start to feel stressed and worried when they think about the dental surgery procedure. You just seem to have a burden that is pulling you down and you need to do something to get it off your chest. It can happen to anyone especially it is the first time they are undergoing dental surgery. There is always something you can do to make yourself more mentally prepare for dental surgery.
Ask Lots of Questions
You should ask your dentist to explain dental surgery. It can help you to put your mind at ease when you ask your dentist to explain certain procedures in the surgery. Asking lots of questions can help you to learn more about the surgery procedure. The more questions you ask, the more you learn and the more prepared you can be. You can ask the dentist how long the procedure will take. If you know how long the procedure takes, you will be able to make an arrangement for the person to pick you up.
You can also ask your dentist about the anesthesia options. Usually, the dentist will offer a local anesthetic which will give you a feeling of numbness but you will stay fully awake. You have the option of taking general anesthesia which will keep you fully unconscious. If you are going for surgery to remove a tooth, you can ask the dentist about how many teeth will be extracted. Get more details on https://www.cornerhousedental.com/.
Check Your Dental Insurance
If you are worried about the cost, you can ask your dentist about it. The dental clinic will usually provide a pretreatment estimate. You should ask the dentist if they accept insurance for payment. Some clinics do not accept insurance so you should ask in advance to make sure of it. The dental clinic can help you to contact the dental insurance company and determine the amount of coverage.
Get Ready for the Procedure
You should get yourself as ready as possible for the recovery process. You need to get a friend to drive you back home from the dentist’s office. It will be helpful if you know what medications you need to take. You may need to wait a while to collect your medications after the surgery. So, you may want to ask your friend to help you collect the medications after driving you home. Alternatively, you can ask the dentist to provide you with the prescription medications in advance.
You need to prepare a soft bristles toothbrush so that you can continue your regular oral care routine. You can ask your dentist for more specific advice on how to take care of your mouth afterward. You can stock your pantry with soft food like oatmeal since you cannot eat hard food while recovering. Patients should also abstain from smoking for at least 72 hours before dental surgery.
Participate in Activities that Take Your Mind Off
You can do something that will take your mind off the fears. You can do just about anything that will preoccupy your mind and keep you relaxed. For example, you can enjoy a movie at the cinema or dine at your favorite restaurant, swimming, or visit an attraction on the day before the surgery. It will boost your mood and remove the dreary feeling about the surgery.
Prepare Ice Packs
You can prepare a few ice packs if you are afraid of feeling pain and bleeding after the surgery. The ice pack can be applied to your cheek on the spot where the dentist operates to relieve the pain. To achieve effective results, the ice packs should be applied for at least 30 minutes for the first two days.
Practice Deep Breathing Exercises
Practicing deep breathing exercises can help you to stay calm. Any time when you have nothing to do, practice slow breathing in and out in rhythm. As you breathe in and out slowly, you will find that your stress is alleviating. You feel less nervous and more ready to enter the dentist’s office to undergo the surgery. You can ask your friend to do the deep breathing exercise with you while at the dental clinic.
Request Dentist to Provide Sedation
If you still feel nervous, you should ask for sedation. The dentist can prescribe a sedation pill like Halcion that will make you feel drowsy. However, you will still be awake. A larger dose of sedation can be given if necessary. Some people will quickly fall asleep with moderate sedation. However, they can quickly be awakened with a gentle shake. Another form of sedition involves letting the patient inhale nitrous oxide. Sedation will keep you in a relaxed state so that you can have peace of mind.
Follow Preoperative Instructions
The dentist will provide preoperative instructions for you to follow. You are to follow this instruction before visiting the dentist’s office for the surgery. The dentist may set a limitation on the food and beverage that you can take at a specific time. He may also instruct you to stop certain medications before the procedure. You can discuss in detail with the dentist to ensure that you have a full understanding of the preoperative instructions. You can always call your dentist and ask him for advice on what you are supposed to do in the hours that lead up to the dental surgery procedure.
Learn Hand Signals
You can learn some signals to use for communicating with the dentist during the procedure. The signals allow you to tell the dentist to pause for a while when you are experiencing pain. Usually, the dentist will prepare a hand signs chart for the patient to learn. There are different hand signals for messages such as stop, pain, hurts a little, and want to talk. These are all common hand signals so it is easy for you to memorize them.
Settle Important Matters in Advanced
If there is any important matter, you should settle it before the dental surgery. After the surgery, you may not be in the mood to settle the matter. You will feel dizzy and not be in a clear mental state due to the anesthetic. This is especially if the matter requires serious contemplation. You want to make sure that the decision you make is not affected by the effect of the anesthetic.
