What is involved in A Pre- Surgical Consultation?
You may be experiencing pain in your wisdom teeth and are interested in having them possibly removed. If this is the case the best thing to do is to meet with your dentist for a consultation.
During your consultation, your dentist will take dental x-rays of your wisdom teeth and jaw. This will give your dentist a clear picture of what is required. From these x-rays, they will be able to determine whether your wisdom teeth are impacted, emerging incorrectly or are functional.
Removal may not be necessary and the problems you are experiencing may be able to be fixed with a filling or some other procedure.
If one or more wisdom teeth require removal your dentist will explain in detail why it is the case. The dental consultation is important not only to discover the cause of the pain and which option to take but also for the patient to develop trust with their dentist.
Extraction surgery is relatively straightforward but it’s still surgery and that can lead people to feel uneasy. Your dentist will put your mind at ease. They will explain what the process involves and the steps they will take in order to remove your wisdom teeth.
If your wisdom teeth are impacted it can mean that your dentist will need to make an incision and sometimes a small portion of bone will have to be removed in order for them to be able to access your wisdom teeth. They will explain to you how you will be monitored during the surgery and discuss with you what you need to do after the surgery is complete.
Another topic that will be discussed with you during your pre-surgical consultation is the option of which anaesthesia you will use while having your wisdom teeth removed. It will depend on the difficulty level that your wisdom teeth pose to the dentist or your comfort levels. The various options usually offered are to get the surgery done under Local Anaesthesia, with Happy gas sedation (laughing gas), with Penthrox, or Sleep Dentistry. Sometimes we may have to refer you to a specialist Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, to get the procedure done in a hospital set up under General Anaesthesia.
If any kind of sedation is being used, the dentist will advise you that you will need someone to drive you to surgery and take you home. This is because prior to having your surgery you will be required to take some prescription drugs which will impair your senses. After the surgery, you will take around an hour for the anaesthesia to wear off so you will not be able to drive.
The dentist will then give you a quote and you can decide when you would want to book in for the operation. After booking the operation your dentist will give you some information to take home and read. It will explain when and where you need to be, what prescription you need to fill prior to the surgery and answer any frequently asked questions.
For more information about the pre-surgical consultation please contact us.