Pre-Operative Instructions
IV Sedation and Wisdom Teeth Removal
Eating and Drinking
Nothing to eat or drink for 8 hours before your appointment.
This includes water, coffee, gum, mints, candy, and chewing tobacco. An empty stomach is required for your safety: food or liquid in the stomach during sedation can be aspirated into the lungs, a serious and potentially life-threatening complication. If you eat or drink anything in this window, tell us. We will reschedule rather than proceed.
Exception: if we instructed you to take a medication the morning of surgery, take it with the smallest sip of water necessary.
Your Escort
A responsible adult must drive you home and stay with you for the rest of the day.
Your escort must be present in the office during your procedure and remain until you are discharged. You cannot drive yourself, take an Uber or Lyft alone, or walk home alone. If you arrive without an escort, your procedure will be rescheduled. No exceptions.
Sedation impairs judgment, memory, coordination, and reaction time for many hours after you feel back to normal.
Medications
Take as directed by our office:
- Blood pressure medications, with a small sip of water, unless told otherwise
- Any pre-medication or antibiotic we prescribed
- Seizure, thyroid, or heart medications, unless we told you to hold them
Do not take unless cleared by our office:
- Blood thinners (warfarin, Eliquis, Xarelto, Plavix, aspirin)
- Diabetes medications, including insulin and oral agents. Dosing changes when you are not eating.
- GLP-1 medications (Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound, Trulicity, Saxenda, Rybelsus). These slow stomach emptying and raise aspiration risk under sedation. Tell us if you take one, and we will give you hold instructions, generally one week for weekly injections.
- Recreational substances, including marijuana, edibles, and vapes. These interact with sedation medications and can significantly change your dosing.
Bring a written list of all current medications, supplements, and vitamins.
Alcohol and Tobacco
- No alcohol for 24 hours before surgery.
- No smoking or vaping for at least 12 hours before, ideally 48. Nicotine constricts blood vessels and meaningfully increases your risk of dry socket and delayed healing.
What to Wear and Bring
Wear:
- Loose, comfortable, short-sleeved clothing, since we need access to your arm for the IV
- Flat, closed-toe shoes
- Glasses, not contact lenses
- No jewelry, watches, or body piercings
- No makeup or lipstick, and no nail polish on at least one finger so we can read your oxygen levels
Bring:
- Photo ID and insurance card
- Your medication list and your escort
- Your prescriptions, filled in advance if possible, so you are not stopping at a pharmacy on the way home
Leave valuables and large bags at home.
Before You Arrive
- Brush your teeth the morning of surgery. Rinse and spit, but do not swallow water.
- Get a full night of sleep.
- Have soft foods ready: yogurt, applesauce, smoothies (no straws), broth, mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, pudding.
- Have ice packs ready and set up a recovery space with pillows so you can rest with your head elevated.
- Take the rest of the day off. Most patients also take the following day.
Tell Us Before Surgery If You
- Develop a cold, fever, cough, sore throat, or any illness in the days before your appointment
- Are or may be pregnant
- Have had a recent change in your health or medications
- Have sleep apnea, asthma, or a heart condition
- Have ever had a reaction to a sedative or anesthetic
- Have any question about these instructions
Do not guess. Call us.
Day of Surgery
Arrive at your scheduled time. We will confirm your history, take vital signs, and review consent. An IV will be started in your arm. You will feel drowsy quickly and will have little to no memory of the procedure. Afterward you will recover in our office until stable, then your escort takes you home. Plan for the visit to take longer than the surgery itself.
Rest of the Day After Surgery
- No driving, machinery, or power tools
- No signing legal or financial documents
- No alcohol and no important decisions
- Rest. Your escort stays with you.
Questions? Call our office. If something comes up the night before or the morning of surgery, do not wait. Call us.
Best Dental Richmond, TX | (281) 215-3065
