Prepare for a Smooth Dental Surgery

Before your child's dental surgery, you'll have a chance to discuss any questions or worries you might have during a pre-operative appointment. We encourage you to ask anything and let us know about any fears. Our main goal is to create a safe and comfortable environment for our patients on the day of surgery, so the more you communicate with us, the easier it will be for us to meet your child's needs. The following guidelines are meant to help you remember how to prepare for your child's dental surgery. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact our practice.

Important Guidelines for Preparing for Hospital Dental Treatment:

Fasting:
- For morning appointments, your child must not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before surgery.
- For afternoon appointments, do not allow your child to eat anything for 8 hours before their scheduled dental surgery.
Allowed Drinks (during fasting): Your child may only drink clear fluids such as water, apple juice, black coffee, and sports drinks.
Drinks to Avoid (during fasting): Do not give your child alcohol, orange juice, milk, creamer, or any other opaque drinks.
Final Fluid Restriction: Your child should stop drinking all fluids within 6 hours of their surgery. If you are unsure about what is allowed, please ask during your child's pre-op appointment.
Parent/Guardian Presence: A parent or legal guardian must be present at the hospital with the patient during the entire treatment.
Brushing: Please do not brush your child's teeth on the day of their hospital dental treatment.
Eating and Drinking (Day of Surgery): Strictly follow the guidelines provided regarding what and when your child can eat and drink.
Toenail Polish: Please remove any toenail polish from your child's big toes.
Clothing: You can bring your child to the hospital in their pajamas, as long as they do not have attached feet. We need to be able to place our monitors on your child's big toe, so their feet must be accessible. Please also bring an extra set of loose and comfortable clothes.
Post-Surgery: After the surgery, your child will stay in a recovery area until they are ready to be discharged from the hospital.
Illness: If your child becomes sick on the day of surgery, please contact our office immediately at (270) 874-4971. A cold or fever with chest and sinus congestion can dangerously affect surgery, so it is crucial that you inform us of the situation.