Pre- and Post-Anesthetic Instructions
If you or your child are planning to undergo dental treatment under sedation or general anesthesia, please carefully review the instructions below to help ensure a safe anesthetic experience. If you are a parent, you are responsible for ensuring that your child strictly adheres to these instructions.
Instructions Prior to Anesthesia
If you or your child are planning to undergo dental treatment under sedation or general anesthesia, please carefully review the instructions below to help ensure a safe anesthetic experience. If you are a parent, you are responsible for ensuring that your child strictly adheres to these instructions.
Instructions Prior to Anesthesia
- If you have an appointment in the morning, do not eat or drink anything for 8 hours prior to your dental appointment. If your scheduled appointment is in the afternoon, you also must not eat or drink anything after midnight, with the exception of water or Gatorade which you may drink in small amounts for up to 4 hours prior to the appointment if necessary. It is important that you follow these instructions as any food or liquids (along with acid) present in your stomach may be aspirated (inhaled into your lungs). This is a potentially serious and fatal risk that is easily minimized by following our instructions and by being honest with your anesthesiologist if you or your child have accidentally had any food or drink. This means that parents must watch their children very carefully to ensure that they do not secretly eat or drink any food during this peri-operative period as they may become hungry and thirsty while they are waiting.
- You may take your medications with a small sip of water unless otherwise instructed by Dr. Le.
- If you were prescribed an antibiotic pre-medication, please take the antibiotic as scheduled at least 1 hour prior to arriving.
- Please wear short sleeves, flat shoes, and comfortable shorts or pants. Please avoid one-piece outfits for your children as it makes applying some of our monitoring devices difficult. Contact lenses should not be worn to the office. Please remove any nail polish, make-up, lotion, oils, powders, watches, and jewelry prior to arriving to the office. Leave all valuables at home. It is encouraged that you bring your own small blanket with you.
- You must have a responsible adult drive you to the office and wait with you for at least 30 minutes. Please have your driver contact information available to us as you will not be permitted to drive yourself home. If you are a parent, you must stay at the office while your child is receiving treatment. Your driver must be within 30 minutes of the dental clinic at all times, though it is preferable that you driver wait in the waiting area for you.
- You must inform Dr. Le of any change in your health prior to your appointment.
- Street drugs (e.g. marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, ecstasy) are strictly forbidden for several weeks prior to your treatment. These restrictions are in place for your safety. The literature has reported that the mixture of street drugs and anesthetics may result in serious complications, including death.
- No smoking for 12 hours prior to surgery.
- Plan to have a responsible adult drive you home. Do not plan to drive or operate potentially dangerous equipment for 24 hours after your anesthesia.
- A responsible adult should be with you until the next day. Nursing services are available to you for these duties at your expense.
- You should start drinking some water, Gatorade, or apple juice after your appointment. If you can tolerate drinking these clear fluids, you may advance your diet as tolerated. Avoid foods with dairy (e.g. milk, cheese, yogurt) and food that is too hot or too spicy. No alcoholic beverages for 24 hours after the anesthesia.
- Nausea or vomiting may occur after anesthesia. If it persists beyond 4 hours, please contact Dr. Le.
- If your temperature is persistently elevated following anesthesia, please contact Dr. Le.
- If there is post-operative tenderness or redness in the area of the IV, please contact Dr. Le. Most likely, it is a phlebitis associated with the IV infusion and may be treated with warm (100 degrees F), moist heat and by keeping the affected limb elevated. Anti-inflammatory agents may also be recommended.
Tel: (949) 374-8045 Fax: (888) 351-1887 Email: kathrynle@ddsanesthesia.com