**The following questions and answers are provided for general information only and may not be completely accurate in every circumstance. Questions and answers do not purport to be medical or dental advice, and are not intended to be advice from Dr. Nagy or the employees at Dr. Nagy Inc. These questions are representative of questions we generally hear from patients at our practice.  These questions and the information throughout this website is intended strictly to provide our visitors with general information.  For your specific questions and information be sure to consult with our office and Dr. Nagy.

If you have a general question you do not see here or a suggestion for a frequently asked question, please contact us at any time.

Thank you!

Before Surgery

After sedation, you are legally impaired for 24 hours. Because of this we cannot accept payment from you immediately after surgery. In most cases we only see our patients twice, therefore we find it easier for everyone to collect fees prior to your surgery so you do not need to see us again to clear up your account.

Depending on the treatment you’ve been referred for, there could be various reasons why IV sedation is recommended.

  • Teeth with an active infection do not always ‘freeze’ properly. Having sedation combined with local freezing (anesthetic) will reduce the amount of epinephrine used and your post operative healing time.
  • Regarding extractions, depending on your anatomy, you could have deep and difficult roots that are close to sinuses, or nerves, or are just more complicated to extract. IV sedation allows Dr. Nagy to work more effectively reducing the amount of time needed and the amount of postoperative healing time.
  • It is more comfortable for patients when not aware of the noise or applied pressure while having the extraction done.
  • It is safer to be monitored by a certified anesthesiologist, especially if a complex medical history is involved.

Please express your concerns with Dr. Nagy at the consultation and he can expand on the chosen treatment plan for your case. Dr. Nagy is always happy to discuss concerns and arrive at a treatment plan that is best for you.

For safety reasons, before having an anesthetic, it is necessary to have a completely empty stomach. Any fluids/contents in the stomach are at risk of coming up (vomiting) during surgery. We require our patients to have NOTHING to eat or drink past midnight the night before a sedation appointment.

No you cannot. If you are unable to find someone to take you home and help out afterwards, we do have a list of home care services in Victoria. Patients are considered legally impaired for 24 hours after (IV) sedation. Our office is responsible for you until we transfer you to the care of your ride / helper. At that time your ride is now responsible for your care. If you take the bus or a taxi home, there is no one to care for you. As a safety precaution, we require that you have someone to take you home, help you collect any prescription medications that are needed and stay with you for 2-4 hours post surgery, or longer if required.

Patients are considered legally impaired for 24 hours after sedation, and you need to have a responsible adult take you home and stay with you for safety concerns. We will have to reschedule your appointment if these conditions of sedation/surgery are not met.

We have our patients sign a consent form to ensure that you fully understand and consent to the procedure, including any risks and possible complications involved with your surgery discussed with you during the consultation with Dr. Nagy. If you have any questions or concerns before your surgery, please let us know so we can answer any questions before you sign the consent form.

It is important we have all the information about your health and medical history prior to your appointment. This includes herbal and non-medical supplements. There are some medications or medical conditions that may cause adverse reactions to anesthetics, or cause excessive bleeding after your extraction. We often work with your medical doctors to ensure the prescriptions you are taking will be safe for your oral surgical procedure before, during and after surgery. We may need to contact and work with your medical doctor. Sometimes this takes time, but it is important for your safety to have this information in order to be prepared.

Blood thinner medications may cause bleeding complications during or after surgery. Please inform our office if you are taking any kind of a blood thinner medication. We may need to contact your family doctor/ specialist before going forward with a procedure to reduce the risk of complications should they occur.

Please inform us if you are a diabetic patient. We may need to contact your physician prior to surgery if you have an insulin requirement. We will coordinate insulin dosing with your physician and go over this with you the day before your expected surgery.

All diabetic patients will require an appointment in the early morning.

Please bring your medications and glucometer with you to the office for all appointments.

Please inform our office if you are currently pregnant, of any medications and supplements you may be taking and of your expected delivery date. This may affect the timing of your treatment, we want to optimize safety for you and your baby.

It may be necessary to stop nursing for a short time after your surgery. We will give you specific post operative instructions as to when you may resume nursing.

After Surgery

A dull ache or sensitivity due to healing could linger up to 2 weeks after surgery. If pain persists or is getting worse and pain medication is no longer effective, please call the office for further instructions.

Removing teeth within bone (your jaw) will result in an empty space where the tooth was removed. Usually, stitches are placed to cover the extraction sites and you may not notice the holes.

Occasionally, but generally not. Superficial sutures may dissolve more quickly than the normal 3 day period or become dislodged by biting on gauze. Usually the deeper stitches remain in place for a longer period. Call the office if you have any concerns or questions.

If sutures remain after 2 weeks and are bothersome then please call our office to schedule a post op appointment. If they are not bothersome leave them be as they will dissolve over time. Call us if they haven’t dissolved after a months’ time or are causing you discomfort.

We do not routinely give out syringes immediately after surgery as we find that they tend to cause more damage than not. You could dislodge the clot if you are too vigorous with rinsing and can result in more post operative pain.

Post operative swelling is quite variable for everyone. Usually deeper impactions have more swelling. Swelling is normal after surgery and at its peak 2-3 days afterwards. To reduce swelling, ice packs can be used on the outside of cheeks, alternating 20 minutes on skin and then 20 minutes off skin is recommended for the first 48 hours after surgery.

Bleeding can start and stop for the first 4-6 hours after surgery. Bleeding may occur after eating, moving around or with rinsing. Bite down on a gauze; maintain steady pressure for 30 minutes. Replace gauze as needed. If bleeding persists use a moistened black tea bag. Wrap the tea bag in gauze and place over the extraction site. Bite down steadily for 20 minutes. The tannic acid in the tea will help reduce bleeding. If bleeding increases please call the office. If it is after hours there will be a message on our answering machine with instructions to call to Oral Surgeon on call.

Once the freezing has worn off, you can generally have coffee or similar hot drinks. We encourage you to eat as soon as possible after surgery as soon as your bleeding is under control. A soft diet is recommended- avoiding seeds, nuts or husks.

Coffee is fine as long as it’s on the cool side. Heat increases bleeding and you don’t want to burn yourself while freezing is still in effect.

Try controlling your pain management with over the counter Tylenol/Advil if you are able to take these types of medications. If this does not give you enough relief you can call the office to speak with Dr. Nagy or the on call oral surgeon.

There are various symptoms to be aware of in the event of a dental infection. Everyone heals differently after surgery. Following are some signs to watch for after surgery and during the healing phase. If these symptoms are persistent, please call the office to speak with an oral surgeon. It may be necessary for you to come in for a post op visit.

  • Swelling has returned after the initial post op swelling has gone down.
  • Hot skin on the outside of your cheek.
  • Pain that is getting worse and not better after the third day after surgery.
  • Fever.
  • Swelling that is travelling down your neck.
  • Redness extending toward your eye or traveling down your neck.

If something does not feel right to you, please call us. We are here to help, and want to ensure you have a healthy outcome following your oral surgical procedure.

Dr. Nagy may recommend you take antibiotics after surgery to prevent infections while healing. In some cases, an antibiotic may be prescribed prior to dental treatment depending on the medical history provided to us. Please check with Dr. Nagy at the time of the consultation if you have any questions regarding antibiotics.

It depends on the type of musical instrument. Patients should avoid playing musical instruments that have reeds or require you to blow with your mouth for up to 2 weeks.

Patients should be restricted to a soft diet, ie: nothing harder than cooked pasta noodles after wisdom teeth surgery for about 4-6 weeks. A soft diet also includes foods such as, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, cottage cheese, soups, noodles etc. You do not need to be on a strictly liquid diet. Having good sources for protein and vitamin C will help you heal. Your jaw is at risk for fracture for up to 6 weeks after molar extraction. Avoid anything hard or crunchy, like hard crusts, nuts or candy, ie. Jawbreakers, toffee, peanut brittle, biscotti.

Please remember to avoid seeds, nuts and husks for at least 2 weeks and no popcorn for 2 months after surgery as they can get stuck in the sockets and cause infection.

Do NOT suck on anything such as: straws, ice chips or popsicles for at least 2 weeks as well.

Flying immediately afterwards can cause complications with healing due to sinus pressure. If you are leaving for a trip please let our office know and try to leave enough time to heal before taking a flight.

Please keep in mind if you are travelling outside of Victoria, British Columbia or Canada after your procedure, to be sure to carry adequate medical insurance as costs associated with post operative complications can be significant. Please call our office if you have any questions.

Heavy exercise should be avoided for at least 1 week after surgery. Any activity that raises your heart rate, can cause persistent bleeding and prolong healing. A gentle walk is fine just as long as it is after the 24 hours that you are legally impaired after surgery involving IV sedation, or are no longer taking medications that impair your judgement and memory.

If you find that there is throbbing at the extraction site when you start to exercise again, that the throbbing symptom is telling you that you are still in the healing phase. Reduce your activity till further healing has taken place.

Again, everybody’s healing is different and it depends on the type of treatment you have had. Some of our procedures would be fine to attend work/school the next day, whereas other people may need extra healing time. This especially applies to multiple extractions.

With wisdom teeth procedures, we normally recommend you take the next 2-3 days off. You most likely will be taking medications and will need some time to relax and heal before going back to your regular routine. Swelling or discomfort may still be present but should be getting better with each day after surgery.