ORAL SURGERY FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
You have developed a very good, trusting relationship with your family dentist. An issue has arisen that now requires the skill set of an oral surgeon. Your general dentist most likely will give you a referral based on prior patients and the oral surgeon has earned the respect and trust of your dentist. None the less, you have questions since this turn of events is a bit foreign. Here are some questions you can ask either our dentist or the office of the oral surgeon as an appointment is being pursued.
Experience and Education
Where did the oral surgeon attend dental school and how much education in this specialty. You can also ask about board certification in oral surgery as well as dental anesthesiology if anesthesia will be necessary for the procedure. Does the oral surgeon keep abreast of continuing education and updates in practices and research? How long have they been in practice? Are they by chance on staff and nearby hospitals or if not are they in good standing with the hospital if complications arise.
Questions specific to different procedures
You can certainly ask how extensive their breadth of offerings are? There are many, many procedures that come under the umbrella of oral surgery. These go from the removal of impacted wisdom teeth to serious jaw issues. Can you expect a consultation prior to the procedure? What are the office policies on infection control? Will there be regular or consistent follow-up calls? What are some policies on pain management in regard to the different procedures? Do they have the latest in technology in the offices or are they still using training from decades ago? How do they manage complications? Do they have a plan in place to share with you?
Questions specific to you
Make sure you know where you stand when it comes to your insurance coverage. The office staff should be able to help you research this before you get started. Make sure that the oral surgeon has access to your files from your general dentist and knows your oral hygiene history. You should discuss the healing time based on the procedure and your response to the surgery. It’s important that the oral surgeon knows if you are on blood pressure medication for example. Do you have issues with anesthesia or pain medications? Does either make you nauseous and make your stomach upset? You need to discuss the recovery time on the procedure you are about to commit to. Will it affect your ability to return to your normal routine? You will want to understand, even with an extraction, that the hole or socket will close over time. Or what will become of the sutures that may have been necessary. Make sure you both address proper care in moving forward. If you have bad breath it may be from food left in that socket, so good oral hygiene continues to be paramount in the condition of your teeth, your gums, and your smile. Remember, your oral surgeon is part of your team. Communicate as such.
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