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How to prepare for your dental implant surgery.



Pre-operative Instructions for Patients Before a Dental Implant Surgery

  1. Have a good dinner the night before surgery

  2. Have an early and heavy breakfast on the morning of the surgery

  3. Have something to eat an hour before the appointment

  4. Have a painkiller like Ibuprofen / Co-codomol / paracetamol - 1 hour before the appointment

  5. If you are nervous about the procedure kindly let the surgeon know. There is an option where we can give you a prescription for an anxiety pill, Diazepam. This is usually prescribed as 3 doses: 5mg the night before the appointment, 5mg the morning of the appointment and 5mg 1 hour prior to the appointment. If you would like this, it is also advised that you be taken home by somebody after the appointment as it would not be advised to drive, use any machinery, sign important papers or look after anybody, after taking the medication.

  6. Avoid drinking too much liquid before surgery to avoid a toilet break in between the procedure.

  7. Use the toilet before the surgery as it would be difficult to break the sterile surgical field unless absolutely necessary

  8. Please let the surgeon know if there are any changes to the medical history

  9. Please do not wear any makeup to help us clean the face and around the mouth with antiseptic solution ( Iodine/Chlorhexidine )

  10. If you have any allergies to Iodine / Chlorhexidine - Kindly let us know.

  11. Kindly wear dark coloured tops/shirts to the appointment lest we get any sterilisation material or blood on them.(we will try our best to be as careful as possible)

  12. Brush the area really well, especially if there are teeth in front and behind the area to be treated, for at least a few weeks leading up to the procedure.

  13. Avoid Smoking for at least 1 week before and after surgery (the more time the better the healing)

  14. If you have any medical condition such as a history of endocarditis, or you have had replacement heart valves, kindly speak to your cardiologist and if you have been advised that you will need antibiotic cover for the extractions please let us know and we would be happy to prescribe the antibiotic cover for the same after consultation with your Cardiologist. Find all details https://www.sdcep.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/SDCEP-Antibiotic-Prophylaxis-Patient-Information.pdf

  15. Kindly pay the whole amount due for the surgery on the day of the appointment before surgery.

  16. It would be ideal to have a few days off work after surgery, as there could be some associated pain, swelling, bruising following surgery, depending on the extent of surgery.

  17. The pain can usually be controlled with over the counter pain medication, the recommended regime is alternating between Tablet Ibuprofen 400 mg (after food) and Tablet Co-codomol 8/500 mg every 4 hours and being topped up on this for the initial 3-4 days.

  18. It is best to have a restful rest of the day. It is important not to take part in any activity that can induce more pumping of the blood like heavy exercises such as running or the gym. It is also very important to avoid any swimming for the rest of the following 24 hours after the procedure.

  19. You can apply an ice pack onto the area to reduce any swelling after surgery, although it is quite common to have some facial swelling and bruising a few days after. Bruising and swelling are usually the worst 2-3 days after the procedure.

  20. Please discuss with the dentist the temporary replacement option, in case you are unclear about what is being planned kindly contact the surgery.

If you would like more details check out this website - https://www.sdcep.org.uk/published-guidance/anticoagulants-and-antiplatelets


21. If you are on blood thinners:(Discuss with your surgeon if in doubt)

  1. Aspirin/Clopidogrel – there is no need to change the dose or no precaution needed. We would deal with any possible bleeding as a part of the treatment.

  2. Warfarin – if you are on warfarin we will need to have your INR to be within the range of 2-3 and less than 4 , 24 hrs before the procedure. If the INR is stable for the past 1 year then a reading within 72 hrs is acceptable(according to dentist discretion) for us to proceed with the extraction in surgery.

  3. Apixaban /Dabigatran -Taken usually twice a day - we advise to miss your morning dose and to take your next dose at your usual time in the evening. If it is only an evening dose, then there is no need to change the regime prior to your extraction and only a morning dose you can skip this dose.

  4. Rivaroxaban if this is just a single dose taken in the morning, we can move this dose to the evening after the extraction. If it is two doses (one in the morning and one in the evening) it is recommended that you stop the dose in the morning and continue as normal with the evening dose. If it is only an evening dose, then there is no need to change the regime prior to your extraction.

If you are unsure of anything feel free to contact the treatment coordinator/surgeon.


Thank you for your custom and for trusting us with your care. We value it and consider it our privilege and pride.



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