Before Intravenous Anesthesia Sedation

10 Important Tips to Follow Before Oral Surgery Sedation:

  1. REQUIRED: You may not have anything to eat or drink; this includes water, 8 hours before your surgery. If you do, we will be unable to perform your surgery, and we will have to reschedule your appointment.
  2. REQUIRED: A responsible adult must accompany you to the office and be ready to drive you home after your recovery period from anesthesia. Surgery and recovery times vary, so our office policy is that your driver must remain in our lounge area during your surgery and the vehicle that you will take home must remain at our location (no buses, taxis, Ubers, or Lyfts). This is to avoid unnecessarily long wait times for you and to avoid the risk of the numbness wearing off before you can get to the pharmacy to get your pain medications. Complimentary WiFi is available.
    • The patient should not drive a vehicle or operate any machinery for 24 hours following the anesthesia experience. Arrangements should be made ahead of your surgery date.
  3. Brush and floss your teeth when you wake up in the morning to aid in removing unwanted debris and to decrease the bacteria in your mouth prior to surgery.
  4. Please wear comfortable clothing with short sleeves and flat shoes. If you would like to wear a sweater or jacket please make sure to wear something underneath it so that it can be removed prior to surgery to ensure proper monitoring and access to veins for IV medications.
  5. No smoking for at least 24 hours prior to surgery. Ideally, you should stop smoking as early as possible prior to surgery. Marijuana use is also prohibited prior to sedation as this can interfere with the sedation medications and lead to a very difficult sedation and procedure.
  6. If you normally use contact lenses they should be left at home. Opt for glasses on the day of surgery.
  7. Jewelry and dentures must be removed at the time of surgery.
  8. Do not wear lipstick, excessive makeup, or nail polish on the day of surgery.
  9. If you have an illness such as a cold, sore throat, stomach, or bowel upset, please notify the office within 48 hours of your appointment.
  10. If you take routine oral medications, please check with Dr. Wightman or Dr. Slovan prior to your surgical date for instructions.
We're Here to Help!

Call us with any questions or or to book an appointment. It's our Oral Surgery team's #1 priority to give you a comfortable experience. We look forward to taking care of you!

Tacoma: 253-473-0651 Puyallup: 253-799-1525 Request an Appointment