Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery FAQ Florence KY

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Florence KY and Florence KY oral surgeons Dr. Knibbe presents this information for your benefit. Please call our Northern KY oral surgery office if you have further questions.

    1. Why would I need sedation for oral surgery? The ability to perform a procedure in a way that ensures your safety and comfort is our primary goal. If we can perform a procedure in an efficient and comfortable manner it increases the likelihood you will have a good outcome (reduced swelling, pain, etc).
      1. Why do I need a consult prior to oral surgery? A separate consult date prior to your procedure should eliminate confusion on the day of your oral surgery. Treatment plans and health histories may be complicated. The time requirement for your procedure needs careful consideration and most patients have questions about insurance benefits. To best serve our patients we ask you to allow us to process this information in a timely fashion and schedule your oral surgery at a time convenient for all parties.
        1. Why does my escort need to stay at the office during my procedure? Typical oral surgery procedures are brief. Your escorts presence in the recovery room is important. Please make sure your escort plans on staying for the duration of your procedure. Patients whose escorts leave our office will be rescheduled.
          1. What is a dry socket? It is felt that a dry socket is an incompletely formed blood clot after extraction of a tooth. It typically manifests as an increase in pain 3-5 days post extraction. The pain may be of a throbbing nature and can cause headaches and earaches. A dry socket is not an emergency. The increase in pain associated with dry socket can be managed by taking two of the prescribed pain pills at 6 hour intervals or taking 600mg of ibuprofen (Motrin) along with the prescribed pain medication. If increasing or changing the pain medications does not reduce your symptoms, you can return to our office during scheduled business hours for a dry socket dressing. This is a temporary packing of the socket which may also reduce your symptoms.
            1. What happens if my sutures fall out early? Typically, if a suture falls out prior to your scheduled post op visit, there is no need for concern. If early suture loss leads to excessive bleeding, please call our office.
              1. How soon can I eat following anesthesia? You can have something light to eat as soon as you get home. Clear liquids and broth are easy on the stomach. These are foods you should consider eating first as they reduce the likelihood of post operative nausea. Later in the day you can advance your diet as tolerated. We prefer you have had something to eat prior to taking your pain medication as this also reduces the incidence of nausea and vomiting.

              The Northern KY oral surgery office of Dr. Knibbe is available for further information.