Oral Surgery FAQs

Yes. If you are undergoing a surgical procedure that requires a general anaesthetic, it is essential that you don’t consume any foods or liquids (including water) for at least six hours before your appointment. When you are anaesthetised, some of your normal protective reflexes no longer work. This means that you will not be able to protect your airway and that is safer if you don’t have any food or liquids in your system during surgery. If you have any questions or concerns about fasting prior to surgery, we encourage you to raise them with your surgeon when you come in for a consultation.

We recommend that you wear comfortable clothing when you come to the hospital for your surgical procedure. It is also important to note that you should not wear any lipstick, excessive makeup or nail polish on the day of your surgery. You will need to remove contact lenses, jewellery and dentures at the time of surgery. All of these instructions will be given to you in detail by our team before your surgery begins.

No. It is very important that a responsible adult accompanies you to the hospital and that someone is available to drive you home after your surgery has been completed. You will not be able to drive or operate any machinery for around 24 hours following surgery because of the effects of the general anaesthesia. Your anaesthetist will remind you of this before you undergo surgery. In fact, you will have the opportunity to meet with your anaesthetist briefly before you enter the operating room and they will let you know about the type of anaesthetic they will use.