I was not given a consultation prior to the removal, and the removal itself was less than satisfactory. I felt like I was on an assembly line and the nurses even fought quite nastily about who was to take care of me in the recovery area. I could hear every word they said. I was not happy.. anyway, I've had some complications, nothing major.. Do oral surgeons normally not do a follow up visit? I would think they should since this is a surgery!
2006-12-06 11:23:52 · 7 answers · asked by two_kee_kees 4 in Health ➔ Dental
During my oral surgery training and since the day I started the dental practice in Houston, I ALWAYS recommend a no-charge follow up visit for my patients after the wisdom teeth removal. This visit give me an opportunity to evaluate and document the progress of the healing and give the patient a chance to ask question.
Ask your dentist why he or she think you would not need one.
2006-12-06 13:44:21 · answer #1 · answered by Houston Dentist 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It really depends on the doctor, some oral surgeons want to see you postoperatively to check the healing process, and others assume you will return to your regular dentist for the followup. Whether you need it or not depends on what procedure he did and how invasive he had to get, since the sutures he used would absorb with or without his assistance. Any major problems would surface within a few days of the surgery, and would have required you to return for treatment. Most people, even with an uncomplicated recovery, don't feel like going out much that first week afterwards, and truthfully are probably better left to rest and recooperate in the comfort of their own home. After that, the healing is well underway, and you would have to pay for an office visit just to have him look at a healing mouth and say you were doing fine. Since most folks don't have dental insurance that would pay for that, or they are paying out of pocket to begin with, the doctors sometimes try to avoid a visit so you don't get stuck with a bill for nothing. But your oral surgeon should have covered all that before the procedure. So far as the behavior of the nurses in recovery, you should report that piece of unprofessional behavior to either the hospital or the surgeon. If you were refered to the oral surgeon by your regular dentist, he might have felt the referring dentist had covered everything, or he might have even been told it would be covered by your dentist. That would explain the lack of consultation prior to the removal- but again you should have known about that. I would certainly take it up with the referring dentist, and ask for a better explaination of why he and the oral surgeon came up short on the treatment preparation and follow through. They seem to have counted on you having an uncomplicated recovery, fortunately you did from the sounds of it, but that doesn't excuse their lack of preparation in case you didn't.
2006-12-06 11:42:39 · answer #2 · answered by The mom 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Any type of surgery requires a follow-up visit. You could develop complications such as "dry socket" or if you had stiches placed they will need to be removed. In any case, a follow-up is the right thing to do regardless of your post-op condition. Either call and schedule one with your oral surgeon or go to your general dentist.
On a side note, if your dental insurance paid for the surgery. Call them and ask if the code that was billed included a follow-up visit. If it does then you could report them to the insurance company and that should rattle some cages.
2006-12-06 11:31:10 · answer #3 · answered by g8or 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
First let me say if you are having a problem you need to go back. There are a lot of Oral Surgeons out there who are not seeing their patients back, and there is usually no problem with this. I have worked for an Oral Surgeon for years and we have done it both ways. I would let them know if your experience was less then what you expected.
2006-12-06 11:31:08 · answer #4 · answered by rebelettekusmc 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I had No follow up with the oral surgion but,I went back to my regular dentist..I had no complications,though.
2006-12-06 11:33:42 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I never had one and I had mine out over 3 years ago. I think you'll be fine unless you start to swell or feel pain.
2006-12-06 11:28:26 · answer #6 · answered by jderk77 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i had mine out about 2 yrs ago... you should definitely have had a follow up visit... go see someone else, just tell them your situation.
2006-12-06 11:27:28 · answer #7 · answered by Missjava 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋