Scheduling
Making an appointment with our office has been made easy for our patients. In order to schedule time for a visit or consultation with our office, please contact us and speak with our friendly staff. We are dedicated to working with you in setting aside time to see you at your desired day of the week. Our staff will make available the day in which we can serve you best based on the needs you may have. If you are experiencing pain or an emergency condition, every effort will be made to see you as soon as possible.

We understand that everyone is on an agenda of his or her own and we want to make sure that scheduling time with our office is not a burden. The more time in advance that you are able to contact us, the more likely we will be able to allot time to your preferred appointment date.

For information on contacting our office, please visit our contact us page. You can find all relevant information on how you can get in touch with our office to schedule time.

Registration [Secure]

You may preregister with our office by filling out our secure online Patient Registration Form. After you have completed the form, please make sure to press the Submit button at the bottom to automatically send us your information. On your first visit to our office, we will have your completed form available for your signature. The security and privacy of your personal data is one of our primary concerns and we have taken every precaution to protect it.

Consultation
We consider your first appointment with our practice an important educational visit for both the patient and the practice. We use this time to inform our patients of items of interest as well as gain additional knowledge on your current conditions. Discussion of the surgical and anesthetic procedures involved in your proceeding arrangements are handled in a thorough manner, giving you a sensation of comfort for the work needed to accomplish the treatment you require. Most procedures can be completed during the initial visit. For more extensive procedures, additional visits may be required.

Important
A parent or guardian is required during the initial consultation
if the patient is under the age of 18.

Please assist us by providing any of the following information for your consultation:

REFERRAL SLIP: Any and all referral request information from your referring doctor.

MEDICATIONS: Information pertaining to the medications you are currently taking.

MEDICAL CONDITIONS: Information pertaining to any medical conditions that you are currently experiencing. If you are unsure of your conditions that may be of concern during your visit, please notify our office during your consultation.

INSURANCE: Include all medical and dental insurance information that applies to your account. Providing this will allow us to assist you in receiving reimbursement from the insurance companies you are enrolled with.

X-RAYS: For cases where x-rays are relevant to the procedures to be done at our office and have already been taken, please have them provided by your referring doctor or bring them in yourself.

If you have any inquiries that you like addressed before your initial visit or would like more information regarding your consultation, please contact us. We will assist you in handling any concerns you may have over the phone prior to your scheduled consultation.

Pre-Operative Instructions
In preparation for you up-coming procedure, please take note of the following:

· Please arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment time.
· If you must cancel, please call at least 24 hours in advance.
· Please give us a call before your appointment if you develop any cold, flu, sore throat or other symptoms of illness.
· Wear comfortable clothing. Do not wear tight fitting or binding clothes.
· Do not wear valuable jewelry to your appointment.
· Empty your bladder immediately prior to your appointment.
· Please remove contact lenses or glasses prior to surgery.
· You may take prescribed medication the morning of surgery (unless told otherwise by your doctor) with a small sip of water. Do not take any narcotic pain medication or sedatives prior to your appointment.
· If you have any condition which requires antibiotic pre-medication (i.e. heart murmur or prosthetic joint) please make arrangements for a prescription from your physician.
· Do not plan any strenuous activities for 48 to 72 hours following your procedure.

Please note the following instructions if you are undergoing IV sedation:

· Do not eat or drink anything for 6 (six) hours prior to your appointment.
· You must bring an escort with you who can drive you home after the appointment. We will not allow you to drive a vehicle.
· Your driver/escort must stay in the office reception area until your surgery is completed.

Thank you for putting your trust in us. We wish to make your surgical appointment as pleasant as possible. Should any further questions or concerns arise, please call our office and we will be happy to assist you.

Post-Operative Instructions
We have prepared the following post-operative instructions for you. If you have questions please do not hesitate to bring them to our attention.

PLEASE READ AND FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY.
The after-effects of oral surgery vary per individual, so not all of these instructions may apply. Please feel free to call our office any time should you have any questions, or are experiencing any unusual symptoms following your treatment.

DAY OF SURGERY:
IMMEDIATELY AFTER SURGERY. Patients who received a sedative anesthetic should return home from the office immediately upon discharge, and lie down with the head elevated until all the effects of the anesthetic have disappeared. Anesthetic effects vary by individual, and you may feel drowsy for a short period of time or for several hours. You should not operate any mechanical equipment or drive a motor vehicle for at least 12 hours or longer if you feel any residual effect from the anesthetic.

1. Do not drive or use appliances or equipment that could be dangerous, such as power tools, stove, burners, lawnmower, and garbage disposals.
2. Watch out for dizziness. Walk slowly and take your time. Sudden changes of position can also cause nausea.
3. Do not make any important decisions. You may change your mind tomorrow.
4. Do not drink any alcoholic beverages. The drugs in your body may cause your reaction to alcohol to be dangerous.
5. Diet: If you feel nauseated or sick to your stomach, drink clear liquids like broth, apple juice, ginger ale, tea, or eat jello. If these liquids do not make you sick to your stomach, try eating soft foods like mashed potatoes, well- cooked pasta, yogurt, smoothies, milk shakes and pudding.
6. Discuss any questions you may have with your surgeon.
7. In the event of a medical emergency, call 911.

ORAL HYGIENE AND CARE. Do not disturb the surgical area today. Bite down gently but firmly on the gauze pack that we have initially placed over the surgical area, making sure that they remain in place. Do not change them for the first hour unless the bleeding is not being controlled. This is important to allow blood clot formation on the surgery site. The gauze may be changed every 45-60 minutes. DO NOT drink with a straw and DO NOT rinse or brush your teeth vigorously or probe the area with the tongue, any objects or your fingers. You may brush your teeth gently, carefully avoiding the surgical site. DO NOT SMOKE for at least 48 hours, since it is detrimental to the healing process.

You may start normal tooth brushing the day of surgery. DO NOT STICK ANYTHING DOWN INTO THE SOCKET(Toothpick or toothbrush). It is imperative to keep your mouth clean, since an accumulation of food or debris may promote infection. After brushing your teeth, let the water fall out of your mouth. Continue this for several days.

DO NOT SPIT. DO NOT VIGOROUSLY RINSE OR SWISH YOUR MOUTH. DO NOT USE MOUTHRINSES SUCH AS SCOPE OR LISTERINE.

BLEEDING. Some bleeding is normal, and blood-tinged saliva may be present for 24 hours. This may be controlled by placing fresh gauze over the surgical area and biting down firmly for 30-60 minutes.

STEADY BLEEDING. Bleeding should not be severe. If bleeding persists, this may due to the gauze pads being clenched between the teeth rather than exerting pressure on the surgery site. Try repositioning the gauze. If bleeding persists or becomes heavy, substitute a moist tea bag (first soaked in hot water, squeezed dry and wrapped in a moist gauze) on the area for 20-30 minutes. If bleeding continues, please call our office.

SWELLING OR BRUISING. Swelling is to be expected, and usually reaches its maximum in 48-72 hours. To minimize swelling, cold packs or ice bags wrapped in a towel should be applied to the face adjacent to the surgical area. This should be applied 20 minutes on then removed for 20 minutes during the first 24 hours after surgery. After 24 hours, it is usually best to switch from using the cold pack to applying moist heat or a heating pad to the same area, until swelling has receded. Bruising may also occur, but should disappear after about one week to ten days. Tightness of the jaw muscles may cause difficulty in opening the mouth. This should disappear within 7-10 days. Keep lips moist with cream or vaseline to prevent cracking or chapping.

DIET. Eat any nourishing food that can be taken with comfort. It is advisable to confine the first day’s food intake to bland liquids or pureed or soft foods. Avoid foods like nuts, sunflower seeds, rice or popcorn, which may get lodged in the socket areas. Over the next several days, you may progress to more solid foods. Proper nourishment aids in the healing process. If you are a diabetic, maintain your normal diet as much as possible and follow your physician’s instructions regarding your insulin schedule.

PAIN AND MEDICATIONS. Unfortunately, most oral surgery is accompanied by some degree of discomfort. Take the pain medication prescribed as directed. The local anesthetic administered with the general anesthetic during your surgery normally has a 3-hour duration, and it may be difficult to control the pain once the anesthetic wears off.

We recommend that once you get home, prop yourself up on the couch with your head elevated. Take in some food before the numbness wears off. Also at this time take 1-2 over-the-counter ibuprofen pills (Advil or Motrin) (*If you can tolerate ibuprofen*). Wait about one hour and if you are not nauseated take the prescribed pain medication. Wait two more hours and take some more ibuprofen. Wait two more hours and take the pain medication. Alternate this regimen for the next 24 hours. This will help you stay ahead of the discomfort and improve your recovery.

Take your other medications as prescribed once you are tolerating food and not sick to your stomach. If you were prescribed an antibiotic and are currently taking oral contraceptives, you should use an alternate method of birth control for the remainder of this cycle and for one complete cycle afterwards.

ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCES. If you wear orthodontic appliances, replace them immediately after surgery unless otherwise instructed. If these appliances are left out of the mouth for any length of time, it is often difficult or impossible to reinsert them.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE FOLLOWING DAYS:
ORAL HYGIENE. Keeping your mouth clean after oral surgery is essential. Begin your normal tooth brushing routine as soon as possible after surgery. Soreness and swelling may prevent rigorous brushing of all areas, but make every effort to clean your teeth within your comfort level.

CARE OF SURGICAL AREA. Apply warm compresses to the skin overlying areas of swelling for 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off to help soothe these tender areas. This will also aid in reducing swelling and stiffness. If needed, your doctor will give you an irrigating syringe. You may begin to use this syringe on the fifth day after your surgery to gently irrigate the surgical area.

OTHER POSSIBLE POST-SURGERY EFFECTS DRY SOCKETS.
The blood clot on the surgical site may be lost causing a dry socket (usually on the 4th to 5th day). There will be a noticeable, distinct, persistent pain in the jaw area, often radiating toward the ear and forward along the jaw which may cause other teeth to ache. If you do not see steady improvement during the first five days after surgery or if severe pain persists, please call the office to report these symptoms.

SKIN DISCOLORATION. This may be expected, and is usually limited to the neck or cheek area near the surgical site. This is caused by bleeding through the mucous membranes of the mouth beneath the skin and appears as a bruise. If discoloration occurs, it often takes a week for this to completely disappear. Occasionally, the arm or hand near the site where the needle was placed to administer IV drugs may remain inflamed and tender. This is caused by chemical irritation in the vein. Aspirin and application of heat on the area will usually correct these symptoms.

NUMBNESS. Loss of sensation of the lip and chin may occur, usually following lower wisdom teeth removal. This is usually temporary and disappears within a few days or weeks. Occasionally, some numbness may persist for months, due to the close association of the roots of the teeth to the nerve that supplies sensation to these areas described.

It is our desire that your recovery be as smooth and pleasant as possible. If you have any questions about your progress or any symptoms you are experiencing, please call our office at 770-321-0257. After office hours, you may call our 24-hour answering service (770-321-0257) and the doctor or his staff will contact you as soon as possible. Call 911 if you have a medical emergency.

East Cobb Oral Surgery Payment Options

To provide you with the finest oral surgical treatment and keep costs down, we ask our patients to pay for services at the time of treatment. We accept MasterCard, VISA, Discover, American Express, check and/or cash.  As a courtesy to you, we will complete and submit insurance claims for those patients that have insurance coverage. 

In the event that extensive treatment is required our office provides various payment options to meet your needs.

Financing is also available through 

1. Care Credit
2. Enhance Patient Financing 

You can link up directly with these two companies by clicking on the links above .