I had gallbladder surgery last year and I have an upcoming one this year for my thyroid but I was wondering, why is it that they ask about dental stuff. Why is it important for surgery? What happens to people who have emergency situations and have like bad teeth or something? Just curious.
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It’s very easy to get blood borne infections through poorly maintained teeth/gums, which can wreak havok on your body as you’re trying to recover from surgery.
It’s to avoid damage or knocking false teeth/bridges/caps loose if they need to do an emergency procedure like inserting a breathing tube. If they knock something loose, it may lodge in your throat or lung, causing further problems.
Because tooth fairy cones when you’d sleep so they need to know so they’re prepared to take her on.
haha, I was asked this before a surgery I had, “Do you have any fillings or crowns?”
I answered no, answered a bunch of other questions, and as the Anesthesiologist was leaving I suddenly remembered, “Wait! Half of my front tooth is a filling!”
I’d completely forgotten! Glad I remembered, the Anesthesiologist said he’d make sure the tube was positioned along the other side of my mouth from the filling so he wouldn’t accidently bump and chip the filling, phew
Having good chompers is surprisingly a big deal for surgeriess.
Bad teeth can harbor infections that might waltz into your bloodstream during an op, potentially leading to serious issues like infective endocarditis. Imagine bacteria from a dodgy tooth gatecrashing your surgery party—no fun, right?
Have you had any dental check-ups lately in preparation for your thyroid surgery?
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