The Pill and dental surgery...

[nonentityb.livejournal.com]

I have been on oral contraceptives (Mircette) for a long time, and today I happened to glance at the guide that comes with the pack of pills and read that the Pill may affect blood clotting and that, if you are having surgery, your doctor might take you off of them a few weeks prior.

And then I thought, "Eeep...I'm supposed to have my wisdom teeth out..." And when I say "have my wisdom teeth out", I don't just mean pulled; there's going to be some cutting involved.

Uh, should I be worried about this? Should I call my doctor immediately? Or is this warning only relevant for, say, open heart surgery...?

Comments

[sacre.livejournal.com]

Call the doctor. It would be better to be informed than not.

[yannaboo.livejournal.com]

1 - this entry could use a subject - and also might be better for the birthcontrol community

2 - I know if you're on hormonal BC, at least I've heard this will the pill, you're more at risk for getting dry socket after having your wisdom teeth removed. And dry socket is no fun. Unfortunately, I don't know anything more and haven't searched for refs yet, but google can probably help you. Good luck!

[nonentityb.livejournal.com]

this entry could use a subject - and also might be better for the birthcontrol community

*slaps forehead* thanks for the reminder...I will do that right now.

[anoceanofagirl.livejournal.com]

I was in the same exact situation about a year and a half ago-- Mircette and infected (but under the gum) wisdom teeth. I never had any problems with my procedure, though, or after. But everyone is different, so I would talk to your surgeon!

[sweetseadragon.livejournal.com]

I think the warning is usually for people who will be on bed rest for a significant period of time post-surgery. There's nothing wrong with talking to your dr. about this, though.

[foureyeddarlin.livejournal.com]

Definitely tell your doctor. Your doctors should know all of the medicines you take. Also, hormonal contraceptives can have a significant impact on oral health: it is important for both regular dental care and for dental surgery that your practicioners know you're using hormonal contraceptives.

[glasspumpkin.livejournal.com]

Let your doctor know. Mine didn't have me stop taking my birth control, and I didn't have any problems. But you never know what your particular doctor will request. If you are taking any other medications too, let them know. Sometimes they have odd side effects you wouldn't know about, and wouldn't apply except in this particular case. Good luck!

[senseikrystal.livejournal.com]

Oh, jeez...I didn't even think about this! I'm going to get my wisdom teeth out later this year, when I visit my parents (I'm on their dental insurance)...and they don't know I'm on the Pill (yes, yes, I'm over 21 and all that, but they're crazy). Eep! Thanks for saying something!

[manleigh03.livejournal.com]

I'm having my tonsils removed in a few weeks. The doctor told me to stop taking things like ibuprofin about a month ago, because he didn't want my blood to thin, but never said anything about birth control. So now I'm curious, even though it's too late to do anything now. lol

[park-place.livejournal.com]

I had my wisdom teeth out 2 years ago while I was on Yasmin. A nurse told me that some people (especially women on HBC) are susceptible to "dry sockets" after the surgery. I think they happen when a blood clot doesn't form properly, and the nerves in the gum are exposed. It hurts like a bitch. I know this because I ended up getting a dry socket where one of my lower wisdom teeth had been extracted. It was just a really bad throbbing pain, and I had to go back to the oral surgeon. They stuffed the empty space where the tooth had been with a piece of gauze that had some nasty tasting anesthetic on it.

It's nothing too serious, but just a pain (literally). Therefore, there's really no need for you or your doctor to take you off the pill. My oral surgeon never advised me to do that.

[faithstar7.livejournal.com]

Ekk I'm on Yasmin and need my wisdom teeth out :*(

[roxy-girl05.livejournal.com]

When I got my wisdom teeth out, I was asked if I was on any birth control pills because they were going to give me amoxicillin (an antibiotic) and that can decrease the effectiveness of the pills. I'm not on any birth control pills, so that's the only bit of information I can really offer.s

[ilikemytie.livejournal.com]

when I got my wisdom teeth out, i was on orth tri cylcon (another pill) and had to go under an IV drop and everything. They cut out the teeth or broke them up and pulled them out through a slit -whatever they do.

I wrote down my meds on the paperwork, so he knew. The only thing is that they will give you antibiotics - I'm allergic to pretty much all of them, so I never take them anyway. You can always put pure honey on the stitches as a topical antibiotic, though - that's what I did.

[ncsu-lady.livejournal.com]

Only one of my sisters developed dry socket and all of us were on various forms of the pill when we had our wisdom teeth out.

Her doc said that the dry socket was somemthing that just happened. I have had 5 surgeries and have never been told to stop taking my pill prior to the surgery for any reason. I know that every doctor is different, and so are the situations.

Therefore, I agree to double check with the doctor but if it wasnt brought up as a concern by them, it likely isn't one you need to worry about.