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Dental Surgery and Sedation Social Stories
Dental Surgery with General Anesthesia
I am going to see the dentist to have surgery on my teeth.
First, I will check in at the front desk and get a bracelet with my name and birthday, so they know who I am.
Next, I will sit in the waiting room until the nurse calls my name. The nurse may check my height, weight, temperature, and blood pressure.
The nurse may place a clip on my finger to check my pulse to tell them how I am breathing. It won’t hurt.
I will change into hospital pajamas and socks. The pajamas look like a long shirt that opens in the back.
I will meet one of the doctors, who will give me my sleep medicine during my surgery. I may swallow the medicine or breathe it in through a soft mask that goes over my nose and mouth.
I will get an IV in my arm or hand. This is a tiny tube that helps give me medicine and water during and after surgery. The nurse will take it out when it is time to go home.
In the surgery room, I will lie on a bed with a pillow. The doctors and nurses that I met will be wearing masks, hats, and gloves to help keep me safe from germs.
A doctor will put a special mask over my nose and mouth and I will fall asleep. It will not hurt.
When my surgery is done, the doctor will help me wake up. When I wake up, I will be in a special room called the recovery room.
I may feel dizzy or like I may throw up after I wake up. My mouth may hurt. The nurse can give me medicine to help.
When my doctors say it is okay, I can go home. I may need to take medicine and eat soft food until my mouth is feeling better.
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Dental Sedation in the Office
I am going to the dentist to get my teeth fixed.
I will check in at the front desk and then wait until they call my name.
The dental assistant will call my name and take me to a different room. They may check my height, weight, temperature, and blood pressure.
They may place a clip on my finger to check my pulse and how I’m breathing. It won’t hurt.
The dentist will give me some medicine to help me relax and be calm during my visit.
I may swallow the medicine or breathe it in through a soft mask that goes over my nose and mouth.
When the dentist is done, I wake up in a special room with my family nearby.
I may feel dizzy or like I may throw up after I wake up.
My mouth may hurt.
The dentist can give me medicine to help.
When my dentist says it is okay, I can go home.
I may need to take medicine and eat soft food until my mouth is feeling better.
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Other downloads
| Name | Description | Type | File |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental Sedation in the Office. | This resource explains what to expect if you need to get sedation in the Dentist's office. | Download file: Dental Sedation in the Office. | |
| Dental Surgery with General Anesthetic. | This resource explains what to expect if you need to get general anesthetic at the dentist's office. | Download file: Dental Surgery with General Anesthetic. |
This information was developed by the Autism Services, Education, Resources, and Training Collaborative (ASERT). For more information, please contact ASERT at 877-231-4244 or info@PAautism.org. ASERT is funded by the Bureau of Supports for Autism and Special Populations, PA Department of Human Services.