Preparing for surgery day

By surgery day, the important decisions should already be made: your plan is agreed, the consent form signed. What is left is practical. Getting it right helps you relax and lets your dentist work without delays.

The day before

• Confirm the plan. Ask your dentist to go over what will happen tomorrow, in what order and for how long.
• Ask about eating. With local anaesthetic only, a light meal beforehand is usually encouraged. With sedation or general anaesthetic, you will be told when to stop eating and drinking. Follow it exactly.
• Medicines. Take your usual medicines unless told otherwise. Ask specifically about blood thinners and diabetes medicines. Read medicines to tell your dentist.
• No alcohol the night before.
• No smoking, ideally from well before your trip.
• Shop for soft food: yoghurt, soup, eggs, bananas, ice cream. You will not want to go out afterwards.
• Sleep. Go to bed early.

What to bring

• Your medicine list and any medicines you need during the day.
• Your glasses, if you wear them, to read forms.
• A phone charger and headphones.
• A cardigan: clinics can be cool.
• Lip balm: your lips can get dry during long treatment.
• The clinic’s phone number saved, and your hotel address in Turkish.

What to wear

Comfortable, loose clothes. Short sleeves or sleeves that roll up easily, in case of a blood pressure cuff or a drip for sedation. No make-up or lipstick. Leave jewellery at the hotel.

Your companion

If you are having sedation, someone must take you back to the hotel and stay with you. Even with local anaesthetic only, a companion helps: they listen to the aftercare instructions while you are numb and tired. Read bringing a companion.

The morning

• Brush your teeth well.
• Eat or do not eat, as you were told.
• Take your medicines as agreed.
• Arrive on time. Transfers are usually arranged by the clinic.

Questions to ask before you start

1. Who will do the surgery, and who else will be in the room?
2. How long will it take?
3. What is our stop signal?
4. When will my temporary teeth be fitted?
5. Who do I call tonight if I am worried?

Read a day in the chair for what happens next.

At Precious Dental

Our coordinators arrange your transfer from the hotel and back, and stay in touch on WhatsApp, +44 7575 589099. Your dentist goes through the plan with you before surgery starts.

Getting your mind ready

It is normal to feel nervous the night before. Some things that help: go over the plan once more with your companion, so you know what will happen and when; write down any last questions; and remind yourself that you can ask the dentist to pause at any time. If you are very anxious, tell your dentist the day before rather than in the chair. They may be able to change the timing, the pace or the way you are numbed. Read nervous patients.

Food to have ready at the hotel

After surgery you will want cool, soft food that needs little chewing. Many hotels can help, but it is easier to have a few things in your room. Good choices include yoghurt, soft cheese, hummus, soup that has cooled, scrambled or boiled eggs, mashed potato, soft fruit like bananas, smoothies without seeds, and ice cream. Avoid anything crunchy, chewy, very hot or spicy, and drinks through a straw if you have had extractions, as suction can disturb the blood clot.

If you have diabetes

Talk to your dentist about timing well before surgery day. If you are asked not to eat before sedation, you will need a plan for your diabetes medicines and blood sugar checks, ideally agreed with your GP before you travel. Bring your testing kit and something sugary in case your levels drop. Read medicines to tell your dentist.

If you wear a denture

Ask whether you should wear your denture to the appointment and whether you will need it afterwards. If you are having full-arch implants, your denture may be used as a guide for the temporary teeth, so bring it.

Common surgery-day mistakes

• Skipping breakfast when it was allowed, then feeling faint in the chair.
• Eating when you were told not to before sedation, which can mean the surgery is postponed.
• Stopping a blood thinner without being told to.
• Booking a tour for the afternoon.
• Forgetting reading glasses and signing forms you cannot read.

None of these are disasters, but each makes the day harder than it needs to be.

A simple timeline

Smoking: the single biggest thing you can change

The NHS is clear that stopping smoking improves your health in many ways, and smoking is a well-known risk factor for gum disease and for implant problems. If you smoke, ask your dentist how long they would like you to stop before and after surgery. The NHS website has free support to quit, including apps, local services and advice on nicotine replacement. Even stopping for the weeks around surgery is better than nothing.

A hygienist visit before you go

A clean mouth heals better. If you have a UK dentist or hygienist, a professional clean a few weeks before your trip removes plaque and tartar and lets your gums settle. Tell them what treatment you are planning. They may spot something worth mentioning to your Antalya dentist.

Practical comfort

• Pack a soft pillow or travel pillow to keep your head raised at night.
• Bring a water bottle; avoid straws after extractions.
• Bring your own soft toothbrush and a small mirror.
• Download a film or podcast for the evening after surgery.

The questions list

Write your last questions on paper and give them to your dentist at the start, rather than trying to remember them in the chair. If you want to know more about who will be in the room, read the dental team. If you are nervous, read nervous patients. Our implant surgeon is Dt. Hüseyin Yavuz Özbek.

For patients over 65

Older patients often take more medicines and may tire more easily, so a few extra steps help. Ask for a morning appointment, when you are freshest. Make sure your companion knows your medicines and any conditions. Bring a cardigan, as long appointments can leave you cold. If you use a walking aid, mention it so the clinic can help with steps and the chair. And allow a quiet day afterwards with nothing planned at all.

If surgery is postponed

Occasionally surgery is put back: a high blood pressure reading, a cold, a blood test result or a scan finding. It is disappointing, but it is a sign of caution, not a failure. Ask what needs to change and how long it might take, and check with the clinic about hotel nights and flights. Read when a good dentist says no.

Common questions

Can I eat before implant surgery?

With local anaesthetic only, usually yes, a light meal. With sedation or general anaesthetic, you will be told not to eat for several hours. Ask your dentist.

Should I take my normal medicines?

Usually yes, unless your dentist or doctor tells you otherwise. Never stop blood thinners on your own.

What should I wear?

Comfortable, loose clothes with short or easily rolled sleeves. Nothing you would mind getting a little damp.

Can I go back to the hotel alone?

If you have had sedation, no. Someone must take you back and stay with you.

Sources

1. NHS: general anaesthesia
2. NHS: quit smoking
3. NHS: gum disease

Checked October 2026. Where we give our own view as a clinic, we say so.