The pre-op clinic handed you a dental form, or a tooth has started to bother you as the operation gets closer. Book an assessment in Milton to sort out what is wrong, what the form asks and when care fits.
Many people first link their teeth to a new hip or knee when a sheet of paper arrives from the orthopaedic office. It may ask for an examination or simply a dentist’s contact details. An appointment lets us read the request, look for any active problem, and answer honestly. No dental visit can promise that the operation will be free of infection, and a form is not a reason to redo every old filling.
To answer well, we need more than the form. Tell us which joint is being replaced and when, what medicines you take, and whether anything in your mouth hurts, swells or feels loose. A painful tooth calls for diagnosis and treatment, which is a separate matter from routine antibiotics. An extraction close to surgery raises timing questions that a quick check-up does not.
Living in Milton makes an early visit easy to fit in, so there is little reason to leave it until the final week. Bring the original request and your surgeon’s instructions. Afterwards we can explain what we found, outline any recommended treatment, and send relevant information to your surgical team.
Mention your surgery date when you book and describe anything that is bothering you now. If the hospital moves the date, let us know so planned dental care can be timed again.
Do not set an active problem aside until you have recovered from surgery. Tell us when it started and how much it hurts. The dentist can work out the cause and talk through treatment, and the orthopaedic team can decide whether it changes anything on their side.
Bring the form itself along with the name and number of whoever sent it. Requests differ: some need an examination, others need records or x-rays. Please don’t expect a signature without an assessment, because the answer has to reflect what we actually see.
An extraction, gum treatment or other procedure in the weeks before surgery may need a conversation about healing. Give us both dates. Avoid cancelling either appointment on your own because of a waiting period you read about online.
If a dental problem appears just before your operation, phone us and tell the surgical team as well. Keeping it quiet to protect the schedule only makes the decision harder later.
The value of the visit is practical. It can find an oral problem that needs attention, explain the choices for treating it, and give your medical team information they have asked for. You can also ask how routine dental care will work while you recover. What it cannot do is guarantee how the joint surgery turns out.
People heading for the same operation often need quite different dental plans. The examination and your health history should drive the recommendations, not the surgery alone. It helps to ask, for each suggestion, whether it treats disease now or relates to timing, communication or ordinary upkeep.
Patient information: College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario — joint replacement advisory
When treatment is suggested, ask which tooth or area of gum is involved and why. Knowing the diagnosis makes it easier to separate what should be done now from optional work that could wait until later.
Each dental procedure heals on its own schedule. Sharing the planned dental care and the surgery date with both sets of clinicians lets the plan fit your situation instead of a single rule applied to everyone.
Ask how you will keep your mouth clean if moving around is hard for a while, and when your next routine visit should be. Knowing whom to call about a new dental issue saves guesswork during rehabilitation.
We start with what is bothering you and the operation you are preparing for. Messages between offices can take a few days, so reach out well before the last stretch of preparation if you can.
We ask about the joint procedure, its date, your medicines and allergies, and your medical history. Mention any earlier joint infection, complication or condition your surgeon has flagged. Written instructions are helpful, as is the name of someone who can explain them.
The dentist checks your teeth, gums, existing fillings and crowns, and any area causing symptoms. X-rays may be suggested if they help answer a particular question. The goal is a clear set of findings, without treating every small flaw as equally important.
If something needs care, we explain the diagnosis, the options, an estimate of fees and the follow-up involved. The dental and surgical teams may need to agree on timing. Any report we write describes the assessment we did, not a promise we cannot support.
If treatment is done, follow the aftercare advice and keep any review needed to check healing. Confirm what has been sent to the surgical team and whether they still have questions. Keep both offices informed if symptoms or dates change.
Follow the specific advice each clinician gives you. If two instructions seem to clash, ask the teams to sort it out before you change a prescription or move an appointment.
Some procedures need a check before the result can be recorded. Tell us about pain, swelling or bleeding that is getting worse, or a site that is slow to settle. Finishing one appointment does not always mean healing is complete.
Brush twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste and clean between your teeth as you have been shown. If you expect limited movement after surgery, ask about simple aids or help now. Daily care still matters while regular visits are arranged around recovery.
Do not start antibiotics left over from an earlier illness, and do not stop a blood thinner, because a dental visit is coming up. Whether any change or preventive medicine is needed depends on your situation and should be decided by the professionals responsible.
Ask about forms, timing or antibiotics. Advice given to a friend for their operation may not fit your health history or the dental care you need.
Reach our Bronte Street practice with your surgery date, anything bothering your teeth or gums, and the request from your orthopaedic team. We will arrange an examination and explain what information and follow-up your care needs.
Please phone if your operation is coming up soon or a symptom needs quick attention. An online request does not confirm an urgent visit or completed paperwork.
