Why cant i eat 6 hours prior to my dental surgery?

getting my wisdom teeth pulled and i am starving right now!! but i cant eat 6 hours prior to my surgery...i am being knocked out instead of staying awake for it......I WANT TO EAT!!!

Why cant i eat 6 hours prior to my dental surgery?
It is in case you vomit. They don't want you to aspirate it (inhale the vomit) into your lungs. Then you could get pneumonia.
Reply:they think it is not safe
Reply:In case you have a reaction to being put under, like vomitting.


They want your stomach empty !
Reply:The dentist doesn't want you to get sick and puke on him or his equipment.
Reply:Interesting. I ate right before my dentist took out 4 wisdom teeth.
Reply:This is incase you vomit during surgery. As you are having General anaesthetic, it can be very dangerous to vomit at this point. It's best just to go hungry.
Reply:So that you don't vomit from swallowed blood while unconscious and choke to death.


It's kind of important.
Reply:the meds they give you during the pulling could possibly make you puke. empty belly is best. enjoy the ice cream after!
Reply:Your gums will bleed have a smoothie insted
Reply:stuff on the teeth and gums might get in the way of the surgery, or you might throw up.
Reply:As with any surgery, you can eat in case you have a problem with the drugs they will use to sedate you. It is dangerous because if you throw up during the procedure you could aspirate %26amp; choke. Your brain sortof "shuts down" you digestion during most sedation, so there is always a chance if you have eaten recently, you will vomit. Dont eat! It can be dangerous %26amp; cause complications!
Reply:eat food
Reply:As with ANY surgery, you can't eat for at least 6 hours before because you are being put under and there is a danger your muscles are so relaxed that what you eat can come back up and go into your lungs and choke you. Afterwards, go for it.
Reply:With a drug induced loss of conciousness you will no longer be able to protect your airway from foreign objects or even blood or saliva. In the event that said objects find their way to your airway and or lungs you will suffer aspiration. The worst case scenario is aspiration pneumonia--mortality is 25%.
Reply:gum need time to heal. it take 6hrs turning black, so you don't bleed any more. usually Dr ask you to bite some thing to help stop bleeding, and it can produce Bacteria if food touch that unhealed gum, it can hurt gum and cause problem if you can't stand 6 hours, and you need to use warm salt water to wash your month first few nights instead of use tooth brush and tooth paste, it can destory the protection you gum formed by it self. drink some liquid food on other side of the mouth if you really hungry.
Reply:Just imagine yourself waking up during the surgery not knowing where you are and then throwing up because of the nervousness. Where would that vomit go if u are on your back? Yup yup right back down. Hence you choke on your own vomit and die right there in the dentist chair. So take that into consideration b4 u eat anything prior to your surgery. But then again....you are hungry, right ?
Reply:Before any kind of surgery, ...not necessarily dental surgery... food is not to be taken after midnihgt or X amount of hours before time,


This is for all surgeries that involve sedation to prevent vomiting. They prefer an empty stomach.