Making the trip from Etobicoke before a hip or knee replacement? Plan it so each visit counts: bring the forms, symptoms and dates, and leave knowing what is needed and what can wait until you recover.
When the dentist is not around the corner, the weeks before a joint replacement need a little more planning. You probably want as few separate trips as possible, especially if a painful hip or knee already makes sitting in a car uncomfortable. The answer is to come prepared and early, so one assessment can establish what is going on and what, if anything, needs treating.
Preparation means knowing the operation and date, your medicines and allergies, any symptoms, and what the orthopaedic team has asked. With those details, we can often combine the examination, any needed x-rays and a treatment discussion in one appointment. An infection still needs its source treated rather than antibiotics alone, and an extraction close to surgery still needs careful timing, however far you travel.
Etobicoke is the longest trip on our list, so think ahead about urgent care too. If severe swelling or pain develops suddenly, a nearer emergency service may be the right first call. For planned care, contact us early and bring the hospital’s request. We will examine, explain and share relevant findings with your surgical team, without promising that surgery will be free from infection.
Mention your surgery date and anything troubling you when booking, so we can set aside enough time. If the date moves, tell us; fewer trips work best when the schedule is current.
Describe the problem on the phone so the appointment can be long enough to diagnose it. An active issue should not be left until rehabilitation. Once the dentist identifies the cause, the surgical team can consider whether it affects their plans.
Send or bring it in advance with the office’s contact details. Knowing what is requested lets us plan the visit, whether that means an examination, x-rays or records. A signature still depends on assessing your mouth.
If an extraction or gum treatment is booked close to surgery, share both dates. Healing and timing may need discussion, and possibly an extra review. Avoid moving either appointment on your own.
A new dental problem shortly before surgery should be reported to us and to the surgical team. Leaving it unmentioned to save a trip can make the schedule harder to keep.
A well-prepared assessment can identify a dental problem that needs treatment, outline the options, and provide what your medical team requested, often in a single trip. It also lets you plan who to contact during recovery. These are worthwhile aims, though no dental exam can promise the result of joint surgery.
The number of appointments depends on the findings, not on the operation alone. Some people need only an assessment and a note to the hospital, while others need treatment and a review. For each recommendation, ask whether it addresses disease now or could be booked once you have recovered.
Patient information: College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario — joint replacement advisory
Should the dentist advise treatment, ask which tooth or area is involved and why it belongs before surgery. Understanding the diagnosis helps you decide what is worth an extra journey and what can wait.
Different procedures heal differently. When both teams know the planned dental work and the surgery date, appointments can be grouped and spaced to suit you and your recovery.
Ask how to manage oral care at home while mobility is limited, when the next visit makes sense, and which problems to call us about versus seek care nearer home. That clarity saves stress later.
We begin with your concern and the operation ahead. Messages between offices take time, so get in touch well before the final week when you can.
On the phone or at check-in we note the procedure, date, medicines, allergies and medical history. Mention earlier joint infections or complications your surgeon thinks matter. Sending the hospital’s instructions ahead helps us prepare.
The dentist checks teeth, gums, restorations and any symptoms. Where x-rays would answer a clinical question, we try to take them during the same visit. The aim is clear findings, not treating every flaw as equally urgent.
If treatment is indicated, we cover the diagnosis, options, estimated fees and follow-up, and how many visits it may involve. The surgeon’s office may want to weigh in on dates. Our report describes the assessment, with no unsupported guarantees.
Leave with a clear list: any treatment appointments, reviews to check healing, and what has gone to the surgical team. Tell both offices if symptoms or dates change so the plan stays efficient.
Follow the individual advice your clinicians give you. If instructions seem to conflict, ask for clarification before changing medicines or appointments.
Some procedures need a check before the outcome can be documented. Call if pain, swelling or bleeding increases or the area is not settling, and we can decide together whether you need to come in.
Use fluoride toothpaste twice daily and clean between teeth as advised. If mobility will be limited after surgery, arrange aids or help now. Home care matters even more when visits are spaced out.
Do not take leftover antibiotics or interrupt blood thinners in preparation for dental treatment. Any change, including preventive medicine, depends on your situation and is decided by the clinicians responsible.
Ask about visit planning, forms or medicines. Advice given for someone else’s operation may not suit your history or the dental care you need.
Call our Bronte Street practice early, with your surgery date, a note of any symptoms and the orthopaedic team’s request. We will set aside the right amount of time and explain what follow-up, if any, is needed.
For an approaching operation or symptoms that need attention soon, please phone. A web enquiry can’t secure an urgent slot or a finished form on its own.
