Is it safe to have dental work before lipo/tummy tuck?

Question

Hello, I I am needing some surgical tooth extractions, dental implants, and veneers. I would also like to have a BBL and possibly a tummy tuck. What I'm wondering is, would this be safe either before or after my dental work? Would a week be enough time in between? Trying to kill two birds with one stone since this is an international trip. Thank you!

Gerald Minniti, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello,You are at a high risk for seroma and infection when having a tummy tuck in foreign countries, which will require on going care in the US. Best of luck!

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

From your description of the dental work, it appears that all procedures (surgical extractions, dental implants, veneers) are cosmetic and not medically necessary.  You might consider postponing them until you have recovered from the BBL and TT.  I do not think that one week between the dental procedures and the BBL and TT is adequate.  I also recommend that you ask your oral surgeon how long you should wait after the dental work to have a BBL and TT.  Follow up is required to ensure that the implants are positioned and performing as they should be.  Because oral health is related to your overall health, be sure that your mouth has healed so that you are able to eat a healthy protein diet prior to and after BBL and TT.It may be difficult for you to find an oral and plastic surgeon in the US who can follow up with any post-operative issues.Kenneth Hughes, MD, Board Certified Plastic SurgeonLos Angeles, CA

Carmina Cardenas, MD · Answer

You must know that any type of procedures which may involve bacteria release to the bloodstream may be very dangerous if it is close to a major surgery. So you must wait at least 2-4 weeks before doing it. And be sure they offer proper antibiotic treatment. Be encouragedDr. Cardenas

Shaun Parson, MD · Answer

Thanks so much for your question. It is safe to have multiple procedures done within a reasonable period of time. You just want to use common sense and make sure that you're fully recovered from the first procedure prior to starting another recovery process. As long as both providers are OK with things I think it's a reasonable plan to have multiple things done within a period of time so that all of your recovery is finished prior to returning to normal life activities.

Steven Turkeltaub, MD · Answer

It should be safe to have dental work before your tummy tuck and lipo but I would give this more than one week especially if you run into a problem.And, talking about problems, more concerning are the risks associated with medical tourism. For safety and other issues, this is something that you should reconsider as you may surely regret it in the long term, that is, if you survive the surgery and postoperative course.Steven Turkeltaub, MD

Is it safe to have dental work before lipo/tummy tuck?

Answers (5)