Will Smoking Pot Affect Wisdom Tooth Removal With IV Sedation?

Posted on Fri, 29 Nov 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Fri, 29 Nov 2013 Answered on

Fri, 27 Dec 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : My son , 23, smocked pot last night. Tomorrow he will have 4 of his wisdom teeth pulled out with IV sedation. How will it affect his health and procedure?

Answered by Dr. Jorge Brenes-Salazar (1 hour later)

Brief Answer: Probably inconsequential Detailed Answer: Dear mother, Thanks for the query. The effects of THC, the active compound of marihuana, usually last between 2 and 6 hours; at the time of his procedure, he would not be under the effects of the drug and therefore it is likely that it will have no interaction with the conscious sedation for his extractions. I do, however, encourage you to discuss with him the adverse effects of pot: predisposes to depression, low intellectual performance, impaired concentration and in some series a tendency for psychosis. Also, memory impairment is common. Yours truly, Dr Brenes-Salazar MD Mayo Clinic MN Cardiology

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar