I am going for a wisdom tooth operation in a couple of days and feel very anxious about the whole thing - have always felt this way regarding the dentist.

A friend suggested that I take a xanax in order to quell my anxiety during the procedure. I don't have a prescription for it and don't have any regular anxiety, but anticipate a lot of it during the surgery.

Is it safe to take just a single, one-time dose for this purpose? Will xanax interfere with prescribed pain-killers and antibiotics after the surgery?

Thanks.

The best thing you can do is talk to your oral surgeon about your anxiety, there is a great possibility they will be able to give you medication there before the procedure. It is never a good idea to take someone else's medication, in fact, in some places it's illegal.

Our dentist always prescribes something for anxiety that can be taken an hour or so before the planned procedure, and then will be sure the patient is pain- and anxiety-free just before and during the oral surgery.

Like J_9 said, talk to the dentist/oral surgeon about this. There are amazing medications available to make your procedure a piece of cake!

I agree please don't take someone else's medication

Yes, your oral surgeon should offer you something to take ahead of time - everyone needs it, not just you! My surgery went perfectly because of that, as did the wisdom-teeth removal of my own teens. Plus, ask questions about steps to making the recovery days as comfortable as possible, too. My teens took a "digestive settler" along with their pain meds so they were able to keep up with the suggested liquids.