What to expect
General Anesthesia
There are three main choices for anesthesia. Depending on your procedure and comfort level your oral surgeon will recommend one of the following:
- Local Anesthesia
- Nitrous Oxide
- General Anesthesia
For Patients Receiving General Anesthesia
- NO Food or Drinks
Do NOT eat or drink anything after midnight prior to surgery, not even water. (gum or mints are also not advised)
- 18 and Under
If you are less than 18 years of age, you MUST have a legal guardian accompany you on the day of surgery. That person must stay in the office during the procedure and escort you home after surgery.
- Your Driver
Your driver needs to arrive with you to the
appointment and remain in the waiting area
during your procedure.
- Clothing Requirements
Please wear loose-fitting clothing with sleeves that can be rolled up past the elbow, and comfortable walking shoes. Open-toed shoes are not advised, tennis shoes are recommended.
- NO Contact Lenses
Remove contact lenses before surgery. Please leave them at home.
- Beauty Products
DO NOT wear lipstick, makeup, excessive
cologne/perfume, or nail polish on the day
of surgery.
- Medications
Take any pre-medications that were prescribed to you.
- Valuables
Leave all valuables at home. No cell phones
will be permitted in the surgical suite.
What to expect.
Local Anesthesia
Local anesthesia is administered by injection at the site of treatment. A topical anesthetic will be placed first to numb the area to help alleviate any discomfort when the injection is given. You will be awake during this type of anesthesia, and though you may feel some pressure and movement, you should not experience any pain.
Nitrous Oxide
Nitrous oxide, or “laughing gas”, is the lightest form of sedation. The medication will be administered by breathing through a nasal mask. Nitrous is very short acting and is completely eliminated from the body within minutes after being turned off. This allows the patient the ability to leave the office without an escort because there is no hang-over effect. Although the effects vary from patient to patient, most patients feel that nitrous oxide “just takes the edge off”.
General Anesthesia
General anesthesia will be administered via an IV in the arm. IV sedation will put you in a safe, relaxed, and comfortable state throughout your surgery. It is the most effective at reducing awareness and anxiety for dental procedures. You will be asleep throughout the procedure and your medication intake, breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure will all be monitored by our surgical team. The medications administered will take approximately 24 hours to be completely eliminated therefore you will not be permitted to drive following the procedure. A responsible driver will need to arrive with you to your appointment and wait in our office until the surgery is finished so they can take you home.
Anesthesia Qualifications
To administer general anesthesia in the office, an oral surgeon must have completed at least three months of hospital based anesthesia training. Qualified applicants will then undergo an in-office evaluation by a state dental board-appointed examiner. The examiner observes an actual surgical procedure during which general anesthesia is administered to the patient. The examiner also inspects all monitoring devices and emergency equipment and tests the doctor and the surgical staff on anesthesia-related emergencies.
If the examiner reports successful completion of the evaluation process, the state dental board will issue the doctor a license to perform general anesthesia. The license is renewable every two years if the doctor maintains the required amount of continuing education units related to anesthesia.
Again, when it comes to anesthesia, our first priority is the patient’s comfort and safety. If you have any concerns regarding the type of anesthesia that will be administered during your oral surgery procedure, please do not hesitate to discuss your concerns with your doctor at the time of your consultation.
Intravenous Sedation (“Twilight Sedation”)
Our office offers our patients the option of Intravenous Sedation or Dental Intravenous Anesthesia or to some, it is referred to as “Twilight Sedation” for their dental treatment. Intravenous Sedation or “twilight sleep” helps you to be comfortable and calm when undergoing dental procedures. Your treatment can be completed under intravenous sedation.
Intravenous sedation or “IV sedation” (twilight sedation) is designed to better enable you to undergo your dental procedures while you are very relaxed; it will enable you to tolerate as well as not remember those procedures that may be very uncomfortable for you. IV sedation will essentially help alleviate the anxiety associated with your treatment. You may not always be asleep but you will be comfortable, calm, and relaxed, drifting in and out of sleep – a “twilight sleep”.
If you choose the option of intravenous sedation your IV sedation/anesthesia is administered and monitored by the doctor, therefore, eliminating the costly expense of having your treatment carried out in an operating room or same-day surgical facility.
How is the IV sedation administered?
A thin needle will be introduced into a vein in your arm or hand. The needle will be attached to an intravenous tube through which medication will be given to help you relax and feel comfortable. At times a patient’s vein may not be maintainable, in these situations, the medications will be administered and the needle retrieved – both scenarios will achieve the same desired level of conscious sedation.
Once again some patients may be asleep while others will slip in and out of sleep. Some patients with medical conditions and/or on specific drug regimens may only be lightly sedated and may not sleep at all.
The goal of IV sedation is to use as little medication as possible to get the treatment completed. It is very safe, much safer than oral sedation. With IV sedation a constant “drip” is maintained via the intravenous tube. At any time an antidote can be administered to reverse the effects of the medications if necessary. Along with IV sedation, there are also other different “levels” of sedation available to you in our office. There is nitrous oxide analgesia.
Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas)
Nitrous Oxide is a sweet-smelling, non-irritating, colorless gas that you can breathe. Nitrous Oxide has been the primary means of sedation in dentistry for many years. Nitrous oxide is safe; the patient receives 50-70% oxygen with no less than 30% nitrous oxide. Patients are able to breathe on their own and remain in control of all bodily functions. The patient may experience mild amnesia and may fall asleep not remembering all of what happened during their appointment.
There are many advantages to using Nitrous Oxide
- The depth of sedation can be altered at any time to increase or decrease sedation.
- There is no after effect such as a “hangover”.
- Inhalation sedation is safe with no side effects on your heart and lungs, etc.
- Inhalation sedation is very effective in minimizing gagging.
- It works rapidly as it reaches the brain within 20 seconds. In as few as 2-3 minutes its relaxation and pain killing properties develop.
Reasons to Not use Nitrous Oxide
Though there are no major contraindications to using nitrous oxide, you may not want to use it if you have emphysema, exotic chest problems, M.S., a cold, or other difficulties with breathing. You may want to ask your dentist for a “5-minute trial” to see how you feel with this type of sedation method before proceeding.
Get to know us.
At Carolina Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, we know how to help you. Our board-certified surgeons and expert staff can provide the care you need to relieve the discomfort you feel.
