General Anesthesia Procedure
If your child is unable to cooperate with the dentist because of his or her age, or because of a disability, general anesthesia with mask induction is the answer. Your child breathes into an anesthesia mask for about a minute completely going to sleep, with the comfort of you by their side.
The entire dental treatment will seem to take just a few seconds. The dentist will have ideal conditions to work under for as long as he needs. No needle sticks or restraints are required before anesthesia. You can stay with your child until he or she is fast asleep.
Anesthesia for Your Dental Procedure—Q&A; for Patients
Q. Can I have anesthesia in the dentist’s office?
A. Yes. There was a time when anesthesia was only administered in hospitals, but with today’s technology, careful patient selection and qualified anesthesia and perioperative personnel, you can safely benefit from having your dental procedure under general anesthesia without the inconvenience of a hospital visit. The anesthetist is a medical doctor who along with a recovery nurse works independently of the dental provider.
Q. How will anesthesia affect me during my dental treatment?
A. Patients who prefer to be asleep during their dental treatment will be given general anesthesia under the direct, constant supervision of a FRCPC (Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada) certified anesthesiologist. During the anesthetic, heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen concentration are continually monitored. Any deviation from the norm can then be treated expeditiously.
Q. How will the anesthesia affect me afterwards?
A. Side effects vary according to the technique used. When the dental treatment is concluded, most patients tend to emerge rapidly from anesthesia, feeling pain free, a little sleepy, but comfortably rested. Children may cry and/or have temper tantrums but will remember little about this afterwards. It appears unsettling but is normal. Most often patients can safely leave the office within 30 to 45 minutes after the procedure is completed. It is common to sleep part of the day, catch a light meal and be fresh and completely recuperated by the next morning. We ask that you refrain from driving or making important decisions on the day of anesthesia. Complications are highly unusual with our anesthetic techniques.
Q. How do I prepare for anesthesia?
A. We require that you have a responsible adult driver accompany you to and from the dentist’s office. It is very important that you do not eat or drink within 7 hours, or smoke within 16 hours prior to your procedure. If you find it absolutely necessary, you may drink no more than 3 ounces of a clear liquid up to 4 hours before your procedure. Wear comfortable, loose fitting clothes, a short sleeve shirt, and flat shoes on the day of your treatment. Please do not wear make-up, lotions, jewelry, or cosmetic hair products on the day of your treatment.
Q. Who will be administering my anesthesia?
A. Your anesthetic will be administered by Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada certified anesthetists who have extensive experience administering anesthetics in a hospital setting. Anesthetists are physicians who have postgraduate training (ie: after a general license) in anesthesia and critical care.
Why Should You Consider Having Dental Anesthesia?
If you have to undergo prolonged or extensive treatment.
For extensive treatment such as dental implants, sinus “lift” procedures, full-mouth restoration, multiple crowns, multiple root canals, multiple tooth extractions, or extensive periodontal procedures, dental anesthesia offers you complete comfort while providing the dentist with excellent working conditions.
If you want to save time and money.
If you don’t have time for multiple appointments, dental anesthesia makes it possible to schedule several treatments in one combined session. Fewer appointments mean less cost and less time away from work or family.
If you have anxiety.
The American Dental Association reported that 10% of of Americans avoid seeking dental treatment because of anxiety or apprehension. Another 15% finds treatment so uncomfortable, they fail to return for follow-up procedures. As many as 70% of people with dental insurance neglect to see their dentist because of fear. With dental anesthesia, anxiety and apprehension will disappear instantly, and you will have virtually no memory of the dental treatment.
If you gag easily.
General anesthesia completely suppresses the gag reflex, permitting excellent operating conditions for the dentist. Awareness of the dental treatment during your anesthetic is extremely rare.
If you have a low pain threshold.
Everybody perceives pain differently. In some instances, the local anesthetics usually used by dentists may not provide enough numbness during the treatment to completely eliminate discomfort. With our dental anesthesia techniques, dental treatments are always pain free and hours will seem to pass like seconds.
If you have a disability.
If you have a physical disability or chronic back pain, making it hard to sit in a dental chair for long periods of time, or have problems with gagging or holding still, having your dental procedure under anesthesia is the solution. Patients with mental disabilities often have problems cooperating with the dentist, complicating the treatment, creating anxiety for both the patient and the dentist. Our dental anesthesia techniques resolve this problem, improving both the safety and comfort of your loved one.
