ANESTHESIA OPTIONS

Total Intravenous General Anesthesia

Total intravenous general anesthesia is a type of general anesthesia that allows you to sleep through your dental procedures without any awareness or recall.  During general anesthesia, you are completely asleep and cannot be aroused.  A period of several hours feels like seconds, and you wake up feeling refreshed with minimal side effects.  I am beside you the entire time, monitoring you continuously, from the time you fall asleep until you are ready to go home.  

IV Sedation

IV sedation is a form of mild to moderate sedation that allows you to relax and possibly sleep through some of your procedure.  During IV (conscious) sedation, you are not “asleep” but rather in a  more comfortable “semi-awake” state of reduced anxiety.  Aware, but very relaxed.  You will most likely have some loss of memory of the procedures that were performed because of the amnestic affect of the medications used to provide the sedation.  During IV sedation, you are able to respond to verbal commands, or to a light physical touch. 

Monitored Anesthesia Care

Monitored anesthesia care (MAC) is a type of anesthesia service in which an anesthesia clinician continually monitors and supports the patient's vital functions; diagnoses and treats clinical problems that occur; administers sedative, anxiolytic, or analgesic medications if needed; and converts to general anesthesia if required. Approximately one-third of ambulatory anesthesia services for diagnostic or therapeutic procedures in the United States are provided as MAC, often in out-of-operating-room locations. IV sedation is often a part of this level of care.

General Endotracheal Anesthesia

(Nasal or Oral Intubation)

General anesthesia is a combination of medications that put you in a sleep-like state before a surgery or other medical procedure. Under general anesthesia, you don't feel pain because you're completely unconscious. General anesthesia usually uses a combination of intravenous drugs and inhaled nitrous oxide and or sevoflurane. This is an attractive option for those with more complex airways or prolonged complicated cases. Having an airway that is safely secure for the procedure is at times best for the patient. This is viewed as the gold standard for many procedures.