Can I remain with my loved one/family member during the procedure?

This will be discussed in detail the day before of the day of your procedure. Typically if the patient is of pediatric age you will remain with your child prior to going back for the procedure. For the actual induction of anesthesia you will not be present in the operating room with your loved one. We play games and have challenges for your child to play that encourage separation through distraction techniques. This works very well and allows us to quickly and safely begin the anesthesia process. We must remain hyper focused on your child and not focus on the parent or caregiver during the start of anesthesia. This is extremely important. In a hospital setting remaining with your child may be possible, there they have designated people to guide you through the process. In an office setting we do not have this ability. We will be assessing your loved one and determine at that time how to proceed to decrease all anxiety surrounding the procedure. We will also be educating you regarding what to expect.  We have extensive anesthesia experience and often use humor, sillyness, games and other distraction techniques to defuse the situation or diminish anxiety. Our experience has provided us with significant insight into this and consistently see less anxiety for both parent and child when the child is allowed to enter the procedure room without parents. Children can sense your anxiety and this instills fear in the child and negatively impacts the work done prior to put the child at ease.  At the completion of the procedure the dentist/surgeon will come out and discuss the case with you.  We remain with your child during the recovery process.  This allows us to assure a smooth and safe wake up period. Once your child begins to recover to a point where they meet certain discharge criteria, you will be brought back to see your child and discharged home. During this phase your child may be upset, angry, emotional, or relaxed, sleepy, cuddly, silly… Don’t not let any of these behaviors alarm you. Each child is different and recovers differently (much like adults). All of the above stated scenarios are normal. It stems from your child being unable to clear their head of the effects of anesthesia and find it frustrating. They likely will not remember this and will quickly move through this stage of recovery. Usually when the child is removed from the dental environment they quickly recover and begin to act like themsleves. We encourage two adults to accompany the child on this day. A recovering child can be a handful and another person is usually helpful on the way home.

Oral sedation or  IV sedation? What’s the difference?

Oral sedation can take over an hour to take effect and has a modest effect on a patients anxiety level.  This does not assure a relaxed and comfortable experience for the patient.  Intravenous sedation (anesthesia) or general anesthesia offers the ability to rapidly obtain comfort and relaxation while under the direct care of a nurse anesthesiologist.  We are able to titrate the anesthetic medications to the appropriate level and assure safety.  Oral sedation can also continue its effects on the body for longer than desired following the procedure.  Our intravenous and inhalation medications are quickly metabolized and allow quicker return to a normal level of consciousness and function.

Anesthesia has made me sick before, will this happen again?

The particular medications we use typically do not cause nausea. These medications can actually help prevent nausea. While I am reasonably sure you will not be nauseous, it can happen. You should take precautions for the ride home. If you do experience nausea it usually resolves very quickly.

What about eating and drinking before or after my dental procedure?

NO FOOD FOR 8 HOURS prior to the planned procedure! This rule is to help assure safety and avoid dangerous aspiration of gastric contents during the procedure. You should not have anything to eat or drink after midnight the night before your procedure is scheduled.  Following the procedure we will have you drink a small amount of water and then a slow return to your normal diet can proceed. Your dentist or surgeon may have diet restrictions however, so please check with them.

What are the possible complications if any?

While anesthesia is extremely safe there remain risks. We will cover these during informed consent.

What about my regular daily medications?

We generally feel it is safe to take your regular medications with no more than a sip of water the day of your sedation/anesthesia. If diabetic and insulin dependent you should consult your primary care provider of person managing your diabetes medications for further instructions. For any further questions feel free to call your nurse anesthesiologist for further clarification regarding your specific medications leading up to and on the procedure day.

Do I need a driver?

Short answer, YES. You will not be able to drive for 24 hours following the utilization of anesthetic medications whether it is simply IV sedation or general anesthesia. Please have your driver accompany you on the day of your procedure. This person must hold a valid drivers license. You should not operate any machinery, use any sharp objects, sign any legal papers or make important decisions that require the full use of your faculties as the medication may impair your judgment for up to 24 hours

How can I pay?

Payment may be made in cash, cashier check, debit or by credit card at the dental/surgery office and is due the day of service. A deposit may be required before anesthesia/sedation will be scheduled (not always-the office will let you know), and will then be applied to your final charges. Prime Anesthesia will supply you with a final receipt which will include billing codes you can submit to your insurance company. We hope your insurance company medical or dental will reimburse you for these cost. However we can not guarantee this.

My child has special needs or medical conditions; can you still help?

Most children with special needs such as autism, downs syndrome, or other medical conditions can still have their dental procedure with general anesthesia or sedation. Ultimately, this depends on the degree and severity of their medical condition. An in-depth conversation with your nurse anesthesiologist will determine if the office vs hospital is best. If we have any concerns we will recommend the procedure being done in a hospital setting. While we are prepared for any situation, we are focused on safety and will quickly recommend the hospital setting if we feel that would be safest for your loved one.

I don’t want to feel anything… will I?

Our goal is to keep you or your loved one safe and comfortable. Anesthetic medications will be used through the procedure. We will either utilize inhalation induction for children or place an IV in an age appropriate patient using various distraction techniques. The IV placement what most people fear the most. We work very hard to make this experience very easy and quick utilizing numbing spray and or anesthesia gasses to aid in the process.

How long will the process take?

This depend on what is being done. The surgeon or dentist controls this and you should discuss this with them. Our anesthesia time adds 30-45 minutes on the beginning and end of the procedure to allow for preoperative discussion and full recovery.

How and when will the nurse anesthesiologist contact me?

Your nurse anesthesiologist will contact you a week or so prior to your scheduled appointment. If you would like to discuss the process with them sooner, feel free to reach out to us anytime.   You will speak directly with a Prime Anesthesia associate and will review your medical history, inform you of what to expect and answer any questions you may have.