One of our main goals is to provide you with a surgical experience that is as comfortable as it is effective. That’s why we offer several methods of sedation.
Dr. Gilbert will work with you to decide on a personalized sedation plan that will give you the care you need while ensuring your comfort and safety every step of the way.
Local Anesthetic
The most common type of local anesthetic is lidocaine, which is administered by injection into the surgical area. The use of a local anesthetic alone is recommended only for simple surgical procedures, such as gum treatments and simple tooth extractions. Local anesthetic will always be used in conjunction with any other methods of sedation you require.
Nitrous Oxide Sedation with Local Anesthetic
For simple oral surgical treatments, such as extractions, wisdom tooth removal, and implant placement, a combination of local anesthetic and nitrous oxide may be recommended.
Nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, is administered through a small mask that fits over your nose. It is an effective way to calm anxiety and raise your pain threshold. At the end of your surgery, you’ll resume breathing regular oxygen, and all the effects of nitrous oxide will disappear, so you may resume your normal activities immediately.
In-office IV Sedation or General Anesthesia
Patients who receive IV sedation go between consciousness and unconsciousness during their surgical procedure: a twilight sleep. They often have no recollection of the treatment and are unable to respond to commands even if they are awake at times during the process.
It is required that patients who receive IV sedation have a parent, spouse, or friend accompany them to appointments because it can take several hours for the sedative to wear off. Driving is unsafe and a responsible adult must be available to transport your home.
Dr. Gilbert is also licensed by the state of West Virginia to administer general anesthesia, so you can receive the care you need in the comfort of our office. We provide general anesthesia for patients who need all types of oral surgery.
Because of the anxiety related to dental procedures, you may choose general anesthesia for procedures as simple as wisdom tooth removal or implant placement, or as complex as full-mouth reconstruction. In selected cases, hospital-based general anesthesia may be necessary.
Hospital-Based General Anesthesia
In some cases, we recommend oral surgery in a hospital setting. This is generally for patients that require a much deeper level of anesthesia or who have complex medical conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, or a previous adverse in office anesthesia experience.
General anesthesia administered in a hospital setting is done by an MD anesthesiologist or certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), who will also monitor your vital signs throughout the procedure through recovery room and ultimate discharge.
Pre- and Post-Sedation Care
Unless instructed otherwise by your doctor, do not eat or drink eight hours prior to your surgical appointment, with the exception of daily medications taken with a sip of water.
Because general anesthesia and IV sedation procedures cause drowsiness for several hours after they are administered, you will be required to have a responsible family member or friend drive you to and from your appointment. After your treatment, you should not drive, drink alcohol, or operate machinery for at least 24 hours.
