Our patients’ continuous comfort is of utmost importance throughout their experience with us, including before, during, and after the procedure itself. This means that we are committed to providing everyone who walks through our doors with the best sedation or anesthesia option for them, and to have that option administered and overseen by an expert.
Whether you require local anesthesia for a minor dental procedure or whether you require general anesthesia for a major surgical procedure, we will be at your side, monitoring your comfort and making certain you are both safe and pain-free.
Our Anesthesiologists
From a simple tooth extraction to the most complex orthognathic surgeries, all patients undergoing sedation or general anesthesia in our office will be under the expert care of our team of anesthesiologists.
Our team is certified with the American Board of Anesthesiology. During your time at the surgical center, you will meet with our doctors to review your medical history and to craft a sedation or anesthesia plan for your procedure that is optimal for your needs.
Our Sedation and Anesthesia Options
We offer three levels of sedation to our patients for most procedures. You will speak with our doctors and anesthesiologist about which level of sedation is right for both you and your procedure. For patients needing overnight care we for nausea and pain management, we have onsite licensure and credentialed services. Sedation is done by a Board Certified Anesthesiologist with our partners at Gallatin Valley Anesthesiologists. This ensures optimal patient care, allowing the anesthesiologist to focus on your sedation and our surgeons to focus on you.
Local Anesthesia
You may be familiar with this form of anesthesia from minor trips to the dentist or oral surgeon that involved filling a cavity or other minor dental procedures. In this option, a portion of your mouth is numbed using an injectable anesthesia.
During the use of local anesthesia, you remain aware and conscious even though you cannot feel the area that is being operated upon. This type of anesthesia is reserved for simple, minor procedures that do not take much time. It is safe, effective, and economical.
IV Sedation
Patients who are having procedures such as wisdom tooth extraction or some types of cosmetic surgery may choose IV sedation, which is also known as Intravenous Anesthesia. Patients who choose to have their surgery with IV sedation will be under a “twilight state” in which the patient is relaxed and sleepy.
Generally, twilight anesthesia causes the patient to forget the surgery and the time right after it. Patients who have IV sedation will need a responsible adult to accompany them to the procedure and stay with them at home for the remainder of the surgery day.
Many patients are familiar with oral sedation (sedation administered with a pill) and have questions as to why we do not commonly offer that type of sedation instead of intravenous sedation (IV). The answer is simple. IV sedation is much safer for the patient than oral sedation.
Here are a few reasons why:
- During IV sedation, medications can be administered and adjusted over the course of a procedure to keep the patient comfortable at all times. This is not possible with oral sedation medications, and as a result, some patients get sedated, while others report they do not feel any sedative effects.
- It takes much longer to achieve sedation through oral medications (30 minutes to 2 hours) versus IV sedation (30 seconds to 1 minute).
- The sedation effects of oral medication can last much longer than the dental procedure itself, and therefore, requires a much longer monitored recovery period. The sedation effects of IV medications are much shorter-acting and much more predictable. Also, most of the medications used during IV sedation are reversible instantaneously in the event of an emergency.
- IV sedation uses a combination of drugs, which allows for lower doses of the medications and the ability to give varied doses of each, depending on the specific needs of the patient.
Oral Sedation
Oral sedation is a good alternative for those patients who do not wish to have IV Sedation. Many patients are familiar with Oral Sedation and it is a great option of sedation between Local and IV sedatives.
General Anesthesia
General anesthesia is reserved for longer, more complex procedures, such as jaw reconstruction surgery or sleep apnea surgery. It ensures that patients are comfortable, unconscious, and pain-free throughout their procedure.
Like IV sedation, your doctor will administer anesthesia through an IV before your procedure begins. Unlike IV sedation, general anesthesia will “put you to sleep” completely so that you have no memory of the operation and so that your doctors can complete the procedure knowing that you are comfortable.
Because general anesthesia is a deeper, longer form of sedation, it comes with slightly increased risks and takes longer for patients to come out of. Your general anesthesia will be guided by our team from beginning to end.
Sedation Procedures and Precautions
If surgery includes IV sedation or general anesthesia, there are mandatory and life-threatening precautions that each patient must be aware of and follow prior to arriving at our office.
These precautions include:
- The patient cannot have anything to eat or drink (including water) for 8 hours prior to the appointment.
- Routine oral medications can be taken with a minimal sip of water unless other instruction has been given.
- No smoking is recommended for at least 12 hours before surgery. It is ideal to cut down or to stop smoking as soon as possible prior to the day of surgery.
- A responsible adult must accompany the patient to the office, remain in the office during the procedure, drive the patient home, and remain with the patient for the duration of the surgery day.
- We ask that the patient wears loose-fitting clothing with short-sleeves and low-heeled shoes.
- The office should be notified prior to the appointment if there is any illness such as a cold, sore throat, or upset stomach.
- The patient cannot drive a vehicle or operate any machinery for 24 hours following the anesthesia experience.
Schedule a Consultation at Gallatin Valley Surgical Arts
What procedure would you like to learn more about, if you knew that you were in the right hands? If you have questions about how we handle sedation and anesthesia, or if you would like to learn more about one of the services or procedures that we offer, contact us today to talk to our team.
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