Anesthesia

Several methods of anesthesia are available. The method of anesthesia that is chosen for or by a patient depends upon the nature of the surgical procedure and the patient’s level of apprehension.

To administer general anesthesia in the office, an oral surgeon must have completed at least three to six months of hospital based anesthesia training and must be certified by a Board Certified Anesthesiologist. After completion of training, oral surgeons must obtain basic cardiac and advanced life support certification and must have continuing education to maintain certification.

The office must also maintain strict certification by the South Carolina Board of Dentisty and the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons to continue to provide advanced anesthesia services to our patients. Oral surgeons must also comply with strict DEA and DHEC licenses and inspections.

What to Expect With
Anesthesia

	Local Anesthesia (injections)	Light/Moderate IV Sedation	Deep IV Sedation	General Anesthesia
Requirements	All patient types and situations.	Advanced preparation required. Nothing to eat/drink for 8 hours. Escort required. Cannot have severe or uncontrolled pre-existing medical conditions.	Advanced preparation required. Nothing to eat/drink for 8 hours. Escort required. Cannot have severe or uncontrolled pre-existing medical conditions.	Must be performed in a hospital. Advanced preparation required. Nothing to eat/drink for 8 hours. Escort required.
Appropriate for	Very short duration procedures with low anxiety level. Sometimes required for patients that are too medically compromised for IV Sedation anesthesia.	Non-complicated single tooth removal. Single implants. Active gag reflex. Procedures that may elicit some anxiety.	Wisdom tooth removal. Complicated procedures. Bone grafting. All-on-X teeth in a day. Multiple implants. Higher anxiety expected	Procedures with highest expected anxiety long duration or complexity that requires deepest level of anesthesia. Patients that require advanced monitoring.
Patient experience	Fully aware and numb in area of treatment only.	Groggy and awake. May feel some things. Remembers some of procedure.	Deep sleep. Feels nothing. Remembers little if anything.	Fully asleep and placed on ventilator for breathing. Feels nothing. Remembers nothing.
Performed in Clinic (Outpatient)	yes	yes	yes	no
Cost	$	$$	$$	$$$$$

Intravenous Sedation (IV Sedation)

Our office offers our patients the option of Intravenous Sedation in order to alleviate anxiety and provide relaxed comfort during your procedure. You may not always be asleep but you will be comfortable, calm and relaxed, drifting in and out of sleep. This sedation will also lessen head and neck movement during the procedure which can lessen complications during the procedure.

If you choose the option of intravenous sedation your IV sedation/anesthesia is administered and monitored by the doctor therefore eliminating the costly expense of having your treatment carried out in an operating room or same day surgical facility.

How is IV sedation administered?

A thin catheter will be introduced into your arm or hand. This will be attached to an intravenous tube through which medication will be given to help you relax and feel comfortable. Some patients may be asleep while others will slip in and out of sleep. Some patients with medical conditions and/or on specific drug regimens may only be lightly sedated and may not sleep at all.

The goal of IV sedation is to eliminate anxiety and provide comfort while the treatment completed. It is very safe, much safer than oral sedation. With IV sedation a constant â€œdripâ€ is maintained via the intravenous tube. At any time an antidote can be administered to reverse the effects of the medications if necessary. Along with IV sedation there are also other different â€œlevelsâ€ of sedation available to you in our office. There is nitrous oxide analgesia.

Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas)

Nitrous Oxide is an odorless, non irritating, colorless gas which you can breathe. Nitrous Oxide has been the primary means of sedation in dentistry for many years. Nitrous oxide is safe. Patients are able to breathe on their own and remain in control. The patient may experience mild amnesia and may fall asleep not remembering all of what happened during their appointment, however this is not typical, and there are no lasting post-operative effects once the gas is no longer being administered.

Our Doctors will evaluate each patient independently to determine if you are a good candidate for Nitrous Oxide sedation.

Call 803-699-5900 to schedule your consultation.

Contact Us

We are ready to help you and look forward to meeting you! These links will answer many of your questions for your first visit. If you still have questions, please contact us at the office nearest you for assistance.

Columbia: 803-699-5900
Orangeburg: 803-534-5444
Camden: 803-398-9900