Sedation & Anesthesia for Dental Anxiety
Hello parents! We are excited and grateful for the opportunity to care for your child for their dental surgery. We understand you probably have a lot of questions and anxiety for your child’s surgery. At Luxe Anesthesia Services, caring for children is our passion. Your anesthesiologist is the highest trained anesthesia provider to care for pediatric patients in an office based setting. We have successfully cared for thousands of children in a dental office.
At Luxe Anesthesia Services we provide the same high quality of anesthesia care that is offered in a hospital based setting. We do not cut corners. Children go to sleep via inhalation anesthesia. This means your child will sit comfortably in the dental chair and breathe in hospital grade anesthesia gas through a soft mask that quickly puts your child to sleep. Once your child is asleep an IV will be placed. The IV is used to administer medications that help make your child comfortable after the procedure as well as for safety purposes. The IV is removed before your child is completely awake.
For children, the standard of care for dental surgery includes the placement of a small breathing device. This breathing device protects your child’s airway from the dental surgery (it prevents water, saliva, blood, dental debris, dental materials, and gastric contents from entering their lungs). This same type of breathing device is placed if your child were to have the same dental procedure performed in a hospital.
At the end of the procedure, administration of the anesthesia is stopped, and your child will remain at the office as the anesthesia wears off. Typically children stay at the office for around 30-40min after the surgery before being discharged home. Your child is monitored continuously throughout the post-operative time.
Please Note
Parents are not allowed in the operatory room during the administration of anesthesia. We follow the same safety protocols as the hospital and only allow trained personnel in the room during the administration of anesthesia. This allows us to focus all of our attention on your child. Think of this as flying in an airplane. Passengers are not present in the cockpit when the plane is being operated.
Therefore, we have adjunct personnel present in the dental office to provide exceptional care for your child. Adjunct personnel include either a paramedic or a nurse and are up to date with ACLS, PALS, and BLS.
This is a great question. When office based anesthesia is administered by a highly trained anesthesia provider such as a board certified Dentist Anesthesiologist, office based anesthesia is very safe. In fact, for healthy patients, anesthesia is safer than anytime you are riding in a motor vehicle, which is something we all do every day. Some patients are not appropriate candidates for office based anesthesia; your anesthesiologist will determine if you are an acceptable candidate for office based anesthesia. Our anesthesiologists are; licensed, permitted, regulated, inspected, and in compliance with all rules and regulations by the dental board to provide safe office based anesthesia. Office based anesthesia in a dental office is endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) as well as by the American Dental Association (ADA)
A Dentist Anesthesiologist is a dental specialist who has received the highest level of anesthesia training in the field of dentistry. They have completed a 3-year post-doctoral residency in the field of anesthesiology. Their training is also unique to other anesthesia providers because of the robust training and experience in delivering safe office based anesthesia care for pediatric patients, patients living with special needs, and elderly patients in a dental office setting.
We offer the full spectrum of anesthesia services ranging from moderate sedation, deep sedation, and general anesthesia. The anesthesiologist will determine the appropriate level of anesthesia and will develop a unique plan to safely care for you/your child.
Not all dental patients require anesthesia. Anesthesia during a dental appointment will greatly lessen the discomfort, trauma, and emotional stress that many patients experience during either routine or complex procedures. Patients who are unable to tolerate dental care are able to have their needs taken care of with the help of anesthesia. Those patients who have longer treatment appointments or those who would like to have anesthesia for their comfort are also potential candidates. Anesthesia can benefit many patients with a variety of needs.
Your anesthesiologist will provide hospital level care and monitoring. You will be monitored continuously with highly sophisticated and modern equipment. Blood pressure, pulse oximetry, EKG, capnography, temperature, and gas analysis are all used to provide safe care.
It is very important to follow the fasting instructions closely in order to provide safe care. An empty stomach is required to avoid potential aspiration of gastric contents and food particles. Pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents with food particles can result in life threatening lung damage and pneumonia.
The same safety protocols of hospital administered anesthesia is followed in the dental office. Similarly to the hospital operating room, only trained team members are permitted in the operatory room. You will be allowed to be with your child before they completely wake up.
We are an out-of-network provider. We will advocate on your behalf and assist you with claim forms upon request that you can independently submit to your insurance carrier for reimbursement.
Reimbursement from your insurance carrier is dependent on your coverage type, deductible, and policy terms.
Meet the Doctor
Dr. Benjamin Pritts is a Board-Certified Diplomate of the American Dental Board of Anesthesiology. This credentialing is the highest level of anesthesia training that can be achieved in dentistry.
Links
PO Box 932
Carrboro, NC 27510
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