Sedation Dentistry

Do you wish you could "Go to Sleep" for all your dentistry needs? Does going to the dentist make you nervous to the point you need a prescription to help you relax? Have you needed Nitrous Oxide or "Laughing Gas" and felt that it was not enough?

Advanced Specialty Anesthesia LLC was created for you and all patients who require assistance with their dentistry. Advanced Specialty Anesthesia LLC performs conscious sedation or "Twilight" anesthesia in many physician offices for procedures in a safe, controlled manner.

How is conscious sedation or "Twilight" sedation different from using Nitrous oxide? Nitrous oxide is an organic gas that produces sedation only that is inhaled through a mask with a combination of oxygen. It has limited capabilities for producing sedation since most masks are placed on the nose and the gas can escape through the mouth. Most physicians that utilize Nitrous oxide in their practice place limits on the amount that a patient can receive since the patient is not monitored for blood pressure, pulse, respiration and oxygen saturation levels.

Conscious sedation or "Twilight" sedation is performed by an anesthesia specialist devoted entirely to the sedation of the patient. The anesthetist does not perform any duties with your dentistry. After initial consultation and assessments are made, the anesthesia provider will place monitoring equipment such as blood pressure, electrocardiogram (EKG) and pulse oximetry on the patient. The patient is given oxygen through a nasal cannula. A small IV is placed after the skin is cleaned and local anesthetic is placed to "numb" the area prior to the IV insertion. The anesthetist then provides IV sedation throughout the procedure. The IV sedation is based on the patient's requirements or needs throughout the procedure. The term "Twilight" is phrased because the patient is able to respond to verbal commands or stimulation, but the patient is comfortable and relaxed throughout the procedure.

Typically, patient's responses are:

• "I know that you were working on my teeth, but I was relaxed to the point, that I just didn't care,"
• "When are you going to get started?" after the procedure is completed.

Concluding the procedure, the patient is allowed to "wake-up" and recover in the office setting and is allowed home after stringent discharge criteria is met with a responsible adult. The patient is given discharge instructions and will receive follow-up phone calls usually that evening and the next day.

Advanced Specialty Anesthesia LLC follows all the standards set forth by the State of Kansas for Office-based surgery, Society for Ambulatory Anesthesia, Standards of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists and Joint Commission for Office Based Surgery.