At Wilmington Oral Surgery, you have anesthesia options for your oral surgery procedures. Dr. Puckett will discuss them with you before your procedure. Your decision will depend on your anxiety level and the complexity of your procedure.
We offer four forms of anesthesia:
- Local, where a numbing agent is injected into the treatment area. It blocks pain, but you stay awake.
- Conscious sedation: you take a sedating pill and an anti-anxiety medication before your procedure. You will be drowsy, and may fall asleep. You will need a ride home.
- IV sedation involves receiving medication through a vein. You are conscious and can react to visual cues while you are “under,” but you will probably not remember the procedure. The medicine does not relieve pain, so we give you a “local” as well. You will need a ride home, because you will still feel a bit woozy after the procedure.
- General anesthesia: most people become totally unconscious and don’t remember anything about the procedure when a ‘general’ is administered via a mask over your nose and mouth.
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are the only dental specialists mandatorily trained with the knowledge and skills to administer IV sedation and general anesthesia.
Dr. Puckett has years of experience performing every oral surgery procedure with all types of sedation, and is accredited by the state of Ohio to do so. His team is skilled in airway management, establishing IV lines, and managing any complications that may arise for any age of patient.
