Feeling nervous about your upcoming procedure? We get it. Dr. Puckett and his caring staff understand that oral surgery, especially when it comes to those that require sedation methods, is not something anyone looks forward to. Many people are apprehensive about the idea of being “put under.” They may also face heightened anxiety over the prospect of oral surgery, even for relatively minor procedures like soft tissue grafting.
Part of a successful oral surgery is making it as comfortable as possible, which is why we offer sedation options with anesthesia: so you’re pain-free and at-ease. So don’t worry; you’re in good hands. Our gentle and caring team is here to assist you and put you at ease.
How Do Dental Anesthetics Work?
If you haven’t lived under a rock for the majority of your life, you’re probably familiar with the idea of sedatives that are administered in mouth surgeries and beyond. The nitty-gritty of it is that localized anesthetics work by blocking the transmission of pain signals to the brain—but only around the area it’s applied. So, it’s not that you necessarily can’t feel anything, but rather that your brain isn’t picking up on any would-be pain signals. No pain, all gain.
Different medications that provide relaxation and comfort in oral surgeries like IV sedation works systemically. As the name suggests, it’s delivered into the bloodstream, where it takes rapid effect. A little known fact is that the patient is still mostly conscious with this type of sedative—due to anterograde amnesia, most patients don’t remember a thing, almost as if they slept through it.
That being said, the association with being “put under” into a near coma-like state only truly applies to general anesthesia. The others either help block pain receptors from being delivered to your brain, or they put you into a deeply relaxed, but still conscious state. The effects wear off fully over the course of several hours, and modern methods of keeping oral surgery patients comfortable via sedation is remarkably safe.
Why Dental Sedation is Often Necessary in Oral Surgery
You may be wondering why you’d need any sedation for a procedure like a simple tooth extraction. Aside from dental anxiety, there are actually quite a few reasons we offer patients multiple options for sedation dentistry during their oral surgery:
- Your teeth are sensitive.
- You have an overactive gag reflex.
- The patient is a child.
- The patient is neurodivergent in a way that makes them reactive to stressful situations or their behavior unpredictable.
- You have a heart condition.
- You have a movement disorder.
- You have a low pain threshold.
- The oral or maxillofacial procedure is long/complex/extensive, etc.
Addressing Your Concerns About Anesthesia & Sedation for Oral Surgery
To help alleviate your concerns regarding anesthesia and sedation for oral surgery, we’ll sit down with you and discuss your options. We review every detail of the anesthesia procedure — what to expect, recovery times, and various alternatives you may be able to choose.
Types of Anesthesia & Common Procedures
The type of anesthesia we’ll discuss in your consultation will largely depend on the extent of the oral procedure you’re having done. After all, pulling a tooth is a little different than installing a dental implant. Our oral surgeon is experienced and certified in all forms of anesthesia, so don’t worry; we’ve got you:
- Local anesthesia is administered by injection at the site of the procedure. It blocks nerve receptors at the site so you can’t feel pain in that area. We use local anesthesias for simple procedures like fillings, crowns and minor extractions.
- General anesthesia is administered via IV. It puts you in a chemically-induced sleep that doesn’t allow you to feel pain during the oral surgery. General anesthesia is used for complex surgeries like full mouth reconstructions, maxillofacial surgery and wisdom tooth removals.
Types of Sedation for Oral Surgery
The type of sedation we’ll use for your dental procedure also depends on the extent of the surgery, but it more so depends on your preferences. Like we discussed, people that have conditions like anxiety, a sensitive gag reflex, or a movement disorder might need complete sedation for a simple procedure like a filling.
There are 4 types of sedation we use for oral surgery:
Oral Anti-Anxiety Medications for Simpler Surgeries
If your oral surgery is a simple procedure like the soft tissue grafting we mentioned, or a simple tooth extraction, we provide sedation options that are more for your own comfort than anything else. Oral sedatives like diazepam usually do the trick; you’re awake for the procedure, but drowsy and relaxed.
Sedation by Local Injection for Pediatric Oral Surgeries
For children, we often use intramuscular sedation for oral surgery in the form of a shot, as it’s simple to administer, completely safe, and saves the child the stress and trauma of a situation they may find scary or might not understand.
Conscious & Unconscious Anesthesia for Complex Procedures
For more complicated oral surgeries like dental bone grafting, extracting an impacted wisdom tooth, or having dental implant surgery, we provide IV sedation that ranges from a light unconsciousness to complete unconsciousness with general anesthesia.
- Conscious IV sedation involves administering anti-anxiety medications via IV. Typically, patients are awake but groggy, and usually have little to no memory of the procedure.
- General anesthesia, or twilight sedation, is the most powerful type of sedation used for complex oral surgery procedures because it keeps you unconscious and pain-free.
Our office does not use nitrous oxide as a sedation method. Of all the options to pair with anesthesia during an oral surgery, nitrous is less safe, less reliable, and can cause nausea and vomiting.
We’re here for you. We like to think of our patients as an extended family. Our staff does everything we can so you feel as safe, relaxed and as comfortable as possible. We welcome your questions and concerns, so never be afraid to ask questions about anesthesia, sedation, your procedure, or anything else about the oral surgery process.
How is General Anesthesia Billed?
The cost of medicines that help with pain and anxiety during oral surgeries depends on a few factors. The first is the type of anesthesia used.
With general anesthesia and IV sedation used in mouth surgeries, billing is based around the duration of time the patient is under its effects The current standard is billing for every 15 minutes. Here at Wilmington Oral Surgery, we like to save our patients money when we can. That’s why when charging for sedation medicines in oral surgeries, we only charge for the time required. Other practices sometimes charge for the full time that your insurance company allows, even though the actual time you were under may be far less.
Anesthesia used to numb a specific area is almost always lumped into the overall dental procedure, and patients don’t see separate fees for it. This, of course, can change in cases where patients have conditions that require extensive numbing sedatives during their oral surgery.
While we don’t use nitrous oxide here, it’s usually billed as a flat fee rather than in time increments like the other methods of making a patient comfortable in oral surgeries.
Does Insurance Cover the Cost of Sedatives?
We can give you a definite “maybe.” The most important factor for whether an insurance company will cover the cost of commonly used sedatives in oral surgeries or not, is if it’s medically necessary. Insurance companies won’t opt to cover anesthesia if it’s strictly for patient comfort. However, lots of patients do find it medically necessary in the following scenarios:
- Severe anxiety
- Developmental/cognitive impairments
- Seizure disorders
- Severe gag reflexes
- Incredibly young patients
- Complex procedures
Of course, we base our fees on a fair understanding of everything that goes into the procedure. And above all, we love to advocate for our patients when corresponding with insurance companies. Our team will do everything in their abilities to see that your insurance gives you the best coverage possible.
Dr. Puckett: Certified & Trained in IV Sedation for Oral Surgery
As an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, Dr. Puckett is extensively trained in the administration of sedatives, anesthesia and IV sedation to provide patients the highest level of safety and comfort. He is accredited by the state of Ohio. Wilmington Oral Surgery performs office-based IV anesthesia with the highest standards of care.
Most importantly, Dr. Puckett cares for the comfort and contentment of his patients. He routinely treats people from all age ranges, from geriatric to pediatric, including infants. He is specialized in treating medically complicated patients and will coordinate with your physician to ensure you receive the highest level of care, no matter your unique needs.
Learn more about the anesthesia and sedation options we offer patients for their oral surgeries, and feel free to reach out with any questions.
