Anesthesia for patients
Almost everyone can be safely seen and treated under general anesthesia in the dental office.
This process would include:
- Toddlers with rampant caries
- The medically compromised patient
- Special needs patients ( autism, Down syndrome, ADHD, etc)
- The phobic adult, child, or teen
- The Physically disabled
- Complex dental treatment
Pre-operative instructions
In order to allow for a smooth anesthetic appointment, there are a number of steps you or your loved one should follow. Most preoperative instructions are the same for both adults and children with a few exceptions. Please take a look below at the checklist. Dr Johnson will go over these instructions with you again a few days before your appointment as a reminder.
Post-operative instructions
- Eating, Drinking, and Smoking
- Activities
- Pain or Fever
- Seek Advice
Financial information
Everything you need to know about Dental Anesthesia at Hypnos
Why, how, what, whom, when? We show you very step of the way, expectations and care during and after the procedure.
Pre-operative instructions: Adults
No food or drink 8 hours prior to the appointment. However clear liquids like water or Gatorade are allowed up until 2 hours before the appointment.
It is extremely important that this rule be followed. Failure to adhere to these rules will result in the appointment being rescheduled for the safety of your loved one.
2. Wear loose-fitting clothing. No long sleeve shirts or thick sweaters
3. Remove all jewelry and hair clips
4. If you develop a cough cold or fever before the appointment please call our office so that we can reschedule usually in 2- 4 weeks. If you are asthmatic and have a flare up it's also important to call our office so we can reschedule usually in 6-8 weeks
5. Please try to arrive at least 15-30 mins before your scheduled appointment
6. A driver MUST be present throughout the entire procedure. Your driver should not leave at any point during the duration of the procedure unless they have checked with the anesthesiologist Some procedures are lengthy and in such a case leaving for brief periods may be acceptable. You must provide a contact number for your driver
Pre-operative instructions: kids
1. No food or drink 8 hours prior to the appointment. However clear liquids like water or Gatorade are allowed up until 2 hours before the appointment. It is extremely important that this rule be followed. Failure to adhere to these rules will result in the appointment being rescheduled for the safety of your child.
2. Wear loose-fitting clothing. No onesies, please
3. Remove all jewelry and hair clips
4. If your child develops a cough cold or fever before the appointment please call the office so that we can reschedule usually in 2- 4 weeks. If your child has asthma and has a flare-up is also important to call our office so we can reschedule usually in 6-8 weeks
5. Please try to arrive at least 15-30 mins before your scheduled appointment
6. A parent or guardian MUST be present throughout the entire procedure. Parents are not allowed to leave their children at any point during the duration. This is to ensure that should any questions arise you are there to answer.
Post-operative Instructions
Eating, Drinking and Smoking
Limit oral intake to liquids for the first few hours. Begin with water and follow with sweet liquids such as sports drinks, clear juice and soda as tolerated. If teeth were extracted, do not use a straw. Food can be consumed following liquids as tolerated. Suggestions include scrambled eggs, applesauce, yogurt, mashed potatoes, and soups. If your child is not hungry, do not force him/her to eat, but encourage as much liquid as tolerated. Absolutely no alcoholic beverages and/or smoking for 24 hours following anesthesia.
Activities
Do not drive and/or engage in moderate to high level physical activity for 24 hours or until the effects of the anesthetic have completely subsided. Judgment may also be impaired during this time, so please avoid making any major life decisions. For children, do not allow them to swim, bike, skate or play with other children until fully recovered. Place a blanket on the floor for the child to rest and observe him/her closely.
Pain or Fever:
Muscle aches and a sore throat may occur similar to the flu following anesthesia. These symptoms are very common and will usually disappear within 24 to 36 hours. Medications such as Tylenol and Advil are usually very effective and should be taken at the first sign of pain, if normally tolerated. For children, a fever of up to 101 degrees Fahrenheit may develop for the first l2 hours. Tylenol Elixir every 3 to 4 hours with plenty of liquids will tend to alleviate this condition as well as treat any post-operative discomfort.
Seek Advice:
If vomiting occurs and persists beyond 8 hours, if the temperature remains elevated beyond 24 hours, or if you have other serious concerns following anesthesia, please contact Dr. Johnson at: (909)754-5659.
In the event of a serious medical emergency, please call 911.
Activities:
Do not drive and/or engage in moderate to high level physical activity for 24 hours or until the effects of the anesthetic have completely subsided. Judgment may also be impaired during this time, so please avoid making any major life decisions. For children, do not allow them to swim, bike, skate or play with other children until fully recovered. Place a blanket on the floor for the child to rest and observe him/her closely.
Do you want to know more about dental anesthesia? I created a full course on: Dentophobia - 5 Ways to Overcome It!
Financial information
The estimated anesthesia fee is based upon the dentist's estimated procedure time plus 30 minutes. Depending on how much time the dentist actually takes to complete the procedure, the actual charge may be greater than or less than the estimate. Your treating dentist will give you his best estimate on the time necessary for treatment. Payment of the balance of the fee is due at the procedure's conclusion and may be made by credit card or cash.
The anesthesia fee is separate from the dentist's, and while not covered by many dental policies, it may cover healthy children under the age of 7 years and for other children and adults with medical problems or disabilities by non-HMO (and some HMO) medical insurance carriers. Dr. Johnson does not bill insurance, but will give you an itemized statement with the anesthesia codes necessary for you to file an insurance claim.
If you any questions, please do not hesitate to call Dr. Johnson at (909)754-5659
In order to secure your appointment a deposit is required. Please click HERE to access the payment link with your credit card.
