Anesthesia
New York, NY
 Anesthesia is an important tool employed by most skilled dentists and facial surgeons today. It helps patients remain comfortable during somewhat invasive procedures and also ensures that they remain still during important tasks that require concentration. Here at the Manhattan Maxillofacial Surgery Group, we rely on three different types of anesthesia to keep our patients comfortable during different procedures. The type that you end up receiving depends on the procedure and how you are as a patient as well.
The Different Types of Anesthesia we use at our Manhattan office:
Local Anesthetic
Most of our patients are given a local anesthetic to make sure that they are comfortable throughout a surgical procedure. This is administered through a shot in most instances and sometimes a topical application. Once used, it will stop feeling in the area for an hour or more in most instances. This allows us to work on the teeth and gums without causing any discomfort.
IV Anesthesia with Local Anesthetic
There are some instances where patients don't want to be aware of what is going on during the surgery, or the dentist needs the patient to remain completely motionless. The most common solution for this problem is the combination of two different medications. First, a dose of anesthesia is given through the IV to put the patient under and keep them from being aware of what is happening. Next, a local anesthetic is given in the area that is going to be treated. This is often administered using a simple shot, or a short series of shots. Once the procedure is complete, the patient will be sleeping and will not be able to feel any pain in the treated area.
Most of the time, a single local anesthetic is all that's needed to dull the pain in the area for a procedure, but in some longer procedures, or during more serious surgeries, many different shots are required to ensure that you remain comfortable throughout the process.
General Anesthetic
Typically, only more serious types of oral and facial surgery require a general anesthetic, but it's possible and required in some of our surgeries. For instance, a patient that undergoes surgery to correct TMJ might be put on a general anesthetic to ensure that they remain comfortable and that the issue can be treated without any complications along the way.
A general anesthetic is given intravenously by an anesthesiologist and the whole procedure is monitored carefully by the professional. This procedure puts the patient to sleep and prevents any discomfort from occurring throughout the surgery. Generally, this type of procedure is completed in a hospital setting, but we can handle some of the issues right out of our own office building for enhanced speed and convenience.
No matter what type of surgical procedure you're having done in the dentist's office, chances are good that you'll receive some anesthesia to make you feel comfortable during the procedure. If you're nervous or worried about an upcoming procedure, you can request to be given some anesthesia to help you fall asleep during the procedure so that you aren't aware of what's happening throughout.
Please call us at (212) 245-5801 if you would like to schedule an appointment.
|
