FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
GENERAL QUESTIONS
Our team of highly-trained anesthesia specialists are able to come to the comfort of your dental office and perform anesthesia at the same level that is received in a traditional surgical center. These anesthesia services are provided with a more personalized approach, in a less threatening environment, and at a fraction of the cost..
Although the level and depth of anesthesia are the same there are a few differences that can be beneficial for caregivers and the patients.
– The treatment is performed in the comfortable and convenient environment of your dental office.
– More personalized care is offered.
– There is a reduction in overall costs.
– More efficient procedure time, thus less time under anesthesia.
The monitoring equipment and safety precautions used are the same as hospital-based anesthesia. Typically, we tend to work with healthy patients in a dentist’s office. We will collect health information to assure you or your loved ones are good candidates for office-based anesthesia. We expect all patients to go home within a short time of their surgical procedure.
Each individual responds differently in their dentist’s chair. If you or your loved one is unable or unwilling to cooperate enough for your dentist to achieve his or her treatment goals, there needs to be a discussion between you and your dentist about how to achieve this. Your dentist will consult with both you and our team when he or she decides that the best way to work on you or your loved one’s teeth is with the use of sedation/anesthesia.
Office-based anesthesia helps to prevent possible trauma, reduce dental anxiety and possibly improve overall safety. Every patient’s unique treatment plan and circumstances are taken into account to ensure that they receive a high-quality experience.
There are risks with everything we do in life from driving our cars, flying in airplanes, and even going into public spaces. The risk of anesthesia can range from very minor to serious. With today’s technology and medications, combined with the expertise of our anesthesia providers, you are statistically more likely to get injured while traveling to your appointment than have a serious complication under anesthesia. We always weigh the risks/benefits of the anesthesia in order to put our patients in the safest situation possible. These risks will be discussed prior to any appointment and our team is available to answer any questions you may have. Again, there are risks with any procedure but anesthesia in dentistry performed by trained specialists is incredibly safe.
Millions of children receive anesthesia every day for many different reasons, and safety is our utmost priority. Strict guidelines are in place to ensure each child’s comfort and safety. A thorough review of the patient’s health history will be completed to ensure that office-based anesthesia can be safely completed and is in the patient’s best interest.
Our anesthesiologists can provide care to patients that require additional care due to various conditions or circumstances. We can treat those with physical or cognitive disabilities, complex medical histories, or patients that have experienced difficulties with dental or medical procedures in the past. Although we would love to treat all patients, some may still be referred to the hospital for treatment if deemed necessary by the anesthesiologists.
1. Dental treatment can be transformed into a relaxing and comfortable experience, as sensation, awareness, and recall are minimized or completely eliminated making it possible for the patient to not feel or remember any of the procedure.
2. It can diminish fear and anxiety for phobic patients.
3. Children and others who are unable to cooperate for standard dental work are able to undergo treatment in a caring manner.
4. It helps combat a hyperactive gag reflex and can permit patients with a low pain threshold, or the inability to get numb to tolerate dental care.
5. Extensive or intensive dental work can be completed comfortably and expeditiously.
6. Patients save time and money compared to treatment in the hospital setting.
7. It reduces the stress of dental work for patients suffering from chronic illnesses such as cardiac disease, hypertension, asthma, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and autism.
8. It is safely performed in the comfort of the dentist’s office, and the patient goes home after treatment.
For any general questions, please call to speak with our Patient Coordinator at (949)529-9289
PREOPERATIVE QUESTIONS
You will be contacted before the procedure by Elite Sedation to help determine whether you or your child is a suitable candidate for office-based anesthesia. Closer to the date (usually the night before), your anesthesiologist will attempt to contact you and discuss any questions you might have.
On the day of the procedure, the anesthesiologist will meet with you and/or your loved one before they go into the procedure room. A pre-op physical will be completed, food/drink restrictions will be confirmed and all questions will be addressed. Our providers strive to make this process the most enjoyable, relaxing, and fun experience possible to reduce the overall level of stress that you or your loved one may be experiencing.
Your dentist should provide you with options on available dates. Please fill out all necessary forms. Once we receive all this information our patient coordinator will reach out to you with confirmation and some basic instructions. For any questions, please contact us at (949)529-9289
Your dentist’s office should provide you with all the necessary registration paperwork. We also have a full digital option with the link provided below. Finally, we can send you a link directly to your phone or email just please call us at (949) 529-9289.
ONLINE REGISTRATION FORM
For patients 12 years or younger, we require payment before an appointment is made. Additional fees will be collected in full on the date of surgery if anesthesia time is over 1.5 hours. We accept check and all major credit cards. Please contact us at (949)529-9289 with any questions that you may have concerning this.
For teen and adult patients, we require payment before an appointment is made. Depending on the length of the surgery being performed, will determine how much the remaining balance will be for anesthesia. We accept checks and all major credit cards. Please contact us at (949) 529-9289 with any questions that you may have concerning this.
Appointments Before 11:00 AM:
– Nothing to eat or drink beginning Midnight the night before all patients.
– Medications may be taken as directed by your doctor at least 2 hours prior with a SMALL sip of water.
Appointments After 11:00 AM:
– Nothing to eat beginning 8 hours prior to anesthesia.
– May drink water ONLY up until 4 hours prior to anesthesia.
– Medications may be taken as directed by your doctor at least 2 hours prior with a SMALL sip of water.
When a person is anesthetized, certain bodily reflexes no longer work. One of those reflexes is keeping stomach contents out of the lungs. Therefore, if someone goes to sleep with something in their stomach there is a chance for those contents to end up in the patient’s lungs (this is called aspiration). This can be catastrophic and sometimes fatal. In order to completely avoid this risk, we require the stomach to be empty prior to surgery.
– Remove any loose jewelry.
– Tie back long hair in a low ponytail (near the shoulders).
– It’s also advised you bring an extra set of clothes and a blanket.
If you are the patient, we ask that you have a responsible adult prepared to drive you home after your procedure. Parents/guardians of minor children are expected to remain at the dental office throughout their child’s procedure and prepared to drive the child home. Parents/guardians will need to plan to stay home with their child for the remainder of the day.
Please contact us at (949) 529-9289 with any questions that you may have.
PROCEDURE QUESTIONS
There are 2 ways the anesthesiologist can induce sleep which will vary depending on the situation as well as the patient’s age and cooperativity.
– The first possibility is to administer a small shot in the arm. Within a few mins, the patient will begin to relax. Once the patient is asleep, the anesthesiologist will transport them back into the treatment room.
– The second option is to invite the patient in to the treatment room and gently place a mask over their mouth and nose. Within a few breaths, the patient will be asleep
Once the patient is asleep the parents will be escorted to the waiting room. At that time the anesthesiologist will insert an IV catheter and a breathing tube will be placed.
This breathing tube is for the patient’s safety. It allows for a clear and dry passage for the patient to breathe through while simultaneously protecting their airway from dental debris, water, or other foreign objects. During the procedure, the patient will be breathing on their own and the tube allows for a clear path to do so. This tube will be removed before the patient fully wakes up. The patient will also have a blood pressure cuff, pulse oximeter, EKG, temperature monitoring, and end-tidal CO2 monitoring in place. These will all be monitored by the anesthesiologist throughout the patient’s procedure. The anesthesiologist will be one-on-one with the patient and present the entire time the patient is under anesthesia. Once the procedure is complete, the anesthesiologist will begin to wake the patient up and remove the IV and breathing tube. The patient will be in the recovery room for 20 to 45 minutes after the procedure until our criteria for discharge have been met. Your anesthesiologist will go over post-op care instructions and discharge paperwork. Once the patient has been discharged, they will be free to leave the clinic.
Parents are not permitted in the procedure room during the treatment. However, parents are with their child as they go to sleep and are encouraged to join their children before they fully wake up while in recovery.
There are several different ways to perform general anesthesia. Upon the discretion of the anesthesiologists, you may or may not have an endotracheal (inside the windpipe) tube, an LMA (laryngeal mask airway, which is a mask placed in the throat), nasopharyngeal airway (placed in the nose) or a protective throat screen. This depends on individual patients, medical histories, and the type of procedure to be performed. Your anesthesiologist will go over the specifics of your anesthetic plan before your surgery.
The anesthesiologist will be monitoring the patient second-by-second during the procedure with all the standard monitors in place, which include (blood pressure, pulse oximeter, EKG, temperature monitoring and end-tidal CO2 monitoring.)
The anesthesiologist can go over these with each individual based on the anesthetic plan. Our doctors are trained in numerous forms of anesthesia and they will pick the best and safest regimen for you or your child.
The procedure time will vary depending on the dental work needed for the We recommend that the patient follow up with their dental office regarding an estimated procedure time.
Once the procedure is complete, the anesthesiologist will begin to wake the patient up and remove the IV and breathing tube. Once the patient is moved into the recovery room and the anesthesiologist is ready, parent(s) will be allowed back to be with their child.
Please contact us at (949)529-9289 with any questions that you may have.
POSTOPERATIVE QUESTIONS
Your anesthesiologist will go over post-op care instructions and discharge paperwork. Once the patient has been discharged, they will be free to leave the clinic.
The patient will be in the recovery room for 20 to 45 minutes after the procedure. At home the patient will likely continue to recover. They must rest for the remainder of the day with limited physical activity.
Patients may feel slightly groggy or tired for a few hours after their procedure. Although the patient may feel fine, their memory, coordination, and judgment may be impaired for the remainder of the day. All effects of anesthesia should be gone within 24 hours. Depending on the type and extent of the surgery, the patient may have varying amounts of discomfort. Pain management will be discussed at the end of the procedure and instructions will be provided.
Each patient handles anesthesia differently. There is a possibility that the patient may be angry after anesthesia. Many times, this “anger” is associated with the feeling of being disoriented and the mouth feeling different than it did before. We do everything possible to try and wake the child smoothly to minimize this disorientation.
Each patient handles anesthesia differently. There is a possibility that the patient may be nauseous after anesthesia. Our Protocol at Elite Sedation is to give each patient multiple medications to try to mitigate any post-operative Nausea. However, Nausea can be a very common complication of anesthesia and the patient may still have that experience. If you or your child gets nauseous easily, please let your anesthesia provider know.
Side effects vary from person to person, the most common side effects include nausea and vomiting, sore throat, and physical and mental impairment. These effects are generally mild and short-lived.
It is recommended that clear liquids are given or offered as soon as possible as your child requests and tolerates them. Other liquids and food should be advanced as the child tolerates them. Sometimes your child may vomit or become nauseous as food and liquid are given – this is why it is important to start to clear liquids first to ensure they can tolerate the next level of intake. Encourage as much fluid intake as possible throughout the day as this will help your child recover from the medications he or she has received. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOUR CHILD IS NOT DEHYDRATED. The lasting effects of the medications combined with a state of dehydration can become a dangerous situation.
Do not participate in physically demanding activities including but not limited to sports, dancing, swimming, bicycle riding, snow sports, gymnastics, and general horseplay. Although you may appear to be fully awake and alert and requesting to participate in such activities, coordination and the ability to react and respond during physical activity may continue to be impaired and lead to unintended injuries.
Please contact us at (949)529-9289 with any questions that you may have.
FINANCIAL QUESTIONS
The total anesthesia fee will be dependent upon the length of dental treatment being performed and can be confirmed after the appointment. Please contact your dental office for an estimate of the procedure length.
To make a payment please contact our patient coordinator at (949)529-9289.
For patients 12 years or younger, we require payment in full for 1.5 hours of anesthesia or less no later than 2 business days before their appointment date. Additional fees will be collected in full on the date of surgery if anesthesia time is over 1.5 hours. We accept Cash, Cheque, and all major credit cards. Please contact us at (949)529-9289 with any questions that you may have concerning this.
For teen and adult patients, we require a full deposit of estimated time when the appointment is made. Depending on the length of the surgery being performed, will determine how much the remaining balance will be for anesthesia. We accept Cash, Cheque, and all major credit cards. Please contact us at (949)529-9289 with any questions that you may have concerning this
Elite Sedation Group is a fee-for-service practice and is currently out-of-network with all private insurance companies. Elite Sedation Group does not manage insurance claims; however, you are welcome to submit your independent reimbursement claim. We can provide you with an ADA-approved Dental Claim Form (with our sections filled out) for you to review, complete, and send directly to your carrier after the procedure.
Each patient’s insurance coverage/ benefits are different. We cannot guarantee that the patients insurance plan will offer any reimbursement.
Upon patient request, we are happy to send you a receipt for all payments made.
Please contact us at (949)529-9289 with any questions that you may have.