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In-Office General Anesthesia
For some children, trying to treat cavities or complex dental needs while the child is awake is simply not an option. Some dental offices will hold a child down and “rodeo” through these difficult procedures. We do everything possible to avoid this, as we want to avoid creating a lifetime of dental anxiety. For these patients with extensive needs, anxiety, or who are too young to cooperate, in-office general anesthesia is a wonderful option. Dr. Casey has done hundreds of general anesthesia cases. In about an hour, your child will wake up with a beautiful smile and no memory of a scary or difficult dental procedure. The anesthesia procedure is very similar to a child having tubes placed in their ears, or tonsils taken out.
We use Premier Dental Anesthesiology, a St. Louis based company, to bring in a board-certified anesthesiologist and nurse into our practice for these cases. For healthy patients, this is an extremely safe option and is a wonderful service to provide for our patients. If you discuss with Dr. Casey that you are interested in pursuing in-office anesthesia, you can expect the following:
Scheduling and completing a pre-operative physical to ensure your child is a good sedation candidate.
Scheduling a full day of availability with two adults to accompany your child .
Your child should feel healthy and not show signs of any illness prior to the day of treatment.
Your child should not have anything to eat or drink after midnight the evening before treatment.
Expect to spend several hours in the morning at the office, and your child should not have any scheduled events the remainder of the day.
Your anesthesia team will review specific individual pre-operative instructions with each parent. Our office will also pre-authorize the treatment plan with your insurance, to obtain and collect estimates prior to the date of the sedation.
