The surgeons, staff of RNs, and certified oral and maxillofacial surgical assistants at Avon Oral, Facial and Dental Implant Surgery are concerned with your comfort and will spend the time to make you as comfortable as possible for your procedure. At your initial consultation, you and your doctor will decide on your anesthesia for the procedure. All oral surgeries require anesthesia, whether it’s a local numbing agent or IV sedation. Our surgeons are fully trained and qualified to administer several types of office-based anesthesia, and each of our staff members is trained in assisting with anesthesia, including IV anesthesia. Patients are continuously monitored during and after surgery. You can be confident that the appropriate anesthesia option will be chosen based on factors such as your general health, the type of procedure you are having, and your personal preferences.
Types of Anesthesia
These are the types of anesthesia we offer at our practice:
- Local anesthesia is a numbing medication that is injected into the surgical site. It is used in all oral surgery procedures, often along with other forms of anesthesia. With local anesthesia, you are fully conscious throughout surgery but feel no pain in the surgical area, and there are no restrictions regarding meals before surgery. You will be able to drive yourself home after surgery. Simpler surgeries like some extractions and soft tissue procedures may require local anesthesia alone.
- Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) is an inhaled gas that has a pain-controlling and calming effect while allowing you to remain conscious. The gas is inhaled through a mask around your nose and is used along with a local anesthetic. The effects wear off soon after the mask is removed so you will not require a designated driver to drive you home.
- Intravenous (IV) sedation is administered directly into the bloodstream, causing a sleep-like state. You will have no awareness of the procedure taking place. Patients will not be able to eat or drink for at least eight hours before undergoing IV anesthesia. Wisdom teeth extractions, dental implant procedures, and other more involved outpatient procedures are commonly done with a combination of IV sedation and local anesthesia. You will need a designated driver to take you home after your procedure if you receive IV sedation.
Your comfort and peace of mind are important to us. Please review this information carefully so that you are fully informed of the choices we offer at our oral surgery practices located in Avon, Glastonbury, and Enfield.
Anesthesia Options
Drs. Lieblich, Fletcher, and Gill at Avon Oral, Facial and Dental Implant Surgery, are trained and qualified to administer several types of anesthesia for your oral surgery procedure. Please give us a call at one of our offices, located in Avon, Glastonbury, and Enfield, to schedule a consultation with one of the oral surgeons for your customized treatment plan and to discuss available anesthesia options with you.
Exparel® for Long-Lasting Pain Control After Surgery
There is a growing opioid crisis in the United States, with the rate of overdose deaths steadily rising. As part of our commitment to providing the highest level of patient-centered care since 1985, our oral surgeons offer the addition of Exparel to our surgical treatment plans. Exparel is a powerful, proven, and opioid-free pain management medication that is administered by your oral surgeon directly to your surgical site while you are still under anesthesia, to safely reduce your post-surgical pain for 3–4 days after your procedure. The use of this innovative medication by oral surgeons is effectively heading off opioid misuse, addiction, and side effects before they have a chance to begin.
If you choose Exparel as part of your surgical treatment plan, you will experience the following benefits:
- No risk of opioid dependence and withdrawal. Exparel is not a narcotic medication.
- Postpone or even eliminate the need to fill prescription narcotic pain medications.
- No gap in pain control after surgery because one dose of this sustained-release medication applied during your surgery will already be controlling your post-operative discomfort before your anesthesia wears off.
Exparel is quickly becoming the preferred method of post-operative pain management for oral surgeons who are dedicated to protecting their patients from the risks and side effects of narcotic prescriptions. When you come in to see us for your consultation, your oral surgeon will be happy to discuss if Exparel is the ideal choice for your treatment plan.
Exparel
With Exparel on board for your recovery period, you will experience powerful post-operative relief from discomfort without the need for opioid-based narcotic pain medications. For more information about Exparel or to schedule your consultation, please contact our practice today.