General Anesthesia—Long Beach, NY
Sweet Dreams for Bright Smiles
General anesthesia allows a patient to sleep through their dental appointment and wake up with no memory of what happened while they were out. This service at Dr. Glen’s Happy Teeth can help even the most nervous dental patients as well as those in need of extensive care enjoy a smooth and comfortable experience. We offer general anesthesia in Long Beach for patients of all ages with the assistance of a board-certified anesthesiologist at a nearby hospital. So, whether it’s for yourself or your child, you can trust that the end result will be a healthy smile that will last for years to come. Reach out to us today to learn more about this option.
Why Choose Dr. Glen’s Happy Teeth for General Anesthesia?
- Practice Led by Multiple Dental Specialists
- Partnered with Board-Certified Anesthesiologists
- Experienced Team That’s Great with Nervous Patients
What Is General Anesthesia?
You’ve probably heard of general anesthesia before and seen it portrayed in a variety of movies and TV shows. It causes a patient to become and remain completely unconscious during their dental procedure. Afterward, they’ll just feel like they’ve woken up from a long nap.
The medication itself is typically administered via an IV in the hand or arm, and this will be handled by a licensed anesthesiologist in a hospital setting to ensure both the comfort and safety of the patient. Thankfully, the type of general anesthesia we use for dentistry is not quite as potent compared to what is common for major surgery. That means while the patient is able to sleep peacefully, waking them up is much easier, and they won’t feel as groggy or “out of it” for as long.
Is General Anesthesia Right for Me or My Child?
General anesthesia is not a service we recommend very often, but for the patients who could benefit from it—it’s a game changer. We’ll talk about you or your child’s situation to determine whether this approach is a good fit based on factors like overall health, medical history, current medications, dental needs, and more.
Some of the most common reasons we suggest using general anesthesia include:
- Extreme dental anxiety: For patients who are terrified of the dentist, this can not only alleviate their mental stress, but also make performing their care easier because they won’t be able to move or flinch.
- Pain management: A small minority of patients are not very responsive to less potent forms of sedation or local anesthetic. General anesthesia can also be a good option for those who experience pain when sitting for long periods of time or when keeping their mouth wide open.
- Complex/multiple procedures: If we need to extract multiple teeth, repair dental trauma, and do several treatments in a single sitting that will take hours, general anesthesia enables our team to work efficiently while keeping the patient comfortable.
- Special needs: Patients with special needs tend to have higher rates of dental anxiety, or there may be physical or cognitive impairments that would otherwise prevent them from safely receiving their care.
- Behavioral issues: This can help with children who are a bit of a handful and need to remain calm and still during an involved procedure.