Dental Anesthesia Options in Abilene | Abilene Surgical Associates

anesthesia options for your comfort and safety

At Abilene Surgical Associates, we prioritize your comfort and safety during every oral surgery. We offer a variety of dental anesthesia options tailored to your procedure and comfort level.

Our oral surgeons are highly trained in administering general anesthesia, undergoing extensive hospital-based training and evaluation by a state dental board-appointed examiner. Their licenses are renewed every two years, ensuring they meet the highest standards.

Local Anesthesia

dental anesthesia options

Description: The patient remains conscious throughout the procedure, with a local anesthetic administered in the surgical area.
Usual Indications: Simple oral surgery procedures such as minor soft tissue procedures and tooth extractions.

Nitrous Oxide Sedation with Local Anesthetic:

Description: A mixture of nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and oxygen is administered for a relaxed state.
Usual Indications: Simple to more involved procedures, including wisdom teeth removal and dental implant placement.

Office-Based General Anesthesia with Local Anesthetic:

Description: Medications administered through an intravenous line induce a state of deep sleep, closely monitored by our professionals.
Usual Indications: Available for all oral surgery types, particularly suitable for patients with anxiety or when local anesthesia may be insufficient.

Hospital or Surgery Center-Based General Anesthesia:

Description: Administered in a hospital or surgery center by an anesthesiologist, ideal for extensive procedures and specific medical conditions.
Usual Indications: Face and jaw reconstruction, TMJ surgery, or patients with underlying medical conditions requiring general anesthesia.

Intravenous sedation (Twilight Sedation)

Our office offers our patients the option of Intravenous Sedation or Dental Intravenous Anesthesia or to some it is referred to as “Twilight Sedation” for their dental treatment. Intravenous Sedation or “twilight sleep” helps you to be comfortable and calm when undergoing dental procedures. Your treatment can be completed under intravenous sedation. Intravenous sedation or “IV sedation” (twilight sedation) is designed to better enable you to undergo your dental procedures while you are very relaxed; it will enable you to tolerate as well as not remember those procedures that may be very uncomfortable for you. IV sedation will essentially help alleviate the anxiety associated with your treatment. You may not always be asleep but you will be comfortable, calm and relaxed, drifting in and out of sleep – a “twilight sleep”.

If you choose the option of intravenous sedation your IV sedation/anesthesia is administered and monitored by the doctor therefore eliminating the costly expense of having your treatment carried out in an operating room or same day surgical facility.

how is the IV sedation administered?

A thin needle will be introduced into a vein in your arm or hand. The needle will be attached to an intravenous tube through which medication will be given to help you relax and feel comfortable. At times a patient’s vein may not be maintainable, in these situations the medications will be administered and the needle retrieved – both scenarios will achieve the same desired level of conscious sedation. Once again some patients may be asleep while others will slip in and out of sleep. Some patients with medical conditions and/or on specific drug regimens may only be lightly sedated and may not sleep at all.

The goal of IV sedation is to use as little medication as possible to get the treatment completed. It is very safe, much safer than oral sedation. With IV sedation a constant “drip” is maintained via the intravenous tube. At any time an antidote can be administered to reverse the effects of the medications if necessary. Along with IV sedation there are also other different “levels” of sedation available to you in our office. There is nitrous oxide analgesia.

Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas)

Nitrous Oxide is a sweet smelling, non irritating, colorless gas which you can breathe. Nitrous Oxide has been the primary means of sedation in dentistry for many years. Nitrous oxide is safe; the patient receives 50-70% oxygen with no less than 30% nitrous oxide. Patients are able to breathe on their own and remain in control of all bodily functions. The patient may experience mild amnesia and may fall asleep not remembering all of what happened during their appointment.

There are many advantages to using Nitrous Oxide:

The depth of sedation can be altered at any time to increase or decrease sedation.
There is no after effect such as a “hangover”.
Inhalation sedation is safe with no side effects on your heart and lungs, etc.
Inhalation sedation is very effective in minimizing gagging.
It works rapidly as it reaches the brain within 20 seconds. In as few as 2-3 minutes its relaxation and pain killing properties develop.

reasons to avoid nitrous oxide

Though there are no major contraindications to using nitrous oxide, you may not want to use it if you have emphysema, exotic chest problems, M.S., a cold or other difficulties with breathing. You may want to ask your dentist for a “5 minute trial” to see how you feel with this type of sedation method before proceeding.