Trained anesthesiologist are able to provide anesthesia services in the comfort of your dental office rather than a hospital or surgical center. The patient can expect the same level of care at a fraction of the cost.

Yes, we utilize the same monitoring standards and equipment in your dentist’s office as a hospital. Our dentist anesthesiologists have in-hospital training and are equipped to handle any anesthesia-related emergency. Patients receive tailored care to their dental needs, including for dental surgeries that require airway protection by way of nasal intubation to safeguard against water or foreign material entering the lung. Our sole priority is to monitor you and your vitals while under anesthesia. Any risks will be discussed prior to your appointment, but generally, under the care of a trained anesthesiologist, anesthesia is safe.

Side effects vary from person to person and are generally mild and of short duration. The most common side effects include, nausea and vomiting, sore throat, drowsiness, and irritability.

Yes, children receive anesthesia every day and have no lasting issues. Strict guidelines to age and weight are in place to ensure each child’s safety and comfort. We review each patient’s health history to ensure that office-based anesthesia can be safely completed and is in their best interest.

Provide a relaxing and comfortable experience to receiving dental treatment; think of falling asleep and waking up with all treatment completed and no memory of the procedure. This can diminish fear and anxiety for many phobic adult and pediatric patients. Dental anesthesia can combat a hyperactive gag reflex, high pain threshold, and inability to get numb. Patients with disabilities, chronic illnesses, or extensive dental treatment can be treated effectively and safely. Patients save time and money by eliminating long appointments and several visits vs what can be achieved in one visit under anesthesia.

You will be contacted by Pearl Anesthesia to obtain and complete our paperwork, including medical history. If we require further consultations and clearance, we will require paperwork be completed by your primary physician. The anesthesia care plan will be discussed and instructions will be given. You will meet the anesthesiologist the day of the procedure, a pre-op exam is completed, food restrictions will be confirmed, and all questions addressed. We hope to eliminate any stress you may feel in entrusting us with your care or your loved one.

Scheduled days are preplanned with your dental office, they will provide you with available dates. Once the office has scheduled you, our office will reach out to confirm and start the pre-op process.

Your dentist office will provide you with all the necessary information to register with our office, or we can send you a link directly to your phone or email.

Nothing to eat or drink after midnight and/or eight hours prior to surgery.

If there is food or liquid in the stomach, there is a risk of those contents of being aspirated into the lungs. This can be a serious complication and fatal. In order to avoid that risk, we require the stomach to be empty prior to surgery.

Wear loose, comfortable clothings, including a top and bottom. Remove any restrictive or loose jewelry. Its recommended you bring an extra set of clothes and a blanket.

Each patient and medical history is unique, and we will instruct you on which medications to take or withhold. Epileptic medications must be taken. Medications can be taken with a small sip of water 2 hours prior to surgery.

Starting an IV is usually tolerated well, however there are several ways we can induce anesthesia/sleep depending on the situation as well as age and cooperation:
1)The most common for children, needle phobic, or patients with disabilities is by inhalational; we will gently place a mask over their mouth and nose and within a minute, the patient will be asleep.
2)The alternative is to administer a small shot in the arm (IM) and wait a few minutes for the patient to relax in order to continue with induction.

Once the patient is asleep with inhalational or IM, the parents will be escorted to the waiting room. The anesthesiologist will insert an IV catheter and a breathing tube or nasal cannula will be placed. This is for the patient’s safety and ensures oxygen delivery. It allows for a clear passage to breathe on their own, while simultaneously protecting their airway from dental debris, water, or foreign objects. Intubation is very routine and common for extensive treatment that require sharing of the oral cavity.
The patient will also have continuous monitoring by the anesthesiologist throughout the procedure that includes: pulse oximeter, blood pressure, EKG, temperature, and capnography. Once the procedure is complete, the anesthesiologist will begin to wake the patient, remove the breathing tube and IV. The patient will be in the recovery room until discharge criteria has been met, which can take up to 45 minutes. The team will go over post-op care instructions and answer any questions you may have before leaving.

Parents are permitted to accompany their child as they are falling asleep with mask induction, and will be escorted out once they've fallen asleep. Parents are not permitted in the procedure room during the treatment. Once in recovery, parents are immediately brought back to join their child before they fully wake up.

The anesthesiologist will be present during the entirety of the procedure with all standard monitors in place.

The procedure time is dependent on the dental work needed and estimated time from the dentist.

Although it can be dependent on the length of anesthesia, most short procedures require 30 to 45 minutes for recovery. Patients may feel slight groggy or tired for a few hours afterwards and should continue to recover at home. We encourage resting the remainder of the day and limit any physical activity.

Depending on the type and extent of the surgery, patient may experience varying amounts of discomfort. Pain medications is given intravenously and post-op pain management will be discussed prior to discharge.

Each patient tolerates anesthesia differently, some wake up silly, some “angry”. Child can wake up feeling disoriented and confused, and those feelings can cause them to feel fussy and “angry”. We do our best to wake patients smoothly to minimize this stage.

Nausea can be a very common side effect of anesthesia, we do our best to mitigate by giving patients multiple anti-nausea medications intravenously. Please inform the team if you have a higher incidence of post-op nausea.

When tolerated, you should start with clear liquids as soon as possible. after that, increase to soft foods and onto a normal diet. Staying hydrated is important in the post-op period.

The total anesthesia fee will be dependent on the length of treatment and is confirmed while scheduling with the patient and dental office.

Payment for anesthesia is separate from your dental treatment and is paid directly to Pearl Anesthesia. Our office will reach out to collect payment.

For pediatric patients under the age of 12, we require payment before the appointment for anesthesia cases up to two hours. We accept check and all major credit card. For teen and adult patients, we require payment before the appointment depending on the estimated length of surgery.

Pearl Anesthesia is a fee-for-service practice and is currently out-of-network with all insurance companies. We do not manage insurance claims; however, you are welcome to submit directly to your insurance for reimbursement. We can provide you with Medical/Dental codes for any claim forms that you can send to your insurance provider.

Each insurance company has different coverage/benefits. We cannot guarantee any reimbursement, therefore we encourage you to contact your provider prior to your appointment. Our fees are straight forward and can thus be less for in-offices anesthesia vs. hospital fees with copays, deductible, and other charges.

We are happy to send you a receipt for all payments if one was not given.