Advantages of Mobile Anesthesia
SAFE
Mobile anesthesia is a growing trend in the United States. Advances in anesthetic drugs and anesthesia equipment enable a trained dentist anesthesiologist to transform almost any dental office into an operating room, complete with hospital grade monitors, anesthesia machines, and emergency equipment. The anesthesia procedures mirror those received in the children’s hospitals, including airway protection. Our belief is that most dental surgeries require airway protection to include intubation. Intubation for oral surgical procedures insures against foreign substances (i.e. water, tooth particles, and dental materials) from entering the lungs and yet insures oxygen delivery. You can take comfort in knowing you or your child will be continuously monitored by our anesthesiologists. This monitoring includes: pulse oximetry, blood pressure, electrocardiography, temperature, and gas analysis (carbon dioxide, oxygen, and anesthetic gas levels), NOBA meets and exceeds all state requirements concerning in-office anesthesia.
CONVENIENT
By working from the comfort of their own offices, dentists are able to increase productivity by completing paperwork or checking on hygienist cleanings between anesthesia patients. In-office anesthesia means that dentists can treat patients requiring a tooth extraction in one day rather than waiting for a full antibiotic course and for swollen gums to subside. Anesthesia in your dentist’s office saves you time! It is much faster to get treated at your dentist’s office rather than at the hospital.
FLEXIBLE
Dentists are able to choose the anesthesiologist with whom she or he works rather than simply getting assigned whomever is available at the hospital. By receiving service at your office, there is a lot of familiarity. Because the patient is familiar with your dental office, they are much more likely to show up. The patient will feel more relaxed at your dental office than at a hospital.
EFFICIENT
Dentists are able to see more patients using dental anesthesia because in office anesthesia is more efficient than anesthesia administered at a typical hospital. On average, dentists are able to see two more patients compared to hospital visits.
AFFORDABLE
Dental anesthesia is typically a 1/3 the cost of hospital anesthesia. Part of the reason for the cost savings is there are no hospital facility fees, which can run as high as $6,000.
STATE-OF-THE-ART EQUIPMENT
Remember the last time you went to the hospital and had to carry in all of your tools and supplies in order to treat patients there? Was the suction adequate? We use hospital grade, state-of-the-art and ultra-compact anesthesia machines and monitors, bringing it right into your office!
Why Choose NOBA
Our anesthesiologists are dentist anesthesiologists. We have received extensive training in all types of dental surgeries. A large part of our training includes valuable mobile in-office anesthesia training. This training is invaluable in bringing hospital-grade anesthesia into the office. We understand dental offices and equipment. We understand your surgery because we have performed many of them. We can anticipate your needs and tailor the anesthesia to meet the needs of your procedure.
We are board certified by the American Dental Board of Anesthesia or working to become so, and we are graduates from accredited dental anesthesia residency programs. These residency programs require competency in all types of dental surgeries. They require extensive training in nasal (through the nose) intubation. No other programs that we are aware of medical or dental, provide the level of experience in mobile dental surgery that dental anesthesia residencies provide.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Why Mobile Anesthesia?
By choosing mobile anesthesia, you get an anesthesiologist who has done thousands of nasal intubations. Everything is tailored to help you effectively and efficiently treat your patient.
Anesthesia can help children to feel comfortable at the dentist when they are young so they don’t develop a phobia that can exacerbate dental problems into adulthood.
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What Training Do You Have?
We are Board Certified dental anesthesiologists who have received specialized training in mobile anesthesia. We are experts in administering nasal intubations and have participated in all forms of dental surgery. We were trained as dentists so we understand the complexities and intricacies of dental surgery, which helps us to tailor the anesthesia to the unique needs of dental surgeons. In fact, we designed our services with dental surgeons in mind. We do everything we can to assist in making the surgery smooth and efficient for the dental surgeon.
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What Types of Patients Do You Treat?
We serve several types of patients: pediatric, special needs, phobic, and those who require extensive dental treatment.
We love kids and enjoy working with them and helping them to feel more comfortable during their procedure.
Adult patients with lengthy or invasive procedures can also benefit from anesthesia services.
We also cater to special needs patients who may not be able to cooperate for a dental surgery.
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What Type of Equipment Do You Use?
Mobile anesthesia is designed to do all different types of anesthesia using state-of-the-art equipment that allows for protected airways that do not impede the surgeon during dental surgery.
We use video laryngoscopes that allow for easier placement of the breathing tube and allow us to secure the airway prior to the dental surgeon beginning work.
Intubated general surgery provides greater freedoms for the dental surgeon. The dental surgeon is able to work more quickly because the anesthesiologists do not impede her or him.
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What Value Have You Seen In Mobile Anesthesia?
Many individuals developed a phobia of the dentist when they were younger. There are drills, and needles and foreign tasting substances the dentist uses in treating our teeth that can make going to the dentist an unpleasant experience. Many times, patients who have had negative experiences at the dentist in the past will delay getting treatment until they have an acute need. We can help! With anesthesia, our patients who may not be thrilled with the prospect of the dentist’s chair will be comfortably asleep throughout the procedure.
Occasionally patients will require extensive dental treatment or need implants to repair damaged or decayed teeth. Anesthesia makes complex procedures more comfortable for both the patient and the dental surgeon.
Anesthesia can help children to feel comfortable at the dentist when they are young so they don’t develop a phobia that can exacerbate dental problems into adulthood.
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What Types of Medication Do We Use?
The majority of your anesthetic will consist of inhalational agents (gases). The major benefit of an inhalation agent is that only a very small percentage is actually metabolized by the body. This generally leads to shorter recovery times and less drug directly into the blood stream. The common medications used in our dental surgeries include: Sevofluorane, Isofluorane, Propofol, Midazolam, Ketorolac, and Dexamethazone.
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What Is Intubation? Why Is It Necessary?
Intubation is a very common and routine procedure in which a breathing tube is placed to ensure a safe airway. This tube protects against foreign substances (i.e. water, tooth particles, and dental materials) from entering the throat and lungs. It also ensures anesthetic gas delivery and oxygen delivery. Dental surgery is unique in that it involves both the surgeon and the anesthesiologist sharing the oral cavity. Intubation allows the anesthesiologist to continue to monitor the patients breathing while granting free access to the dental surgeon to accomplish his or her work. With a patient asleep and the airway controlled, your dental surgeon can work efficiently and effectively.
Specialized monitoring equipment along with intubation allows for enhanced monitoring of the patients breathing status and oxygenation levels and alerts the anesthesiologist if there are any changes in the patients breathing.
The latest in cutting edge video equipment aids the anesthesiologist to place the breathing tubes quickly and with little discomfort for the patients. It is our belief that intubation makes anesthesia safer and allows the dental surgeon free access to perform dental surgery with minimal airway interruptions or limitations.
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Does The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) Recommend Office Anesthesia?
Yes. From the 2012 Guidelines of Anesthesia Personnel in the Administration of Office-based deep sedation/general anesthesia to the Pediatric Dental Patient, the AAPD had this to say.
“Deep sedation/general anesthesia in the dental office can provide benefits for the patient and the dental team. Access to care may be improved. The treatment may be scheduled more easily and efficiently. Facility charges and administrative procedures may be less than those associated with a surgical center. Complex or lengthy treatment can be provided comfortably while minimizing patient memory of the dental procedure. Movement by the patient is decreased, and the quality of care may be improved. The dentist can use his/her customary in-office delivery system with access to trained auxiliary personnel, supplemental equipment, instrumentation, or supplies should the need arise. The use of anesthesia personnel to administer sedation/general anesthesia in the pediatric dental population is an accepted treatment modality.”
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Is Office-based or Ambulatory Anesthesia Endorsed by the American Dental Association (ADA)?
The ADA made this statement is 2005: “Ambulatory anesthesia is an integral part of the management of anxiety and pain control for dental patients. It is in the best interest of the public and the profession that access to this cost-effective service be widely available.”