Oral Surgery Anesthesia & Pain Management

As oral and maxillofacial surgeons, we are uniquely trained to manage pain and anxiety in an outpatient surgical setting. Our anesthesia training includes 9-12 months of full time, comprehensive exposure to multiple anesthetic techniques in an operating room environment. As oral surgeons we have routinely provided outpatient intravenous anesthesia for over 50 years. Many of these anesthesia techniques are now common practice and are utilized today in most outpatient surgical settings (colonoscopy, plastic procedures, etc.).

In our offices we have at our disposal a wide range of techniques and drugs that enable us to address every patient and clinical situation in a unique and customized way. For the extreme situations that may involve extensive surgery or procedures that may be complicated by significant medical histories, the facilities at Hackensack University Medical Center are utilized. Our facilities are fully equipped to assure a pain free and comfortable surgical procedure. Every patient and surgical procedure have their own unique characteristics and these are recognized by the doctors and staff during our presurgical evaluation. Local anesthesia is the most common technique used in dental offices for pain control. Based on the patient and clinical situation we may utilize any one of a number different local anesthetic agents for your surgical procedure. In addition our offices are equipped for the administration of inhalation anesthetic agents that range from nitrous oxide (laughing gas) to full inhalation general anesthetics. For many patients, intravenous medication may be required and these drugs may be used to provide conscious sedation or general anesthesia. All of our anesthetized patients are fully monitored utilizing state of the art anesthesia monitors. The doctors and staff are trained in the management of medical and anesthetic emergencies. Emergency equipment and associated drugs are regularly maintained and readily available.

In conjunction with our staff we have the ability to manage most pediatric cases in a safe, comfortable and non-threatening environment. We are aware that pediatric problems often surface without notice and these cases are given a priority during our busy day. As always, we ask for your cooperation and understanding in emergency situations.

All surgical procedures are followed by a post-operative course that we anticipate will be associated with some degree of discomfort. As we have stressed throughout our web site this discomfort and your recovery is variable from patient to patient and from surgical procedure to surgical procedure. All of our patients will receive written and verbal instructions describing recommended post-operative protocol and further specific instructions can be found on this web site if necessary. In addition, for your comfort you will receive a prescription for any one of a number of analgesic (narcotic and non-narcotic) preparations. These drugs are recognized as the most effective means for providing pain relief following your procedure. If relief is not obtained by following the recommended instructions, we would advise you to contact our office for further instructions. When taking oral pain medications there are a number of key points to consider:

• In addition to the desired effect of these drugs, keep in mind they all have various side effects. Nausea and constipation are the most prevalent.
• The medications are prescribed for use in the control of pain relief only and do not aid in the actual recovery process. We would advise the use of over the counter medications if they are effective in relieving your symptoms.
• Generally you should begin to see a decrease in your symptoms after the third post-operative day (it is important to understand that your symptoms should begin to decrease not disappear after 72 hours). If you notice your symptoms increasing in intensity after 72 hours we would advise that you contact our office.

We sincerely hope that we are able to make your surgical experience as comfortable and pain free as possible. This information is provided for your use and convenience. If you should have any further concerns or questions, we encourage you to contact our office directly.