Trained in a residency in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Removes teeth, places implants and plans your sedation with you.
Oral and maxillofacial surgery in Joplin
Having a tooth out? Know how you'll be cared for.
Dr. Delores Cartwright is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. Hala Matar, a nurse anesthetist, gives and watches your sedation. Before the day, you get in writing what you will be given, who gives it and how you will be monitored.
- Sedation plan in writing
- Fee estimate in writing
- Your dentist's referral welcome
Sedation levels
Five ways to be comfortable for a tooth removal
Most patients choose from these five. Each is a different level, with a different person responsible for it. Every level has risks, and Dr. Cartwright goes through yours at the consultation, before anything is chosen.
| Level | Who gives it | How you are watched | Permit and setting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local anesthetic | Who gives itDr. Cartwright numbs the area. You stay awake and can talk with us. | How you are watchedWe check in throughout. Raise a hand and we stop. | Permit and settingCovered by the dentist's license. No sedation permit applies. |
| Nitrous oxide | Who gives itDr. Cartwright, with a trained team member. You breathe it through a small mask over your nose and stay awake. | How you are watchedYour breathing and how you feel are watched the whole time. Oxygen at the end clears the gas. | Permit and settingA Missouri Dental Board permit or training record may apply. The owner confirms which. |
| Oral sedation | Who gives itDr. Cartwright prescribes a medicine you take before the visit. You stay awake, and often drowsy. | How you are watchedA trained team member stays with you. Oxygen level, pulse and blood pressure are watched. An adult takes you home. | Permit and settingNeeds the Missouri Dental Board permit that matches the level. The owner confirms it. |
| IV sedation | Who gives itHala Matar, a nurse anesthetist, gives it through a small tube in a vein and watches only you. Dr. Cartwright does the surgery. | How you are watchedOxygen level, heart rhythm, blood pressure and breathing are watched from start to finish, and until you are ready to leave. | Permit and settingDr. Cartwright's Missouri Dental Board permit for IV sedation, shown on her team page. The owner confirms it. |
| General anesthesia | Who gives itHala Matar gives it and watches only you. Dr. Cartwright does the surgery. Some cases are better done in a hospital. | How you are watchedBreathing, oxygen, carbon dioxide, heart rhythm and blood pressure are watched without a break, until you are alert and ready for recovery. | Permit and settingDr. Cartwright's Missouri Dental Board permit for general anesthesia, shown on her team page. The owner confirms it. |
What we treat
Four kinds of visit
Each has its own page: what happens, how many visits, how you are kept comfortable, and what the days after look like.
Wisdom teeth
Removal of wisdom teeth that are impacted, infected or crowding, planned from an exam and an X-ray.
Wisdom teethTooth removal
Simple and surgical removals when a tooth can't be saved, and what to do afterward.
Tooth removalImplant placement
Placing the implant after a scan and a plan made with your dentist, who makes the crown.
Implant placementUrgent visits
A swollen jaw, a broken tooth or pain that won't ease. Call us and we'll tell you what we can do today.
Urgent visits
Your day
From the call to the ride home
What happens at a visit with sedation, in order.
A week before
We call or text with written instructions: what to eat, what to take and who will drive you.
The morning of
Follow the fasting instructions. Bring your escort, a list of your medicines and loose clothes.
When you arrive
Dr. Cartwright and Hala Matar go over the plan once more, and ask for your consent in writing.
The procedure
The level you chose, with the person who gives it watching only you. You may feel pressure and hear sounds. Raise a hand and we stop.
Going home
You rest in recovery until we say you're ready. Your escort gets written after-care instructions and our number.
Comfort
Comfort sits next to the medicine, not in place of it
A folded blanket, headphones, a ceiling panel to look at and a hand to hold. None of it replaces the medical part of the plan. Tell us at the consultation what would help, and what has made past visits hard.
Raise a hand and we stop
Headphones and a blanket on request
A break whenever you ask
Two clinicians on every sedation visit
The surgeon and the anesthesia partner work as a pair. Each has a page with training, license and what they do.
Hala Matar
Nurse anesthetist
- Advanced practice registered nurse, nurse anesthetist · MO License no. 000000
Gives IV sedation and general anesthesia, and watches only you until you are ready to go home. Speaks Arabic and English.
Training and permits
What each of us has completed, and who allows it
The practice's owner enters each program, board and permit, and removes any the practice doesn't hold.
State licenses
Dr. Delores Cartwright, Dentist license (DDS)
MO License no. 000000 · Missouri Dental Board
The state license to practice dentistry. The owner enters the real number.
Hala Matar, Advanced practice registered nurse, nurse anesthetist
MO License no. 000000 · Missouri State Board of Nursing
The state license to practice as a nurse anesthetist. The owner enters the real number.
Dr. Cartwright's training
Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS)
The school and year are the owner's to enter.
Residency in oral and maxillofacial surgery
An accredited hospital-based program. The owner names it and confirms.
Board certification by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
The owner confirms, and removes this if it isn't held.
Hala Matar's training
Certified registered nurse anesthetist
Certified by the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists. The owner confirms.
Sedation permits
Permit for IV sedation and general anesthesia
Issued by the Missouri Dental Board to Dr. Cartwright. The owner enters the permit and its date.
Questions before a consultation
Who gives the sedation?
Dr. Cartwright directs it. For IV sedation and general anesthesia, Hala Matar, a nurse anesthetist, gives it and watches only you. For nitrous oxide and oral sedation, Dr. Cartwright works with a trained team member.
Will I need someone to drive me?
For any sedation beyond nitrous oxide, yes. An adult takes you home and stays with you for the rest of the day. We tell you in writing whether nitrous oxide alone lets you drive.
Do you take my insurance?
Often it is two plans: your dental plan and, for some surgery and for anesthesia, your medical plan. We check both before the visit and tell you what is covered and what is not.
What if I don't have insurance?
You get a written estimate before any treatment, with the surgery and the sedation on separate lines.
Do I need a referral from my dentist?
Many patients come from their dentist, who sends X-rays. You can also call us yourself. We ask for your dentist's name so we can send a report.
Ask for a consultation
Tell us how to reach you and when. Nina Bostic, our patient coordinator, calls or texts back with a time. Please leave out health details; for anything urgent, call us.