Sedation for tooth removal
Sedation is medicine that makes a procedure easier to get through. It comes in levels, and each level has its own risks and a person responsible for it. Dr. Cartwright recommends one for your case; you decide.
How the level is chosen
- 01
Your health
Your history and your medicines, from the private patient portal, decide which levels are open to you.
- 02
The procedure
A single tooth, four wisdom teeth and an implant are different amounts of work and call for different levels.
- 03
What you want
Some people want to stay awake and some do not. We tell you what each level involves, and the choice is yours.
Who is with you
A person whose only job is you
At every level beyond local anesthetic, a trained person stays with you. For IV sedation and general anesthesia that person is Hala Matar, a nurse anesthetist, and she watches only you while Dr. Cartwright operates.
Oxygen level, pulse and blood pressure, checked throughout
Breathing watched without a break at the deeper levels
Recovery until you are alert and ready to go
Before and after
Before
Fasting and medicine instructions, in writing, and a form that lists what you take. An adult must be able to take you home and stay with you. If you eat when told not to, we may have to reschedule.
The morning
Wear loose clothes and no jewelry. We check your pulse, oxygen and blood pressure before we begin, and we ask for your consent in writing.
Afterward
You rest until we say you're ready. Do not drive, sign papers or make big decisions for the rest of the day. Your escort gets written instructions.
Risks
Sedation can cause nausea, low blood pressure, slowed breathing and, rarely, a serious reaction to a medicine. We watch for each, and Dr. Cartwright goes through yours before the day.
Questions about sedation
How is sedation different from being numb?
A local anesthetic numbs one area, and you stay fully aware. Sedation changes how you feel about the procedure, to a different degree at each level. Most visits use both.
Will I remember the visit?
It depends on the level and on you. At the lighter levels you may remember parts of it. Ask Dr. Cartwright what to expect for the level you are considering.
Who decides which level I get?
You do, with Dr. Cartwright's advice. If your health makes a level a poor choice, she says so and explains why.
What does the permit line mean?
Missouri requires the dentist to hold a permit from the dental board for deeper levels of sedation. The practice's owner enters the permit on the team page.
Talk it through before you decide
A consultation covers the levels, your health and the fee, in writing. Nothing is scheduled until you say yes.