At Park Cities Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Associates - Dental Implant Experts, your safety and comfort are our top priorities. We provide all of our patients with several choices for anesthesia to ensure they always feel at ease during treatment. During your consultation appointment, we will discuss all your options with you and help you determine which type of anesthesia is best for your needs and your procedure.
Dr. Phillips trained extensively in the safe administration of anesthesia. During his four-year oral and maxillofacial residency, he worked alongside licensed anesthesiologists and learned how to administer anesthesia safely and monitor patients under sedation. He maintains the highest licensure available to dental providers for sedation and has years of experience performing anesthesia in our Dallas, TX, office.
Regardless of the type of anesthesia you choose, our team will ensure you are always comfortable at our office. Our doctor will discuss each option with you so that you fully understand your choices before deciding. We have provided some information about each sedation technique below.
Local Anesthesia is one of the most common forms of anesthesia. If you have ever received a filling or undergone a minor dental procedure with your dentist, you likely have experience with local anesthesia. This method numbs the entire surgical area, allowing you to remain awake during surgery without feeling a thing.
Nitrous Oxide Sedation is widely known as laughing gas and is often used in conjunction with local or IV anesthesia. Our oral surgeons administer nitrous oxide through a breathing apparatus to create a calming atmosphere and help you relax before your procedure.
IV Anesthesia puts the patient into a sleep-like state until the procedure is over. Most patients don't realize the surgery has even happened yet when they wake up. Patients typically prefer IV anesthesia for such procedures as wisdom teeth removal and dental implant placement. Those who undergo IV anesthesia must adhere to strict pre-operative instructions in preparation and must have a responsible adult drive them to and from our office.
General Anesthesia is necessary for patients undergoing complex procedures performed in hospitals or surgical centers. General anesthesia puts patients into a deep sleep while our oral surgeons perform corrective jaw surgery, facial reconstructive surgery, and other more involved operations.
The growing opioid crisis in our country, and in our state of Texas, in particular, has been of great concern to medical providers for many years now. Opioid-based pain medications, also called narcotics, are commonly prescribed to surgical patients to manage their post-surgical pain, despite the harrowing fact that 1 out of 15 of these patients continues long-term opioid use after their recovery period is complete. Here is another startling fact: more than 115 Americans die each day from opioid overdoses. Fortunately, there is an effective non-opioid option for post-surgical pain management. This medication is safe and proven and is quickly becoming the preferred pain control medication by both oral surgeons and patients. It’s called Exparel, and it’s a clinically proven, highly effective medication for extended post-operative pain relief. Furthermore, because it is not a narcotic, Exparel does not carry the risk of dependence or other negative side effects associated with prescribed opioid medications. At Park Cities Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Associates - Dental Implant Experts, our goal is to provide the best care possible with the least amount of risk, Dr. Phillips is very proud to offer this medication to his surgical patients.
When Exparel is chosen as part of your treatment plan for oral surgery, your surgeon will administer the medication in a single dose directly into your surgical site during your procedure. This single dose has been proven to control pain for several days into recovery, reducing or even eliminating the need for post-surgical prescription medications such as opioids. Enjoying a comfortable, safe recovery without the risk of dependence is a winning combination for our patients. Not only that, with Exparel, you can spare yourself the trouble and expense of dealing with prescription narcotics to fill.
You will likely recognize the names of these commonly prescribed narcotics and may have been prescribed these medications in the past: codeine, fentanyl, oxycodone, and hydrocodone (Vicodin® and Norco®). These pain-controlling drugs have the same active ingredient as the illegal drug heroin and can be extremely unsafe if not taken exactly as prescribed. Not only are these meds addictive, but they also have uncomfortable negative side effects that include
Additionally, opioids should never be taken with alcohol, or with certain antidepressant medications, antibiotics, or sleeping pills. So, why not choose a proven medication that works better than opioids and doesn’t carry risks or side effects? There’s no argument: Exparel is simply a smarter, better pain control medication for our patients.
Choosing Exparel as part of your surgical treatment plan couldn’t be easier. Your oral surgeon will administer your single dose of the medication to your surgical site while you are still in surgery. This powerful dose will take immediate effect — a narcotic-free anesthetic called bupivacaine will be slowly released into your area of surgery, providing lasting pain relief for several days into your recovery.
The key benefits of Exparel include
When you come to Park Cities Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Associates - Dental Implant Experts for oral surgery, you can expect surgical care from a doctor who is concerned about your overall health and well-being, before, during, and after your treatments. By adding Exparel to your treatment plan, you are helping to assure that you have the most comfortable recovery possible, safe from the risks and side effects of opioid medications.
When you visit Park Cities Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Associates - Dental Implant Experts in Dallas, TX, our doctor can discuss all your anesthesia options. Your comfort is incredibly important to us, and we will take all your preferences into account when determining your treatment plan. Please feel free to contact our office to schedule your consultation appointment.
