At Lakeside Oral, Facial and Dental Implant Surgery, we are fully trained and qualified to administer several types of anesthesia safely. All oral surgeries require anesthesia, whether it’s a local numbing agent or IV sedation. During your consultation, you and your oral surgeon will decide on the best option for you based on factors such as your general health, the type of procedure you are having, and your personal preference.
Your comfort and peace of mind are important to us. Please review this information carefully so that you are fully informed of the choices we offer at our oral surgery practice in Russellville, AR.
Types of Anesthesia
We offer several options for anesthesia and sedation at Lakeside Oral, Facial and Dental Implant Surgery:
- Local anesthesia is a numbing medication that is injected directly into the surgical site. It is used in all oral surgery procedures, often in conjunction with other forms of anesthesia. With local anesthesia alone, you will remain conscious throughout surgery, but you will not feel any pain. You will be able to eat a light meal before your procedure and will not require a responsible driver to drive you home. Usually, the only sensation felt during the procedure is some pressure around the surgical area. Simpler surgeries, like some extractions and soft tissue procedures, often require only local anesthesia.
- Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) is inhaled through a mask around your nose and is used along with a local anesthetic. Nitrous oxide has a pain-controlling and calming effect while allowing you to remain conscious. The effects wear off soon after the mask is removed, so you will not require a responsible driver to drive you home.
- Intravenous (IV) sedation is administered directly into the bloodstream and can place you in a sleep-like state or all the way to sleep. Patients will not be able to eat or drink for at least six hours prior to undergoing IV anesthesia. Wisdom teeth extractions, dental implant procedures, and other procedures are commonly performed with a combination of IV sedation and local anesthesia. You will need a designated driver to take you home after your procedure if you receive IV sedation.
- Hospital or Surgery Center-Based General Anesthesia is for patients who require more complicated or extensive surgery. A hospital anesthesiologist administers general anesthesia. Usually, patients who have received general anesthesia are driven home the same day as the procedure, but in some cases, you may require an overnight stay in the hospital.
Exparel® for Extended Pain Control
The team at Lakeside Oral, Facial and Dental Implant Surgery is passionate about providing patient-centric care with the most advanced surgical techniques available. As part of this philosophy, we are proud to offer an exciting option for post-surgical pain management called Exparel. This proven, long-lasting medication does not carry the risks associated with prescribed opioid medications, and it is administered in one single dose by your oral surgeon during surgery. Exparel can control your pain for several days after your procedure, sometimes eliminating the need for any post-surgical prescription medications whatsoever. Because Exparel is not an opioid medication, it does not have a risk of dependence or carry the negative side effects of opioids. The safety profile and effectiveness of this medication has caused it to be a favorite post-surgery pain-management choice by oral surgeons and patients, alike.
What’s so risky about opioid prescription medications?
Narcotics is another term for opioid pain medications. Some of the narcotics you may be familiar with include codeine, fentanyl, oxycodone, and hydrocodone (Vicodin® and Norco®). These medications have the same active ingredient as the drug heroin, and if not taken exactly as prescribed, carry the same risk of dependence and negative side effects such drowsiness, nausea, and withdrawal symptoms. Despite the risks, narcotics are the most frequently prescribed medications for post-surgical pain. Sadly, the prevalence of prescription opioid medications has led to an opioid addiction crisis in our country, with 1 out of 15 surgical patients continuing to use opioids after receiving prescriptions post-surgery. Medical practitioners have struggled with this for many years, wanting effective, safer options for their patients. Until now, there haven’t been any.
How does Exparel work?
Exparel is incredibly simple to add to your treatment plan. During surgery, your oral surgeon administers a single dose of Exparel directly to your surgical site, where it immediately begins to control pain. This single dose contains bupivacaine, an opioid-free local anesthetic. The key to its effectiveness is that the anesthetic is slowly released into your area of surgery over time, providing strong pain relief that can last several days into your recovery. Some of the benefits of Exparel include the following:
- It only takes one dose. Exparel has been shown in clinical trials to provide effective and long-lasting pain relief in just one dose administered by your oral surgeon during surgery.
- Non-addictive/Non-opioid. Exparel is a proven pain-control medication that does not have the risks associated with narcotics.
- No prescriptions to fill. Prescription pain medications can, in some cases, be avoided completely because Exparel extends its pain-relieving effect for several days into recovery.
- Less risk of side effects. Exparel requires much less medicine than typical pain-management medications. Less medicine equals less risk for side effects. It is also opioid-free, so it does not carry the risks associated with narcotics.
Our oral surgeon, Dr. Bale, hopes to help his patients avoid the pitfalls of opioid prescriptions. By adding Exparel to your treatment plan as an alternative to narcotics, you can have pain control that lasts, while eliminating the risks and side-effects of opioid medications.
Exparel in Russellville, AR
When you meet with Dr. Bale to create a plan for your treatment, he will be happy to speak with you about Exparel. Lakeside Oral, Facial and Dental Implant Surgery is proud to offer this option to its surgical patients. Please contact our office with any questions you may have or to schedule your consultation with Dr. Bale.
Anesthesia Options in Russellville, AR
Dr. Bale at Lakeside Oral, Facial and Dental Implant Surgery in Russellville, AR, is highly trained and qualified to administer several types of anesthesia for oral surgery. Please contact us to schedule a consultation with Dr. Bale for your customized treatment plan and to discuss available anesthesia options with you.