Mobile Anesthesia in a Nutshell
Mobile anesthesia technology now makes it very easy for a mobile anesthesiologist to come to a dentist office and essentially turn the office into a surgical-center. The good news for dentists is that the prices for mobile anesthesia have dropped considerably and it has become a great option for many dentists who require deep anesthesia performed by a certified anesthesiologist.What are Your Mobile Anesthesia Options?
- Mobile SAF-D: This option is rising in popularity and for good reason: Essentially, this a deep sedation method, using propofol, which is a short-acting intravenous sedative agent used for general anesthesia. Mobile SAF-D only puts the patient out for a short period of time. This procedure is good for root canals and fillings along with other more painful dental procedures that do not take long for a dentist to complete.
- Total Intravenous Anesthesia (TIVA): This anesthetic procedure uses an electronic propofol infusion pump that is adjustable to maintain a constant propofol blood concentration.
- Hospital Grade Dental Anesthesia: This anesthesia is performed with an IV or via inhalation. This type of anesthesia is also related to Mobile SAF-D and TIVA methods. This type of anesthesia also involves the anesthesiologist protecting the patients airways so the dentist can perform the dental procedure without interruption.
Mobile anesthesia is a great choice for dentists that need to perform a deep anesthesia and do not have the proper equipment to do so. Obviously a dentist will want to do his homework when searching around for dental anesthesiologists, and most likely will use the same mobile anesthesiologist for all of their mobile anesthesia needs.
One of the nice things about a dental anesthesiologist is that it gives the dentist another option when other anesthesia options simply don't make sense. This would include operations of a more serious nature including root canals, crowns, extractions, fillings and more serious procedures that will take more time and cause added strain on the patient and the dentist. Also, some children will have a hard time staying still long enough for the dentist to complete a procedure, especially if it is a long procedure. Furthermore, some adults tend to have high levels of anxiety and would prefer to be asleep during a dental procedure.
With the variety of patients that come to the dentist for various procedures, it is nice to know a dental anesthesiologist is just a few clicks away.
