Expert: Ronald Levy, M.D. - 1/9/2007

Question
I am planning to have oral surgery for dental implant in a few months and would like your opinion regards to the safety of general anesthesia or deep sedation in a dental office.  I have been told that being put under in a dental chair is safer than being put under in a hospital OR.  Could this be because people in the hospital OR are sometimes a sicker group as a whole?  I also understand that oral surgeons don't put patients as deeply unconscious and rely more upon the local anesthesic for pain control during the procedure itself.

Answer
I have had implant surgery in a dental office and it is safe but it is not safer that a hospital (because in a hospital you have access to more resources and an anesthesiologist). Make sure your dentist is qualified to administer IV sedation and has all the appropriate emergency equipment and training in case something were to go wrong.

Ronald Levy, MD
Associate Professor of Anesthesiology
UTMB-Galveston