Many of our patients are very anxious about having oral surgery. You are definitely not alone. After talking with Dr. Levy at your consultation, both of you will decide which anesthesia option might benefit you. These options range from "Novocaine" to nitrous oxide (laughing gas) to general anesthesia. Dr. Levy will review the pros and cons of each at your consultation.
Anesthesia or IV sedation are wonderful techniques that have benefited millions of people who avoid needed surgery unless they can be “asleep." Some patients have such a fear of dentistry and oral surgery that they can only be helped with anesthesia care. Dr. Levy and his experienced staff are sensitive to this very real fear of oral surgical procedures. Anesthesia was first demonstrated in the 1840s by a dentist at The Massachusetts General Hospital, which is also where Dr. Levy did his oral surgery and anesthesia training.
Dr. Levy has more than two decades of experience (25+ years) in providing anesthesia care. It is available to you, if you and the Doctor agree upon it. This is usually decided at a consultation visit where Dr. Levy will review your medical history and examine you, just as a hospital-based anesthesia provider would do.
In the "old days", patients would get instructions by phone and get "knocked out" for an extraction. All modern-trained oral surgeons consider this unwise, with rare exceptions. A careful evaluation is needed if Anesthesia will be used.
Dr. Levy is Board Certified in Oral Surgery. He is also a Fellow (by examination) in the American Society of Dental Anesthesiology.