Dental surgery question- hospital case

[legofansmum]

Hello everyone

After years of putting the dentists off due to a phobia I went last year. I have broken a back tooth so badly that the roots need removing in hospital.

It will be day surgery with a dental surgeon under general anaesthetic.

I’ve never had that type of anaesthetic before and I’m scared. Can anyone who has had this procedure please give me a count of what to expect please, with the op, after effects etc..
Thank you so much. I’m so scared as it’s Tuesday morning.

I was a dental nurse. Honestly you won't know anything about it. You will either have a GA it sedation. It'll be fine but not as find as going for regular check ups and having the odd filling .please don't do this to yourself. Book in regular check ups and your fears will diminish

Hello OP, retired anaesthetist here. I did a weekly oral surgery operating list and also a dental phobic session twice a month for decades, among my other commitments.
You’ll be checked over on arrival and a set of obs taken (blood pressure, pulse, oxygen saturation etc). The anaesthetist will check your preassessment medical history and make sure you’ve had any medication required.
You’ll get 3 small ecg pads stuck on your chest, a bp cuff on one arm, and a small cannula inserted in the back of the opposite hand , along with a (soft rubbery) sat probe on one finger.
You may be asked to breathe oxygen for a couple of minutes through a face mask, then the anaesthetic will be injected through the cannula. You’ll be asleep about 30 seconds later.
After you’re unconscious, a flexible version of an LMA will be inserted in your mouth, which sits in the back of your throat - you’ll be breathing through it. There’s no need to intubate you for dental surgery unless you have significant reflux or are very obese.
You will be given anti sickness drugs and painkillers while asleep, and the oral surgeons usually infiltrate local anaesthetic as well, so you should be nice and comfy when you wake in the recovery room.
The LMA is well tolerated and doesn’t cause gagging- it will be removed as soon as you wake.
The staff will monitor you throughout, and you can have water to drink and then soft diet - we gave our patients yogurt, so they didn’t try to chew with a numb mouth.
You’ll be discharged home a couple of hours post op, with painkillers and instructions for mouthwash etc.
It’s all very routine, and you’ll be fine, but tell the staff you’re phobic and anxious if you need extra support or an oral premed to help you cope. Best wishes.

Thank you so much for the kind replies, can’t tell you how helpful they are.

Unfortunately I am obese 😥 , so that worries me.

Should I be nil by mouth for so many hours before the procedure please ?

Do you have pre- op instructions that you were given somewhere? Yes you will have had nil by mouth instructions if it's a GA and they won't do the procedure if not followed. Good luck. It won't be as bad as you're imagining.