Why Infusion Therapy for your Dentistry
Why IV Dentistry Is an Important Part of Your Oral and Total Body Health Care
Your safety is our Number One Priority
That is why we use IV (parenteral) Sedation. Intravenous fluids and MAC (monitored anesthesia care). To make patient care safer requires that we “extract” the patient’s fear, stress, and anxiety before doing any dental surgery. This starts the day before the visit. Sometimes several days before. IV Dentistry enhances patient safety and makes for a pleasant “unmemorable” pain-free experience. Our IV dentistry is safer than local anesthetic or laughing gas, oral sedation, or general anesthesia.
Scared of the dentist? Contrary to what you might have been told, it is NORMAL to be apprehensive, fearful, scared, anxious of the dentist. That is how Freud sees it. That’s how we see it.
Our IV anesthesia is like general anesthesia, in that you become relaxed within moments. It can be a long visit that seems like only a few moments, and you do not recall the procedure. However, it differs from general anesthesia in that it does not have the risk of GA and it doesn’t have the high expense. It is NORMAL and healthy to fear a trip to the dentist.
Sedation Dentistry Omaha (Dr. Starkey’s practice) is a State-of-the-art full-time outpatient conscious anesthesia/surgery practice.
The center is designed and equipped with the latest monitors, medications, and emergency equipment. Dr. Starkey is certified in ACLS and we participate in continuing education and re-training in the latest anesthesia techniques and safety methods and instruments.
Our standard of care for older adult patients (geriatric) is IV therapy
because of higher risks with dental surgery due to existing health issues. We are able to closely monitor these patients and lower the risk of complications.
Dr. Starkey specializes in comprehensive General Dentistry with Anesthesia. This means we provide total oral care.
For example, Dr. Starkey provides both implant surgery and the teeth in the same place. We provide dentures, implant bridges, root canal treatment, extractions, crowns, fillings, gum treatment, and hygienist cleanings, We can also provide nighttime appliances and teeth whitening services.
We treat special needs patients.
Treating special needs patients makes dentistry more affordable for parents and caregivers. It also makes it possible to avoid or reduce the need for general anesthesia in many instances.
General Anesthesia is not used in our practice,
nor do we treat patients under GA in Med/Hospital ORs. Intubation with general anesthesia increases risks. It is not safer than conscious sedation. The costs of general anesthesia are significantly more to the patients. Dr. Starkey’s mission is to provide the safest treatment he possibly can. He understands that there are some patients that require GA.
Dr. Starkey is the only dentist in Nebraska that has qualified as a Master in the College of Conscious Sedation in The American Dental Society of Anesthesiology.He has provided over 3,000 IV procedures safely since 1985 and is permitted and licensed by the State of Nebraska (#003)
The sedation medication we use is NOT the same as other dental offices.
The recovery time is faster. The recovery is more pleasant. The IV Therapy Dr. Starkey provides is safer than the standard IV.
We use propofol (Diprivan©).
Yes, this is the “Michael Jackson Drug.” And as the anesthesiologists might say, if it is good enough for Michael Jackson it is good enough for you. Propofol is considered the nearest to a perfect sedation med because it can be titrated effectively to an appropriate sedation level presents a short recovery time. It is the most successful and most commonly used anesthesia in the world. However, most dentists still use Midazolam. Studies show Propofol is safer and results in more rapid recovery. And with midazolam, there is a risk of cognitive impairment for certain patients. Click here for more information on Propofol.
We do NOT use narcotics in our IV sedation.
As you have probably heard, fentanyl, which is a narcotic, results in the accidental overdose of tens of thousands of people every year in the US. Fentanyl is one of several narcotics used in dental offices. It is dangerous because small doses can result in overdose and it is addictive. When pain control is needed, Ketorolac IV which is a non-narcotic pain reliever. Also, Ketamine can be used, which makes for a pleasant post-operative recovery and is safer than narcotics.
You do not need sedation to gain the benefits of IV Therapy.
IV sedation is NOT needed for every procedure or patient. NOT all patients need or want IV sedation but almost all patients can benefit from other types of infusion medications. For example, Ketamine helps with depression associated with medical-oral health procedures, Vitamin C mega dose IV (25,000 mg) helps patients heal from dental surgery. IV antibiotics when patients need antibiotics stat, meaning patients need medications to go to work as rapidly as possible. Some patients have to drive themselves and IV sedation is NOT allowed nor is oral sedation in such circumstances.
We offer a wide range of NON-sedation IV medications that manage pain boost patient recovery that is not sedative and not narcotic.
That helps make the visit comfortable and postoperative recovery easier that permits the patient to drive home by themselves. NOTE: However in the case of dental surgery regardless of whether sedation is used Dr. Starkey advises an escort and driver. Because patients as tough as some can be are in a compromised state.. We also provide anti-swelling medications and anti-nausea meds. IV Lactated Ringers can be used to rehydrate patients that have not been drinking enough fluid before dental treatments. There are IV solutions to improve immune function and energy. See my Blog “IV Dentistry for total body Health.”
Dr. Starkey limits his treatment to adults. ASA I and ASA IIa/b.
This means patients that are healthy enough for outpatient dentistry. ASA III patients need to be seen in the hospital OR due to their systemic health problems. However, for those patients that have health problems, Dr. Starkey is happy to work with their MD to improve their health status..Dr. Starkey sometimes sees young adults in the 15 years and above range. We do not see children because children are NOT little adults.
Customized sedation for your individual needs.
Of course we offer anesthetic gas, oral sedation, or a combination of sedation relaxation. We adjust the sedation to meet the needs of the patient. However, it is important to appreciate the beneficence of infusion therapy for the safest and most beneficial dental/total body health improvement.
Dentists refer patients to us for treatment
when the usual methods of relaxing gas and oral sedation were not sufficient sedation to achieve the level of sedation required. After completing the procedures under IV then patients return to their regular dentist and practice.
Posted by
felam
on Mar 23rd, 2022
8:40 pm
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