Treatment Under General Anaesthesia

June 3, 2019

 

Are you nervous about dental surgery? That’s why we offer Treatment Under General Anaesthesia!

At Dental Implants & Aesthetics, we understand that not all our patients feel comfortable undergoing dental surgery. Some people would rather wake up and have had all of their dental treatment completed. For this reason, Dr Franck Page offers dental treatment under general anaesthesia in the operating theatres of the Gold Coast Private Hospital.

 

What is General Anesthesia?

For your dental implant surgery, you will require anesthesia to numb the relevant areas of your mouth. In general, we can distinguish anesthesia in three categories – local, regional and general.

While local anesthesia numbs the area where surgery is performed, general anesthesia is a medically induced coma. This means the patient is asleep during the treatment.

Treatment under General Anaesthesia (GA)?

You will receive an itemised treatment plan after an initial consultation at our practice. Once you agree to the treatment plan, we will then book you in at the Gold Coast Private Hospital. The procedure is usually undertaken within the next few weeks. The timeframe depends on availability at the hospital. In case of an emergency, we can arrange an emergency appointment.

A specialised anaesthetist will explain and administer the general anesthetic prior to your surgery. The anaesthetist will stay for the whole time of the dental procedure and constantly monitor your breathing, pulse, and blood pressure.

Once you are successfully anaesthetised, your dentist will start the treatment. Apart from dental implants, all dental procedures from general dentistry to bone grafts, extractions and even full arch implant cases can be performed under GA.

What happens after the procedure?

After the procedure, you will proceed to the ward, where you will wake up and recover. When your vital signs are normal and you have had something to eat and drink, you will be able to leave. It is essential that you organise someone to pick you up, as you are not allowed to drive after the GA treatment. Alternatively, you may also choose to stay overnight in hospital to recover.

Depending on your procedure, your mouth might feel sore or swollen. Painkillers and ice packs will help you recover.

Who is a suitable candidate for dental treatment under GA?

Whether you require local or general anesthesia depends on several factors, such as your personal comfort levels. During your consultation, your dentist will discuss the options of local and general anesthetics with you in detail.

In general, anyone in reasonable health can have treatment under general anesthesia. Usually, your treating medical practitioner (GP) will let you know if you aren’t suitable for general anesthesia. However, this rarely happens.

Costs of dental treatment under GA

If you have a private health fund with hospital coverage, your health fund usually covers the theatre fee in the hospital. You may have to pay a gap depending on your hospital’s excess. Please check your insurance policy for further details.

There is also a gap payment for the anaesthetist. The anaesthetic group that organises your anaesthetist will inform you about the fees and gap payments prior to the procedure.

As a private health fund member with major dental extras, your health fund may also cover part of the dental treatment costs. After receiving your treatment plan, you can provide your health fund with the item numbers, and they will be able to determine how much of the treatment costs you can claim.

Dental treatment under general anesthesia at Dental Implants & Aesthetics

Dr Franck Page offers several treatments, such as dental implants, bone grafts, extractions and full arch implant cases under general anesthesia. Please contact our friendly team to learn more on (07) 5503 1701. Alternatively, you can book a consultation appointment with Dr Franck Page online 24/7.