For patients
What a day of office-based anesthesia actually looks like.
Nobody relaxes into an unknown. Here is the full sequence, from the phone screening to the follow-up call the next morning.
A few days before
The screening call
We go through your medical history, current medications and supplements, allergies, prior surgeries and anesthesia, sleep apnea, and anything that affects the airway. Bring your medication list to the phone. If something needs clearance from your physician or cardiologist, we start that early rather than the night before.
The night before
Fasting and instructions
Your anesthesiologist gives you a specific stop-eating and stop-drinking time based on your appointment slot and your health history. General guidance is no solid food for eight hours and clear liquids until a defined cutoff, but follow the exact instructions you are given rather than anything you read online.
Morning of
Arrival and setup
We get to the dental office before you do, convert the operatory into an anesthesia-ready space, and run an equipment and medication check. You arrive in loose clothing with short sleeves, with a responsible adult escort who will take you home.
First 10 minutes
Monitors on, then asleep
Blood pressure cuff, ECG leads, pulse oximeter and capnography go on first. An IV is placed — often after nitrous oxide or a topical anesthetic, which is where children usually start. Induction is quiet and quick.
During treatment
Continuous, undivided monitoring
Your anesthesiologist stays at your head for the entire case, adjusting depth as the dentist moves between quadrants, managing airway and fluids, and keeping a minute-by-minute anesthesia record. Your dentist is free to concentrate only on the dentistry.
After the last tooth
Emergence and recovery
Anesthesia is lightened as the dentist finishes. You wake up in the same chair, groggy but comfortable, and stay monitored until you meet discharge criteria: stable vitals, protected airway, controlled nausea and pain, and the ability to sit and walk with help.
The rest of the day
Going home
Your escort takes you home — no subway alone, no rideshare alone, no driving, no work decisions. Expect grogginess for several hours, a possible sore throat, and a light appetite. Someone should be with you for the evening.
The next morning
The follow-up call
We call to check on nausea, pain, swelling and sleep, and to answer questions you were too foggy to ask at discharge. Anything unusual gets escalated to your dentist the same day.
Bring this list with you
- A responsible adult escort for the whole day
- Your current medications, in their bottles
- Loose clothing with sleeves that roll above the elbow
- Contact lenses out, glasses case with you
- No nail polish on at least one index finger
- Any clearance letters from your physician
Still have a question about the day?
Ask before you schedule. Most concerns take one phone call to resolve.