Anesthesia for off-floor dental and oral surgery

Anesthesia for dentistry is commonly performed outside the operating room. The combination of a shared airway between surgeon and anesthetist, the variety of open airway techniques, and the out-of-operating room setting often results in anxiety and avoidance of dental cases among anesthesia personnel. This review attempts to demystify dental treatment and facilitate the anesthesia provider in providing effective sedation of dental procedures performed in the nonoperating room setting.

Specific indications for dental anesthesia improve the patient selection process. Airway assessment and strategies to secure the difficult airway are paramount because of the nature of the procedures and the patients on whom they are performed. Pediatric patients and those with special needs present specific preanesthetic assessment, induction, and management challenges. Emergence delirium is disruptive, possibly dangerous, prolongs recovery time, and may necessitate hospitalization. Simplified techniques and objective recovery criteria are necessary to ensure a safe and smooth discharge to home. Airway fire precautions should not be overlooked given the rare but potential risk of airway fire during dental treatment.

This article reviews the indications, facility and equipment needs, monitoring requirements, treatment methods, and recovery protocols necessary for the safe administration of off-floor anesthesia for dentistry.