Anecdotes from the history of anesthesia in dentistry

I believe that dentists have made important contributions to anesthesiology and patient care. Medical anesthesiology is now being required to provide more same-day or ambulatory care. Where it was once good sport to criticize dentists providing brief anesthesia services for their patients, it has now become appropriate for physician anesthesiologists to use shorter-acting agents, improved physiologic monitoring, reversal agents, and early discharge as part of their care of patients. Anecdotes are informative and often provide us with nostalgic recognition and a smile. Ask yourself how you would have responded to the needs of your patients if you were practicing 40 or more yrs ago. We owe a major debt of gratitude to our gallant forebearers and an acknowledgement saying "Well done," and "God bless."