Patient Information

Dr. Tim Silegy practices in Long Beach

For Your Comfort - Anesthesia Options

Your comfort is Dr. Silegy’s primary concern. Dr. Silegy can provide sophisticated, safe and effective anesthetic options in his office. These options are summarized below.

• Topical anesthesia effectively eliminates the pain of an injection. Dr. Silegy always uses topical methods to increase you comfort. Topical jelly in the mouth prior to the administration of local anesthesia and Ethyl Chloride on the skin prior to starting an IV will insure your comfort.
• Local Anesthetics are used to numb nerves that sense pain. Local anesthesia is administered alone or in conjunction with other anesthetic agents. When used alone, Dr. Silegy uses The Wand a computerized administration technique that many patients claim makes the injection painless.
• Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas) is used to help patients relax during their procedure. Studies show that the administration of nitrous oxide/oxygen is as effective as 10 milligrams of Morphine. Nitrous oxide is especially effective in children--allaying fears, decreasing movement and making the experience non-threatening.
• Oral Sedation is almost always reserved for use in children. When administered on an empty stomach, oral sedatives increase cooperation, facilitate separation from parents, and cause the child not to remember the experience. Dr. Silegy is a pioneer in the administration of oral sedative medications. He developed and continues to teach the very first dental board approved course on pediatric oral conscious sedation in California.
• Intravenous (IV) Sedation is the ideal method of pain and anxiety control in dentistry. Once IV access is achieved, sedative hypnotic agents are administered slowly in doses specifically adjusted to your comfort level. These agents take away anxiety and cause patients to experience a “twilight sleep.” It is an ideal method to use for single tooth extractions and implant placement.
• General Anesthesia is the deepest level of anesthesia available. As a continuum of IV Sedation, it is used for procedures that can be potentially more uncomfortable for patients such as, removal of abscessed and impacted teeth, drainage of infections and repair of minor fractures. It is also recommended for children who are not comfortable with oral sedation alone.

We also offer in office General Anesthesia administered by a certified anesthesia provider for more complicated procedures such as orthognathic surgery. Patients with significant medical problems or who require major surgery will be treated at Long Beach Memorial Hospital where Dr. Silegy is Chief of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

Dr. Silegy will discuss your options with you prior to surgery, which will enable you to choose the option that’s right for you.