Comprehensive Guide to Adult Dentistry under General Anesthesia (Narcose) at Leident

Dental anxiety (dental phobia) is not just for children; many adults also avoid visiting the dentist due to unpleasant past experiences or a severe gag reflex. If you are scheduled to undergo dental treatment under general anesthesia (narcose) soon, this guide provides highly useful information about your day admission at Leident Dental Practice. Our goal is to create a completely safe, painless, and stress-free treatment experience for you.

Planning and Arrival

Our planning department will inform you of the exact treatment date. The specific time will be communicated to you by phone 1 to 2 days in advance. You are required to arrive at the clinic at least 30 minutes before your scheduled time.

Pre-Treatment Preparations: Crucial Instructions at Home

To ensure your safety during anesthesia, strict adherence to the following rules on the day of treatment is mandatory. Failure to follow these recommendations can have serious adverse consequences for your health. To prevent unnecessary risks, your treatment will be canceled if these rules are not respected.

Strict Fasting Rules (Nuchter blijven)

• Treatments before 12:00 PM: You must not consume any food after 00:00 (midnight) the night before.
• Treatments after 12:00 PM: You are allowed to eat exactly 1 rusk (beschuitje) at 06:00 AM.
• Liquid intake: Up to a maximum of 2 hours before the procedure, you are only allowed to drink water or tea (without milk). Consuming other beverages such as coffee, milk, or carbonated drinks is strictly prohibited.

Other Highly Important Steps

• Stop Smoking: You must stop smoking at least 6 hours before the treatment begins.
• Dental Prosthetics: If you use a removable partial denture, it must be taken out before the anesthesia starts.
• Nails: Artificial nails, gel nails, or nail polish must be removed from at least one finger so the oxygen sensor can function properly.
• Jewelry: Please remove all jewelry and piercings (especially oral piercings), preferably at home.

The Day of Treatment: The Process at Leident

1. Medical Screening

Before undergoing treatment under anesthesia, you must complete a comprehensive medical questionnaire so the anesthesiologist can accurately assess your health and minimize any potential risks. Anesthesia is only administered after full approval by our specialist.

2. Monitoring Vital Signs

Right before the anesthesia, you will be connected to monitoring devices, including heart rhythm stickers on your chest, a blood pressure cuff, and an oxygen sensor on your finger.

3. IV Insertion & Leident’s Solution for Needle Phobia!

We use Total Intravenous Anesthesia (TIVA), which requires an IV (infuus) in the hand or forearm. If you are afraid of injections and needles: You can inform us in advance to receive a prescription for a special numbing patch from the pharmacy. You bring this patch on the day of treatment, and the anesthesiologist will apply it to your skin to completely numb the injection site.

4. Falling Asleep

We use highly modern, short-acting medications (like propofol). You will be given an oxygen mask right before falling into a comfortable, deep sleep. Reassurance: We do not use any muscle relaxants. Therefore, waking up during the treatment while being unable to move is scientifically impossible.

Recovery and Post-Treatment Rules

As soon as the dental work is finished, you will wake up. You will then be transferred via wheelchair to a recovery room to fully regain consciousness in a relaxing chair. Your escort can be with you at this time.

Crucial Discharge Rules

For your own safety, observing the following rules after discharge is mandatory:

• You are not allowed to drive a vehicle.
• You must not travel home alone (an adult escort is required).
• You must not be left alone at home for the first 24 hours following the treatment.