Information for adult patients with a special care requirement needing dental treatment under general anaesthesia

Why have I been referred for a general anaesthetic?

You have been referred because, after consultation with you and/or your carers, your dentist feels that you will be unable to cope with treatment in the dental chair. Your dentist will have discussed all other appropriate options with you and/or your carers including sedation if suitable for you.

Your name will be placed on a waiting list. When your name reaches the top of the waiting list, you will receive an appointment along with more instructions.

The dentist who will be treating you at the hospital may need to see you, for a separate assessment, before treatment.

You will also be contacted, usually by telephone, a few days before your appointment for a pre-op anaesthetic assessment.

What treatment will I have?

Your dentist would have discussed your treatment needs. At the assessment appointment it was decided that the one or more of the following treatment should be carried out:

• Extractions
• Fillings
• Scale and polish
• Dental examination and treatment planning

If your dentist has been unable to examine you properly in the dental chair, you will have a dental examination while under general anaesthesia and treatment as necessary which may include fillings, extractions and a scale and polish.

What should I do if I have toothache before the general anaesthetic?

Take the recommended dose of your normal pain relief. If you are still in pain then please telephone 0300 421 6440 and select option 2 or contact your own dentist for advice.

What should I do if I am unwell on the day of the appointment?

If you have a cough, cold, runny nose or a temperature, or are otherwise unwell it may not be possible to go ahead with the general anaesthetic and treatment.

Please contact the Mayhill Unit on 0300 422 6751, for advice before attending for the appointment.

What will happen on the day the teeth are treated?

You will have been given a time to arrive at the Mayhill Unit at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. You will also receive instructions when to stop eating and drinking.

You will be seen by the team who will be treating you. The dentist will discuss the treatment with you then ask you to sign a consent form. Signing this form will confirm that you fully understand why you are having the treatment and what it involves.

Please let the dentist know if you have lost any teeth since your last visit to the dental clinic.

The anaesthetist will meet you and any carers and make an assessment of any medical problems that you may have. The anaesthetist will discuss with you the best and most appropriate type of anaesthetic for you, taking into account your needs and medical problems.

The anaesthetist will also need to know about any allergies you have and any medication you are currently taking and if you have ever had a problem with any previous general anaesthetics.

You can bring as many carers as you wish with you into the room where you will be given the anaesthetic then go to sleep. The general anaesthetic will be as short as possible to remove or treat the teeth.

During the anaesthetic some pain relief will be given to you, if necessary. Once the treatment is completed you will be taken to the recovery room.

A trained recovery nurse will look after you in the recovery room until you are awake. You can ask for your carers to come into the recovery room.

Usually, you will be able to return home on the same day as your treatment. You will need to have a responsible adult stay with you overnight.

The order in which patients are treated will be determined on the day. This is based on the individual patient’s care needs and medical history.

Please note that due to unforeseen circumstances, your dental treatment under general anaesthesia may be cancelled on the day. If this happens you will be informed. You will also be contacted at a later date offering you another appointment.

How will I feel afterwards?

When you first wake up, you are likely to be a little sleepy/confused for a short time. Your mouth may feel a little sore, in which case, you can ask for some more medicine to help with any pain.

Possible risks of general anaesthetic

With modern anaesthesia, serious problems are uncommon, however, risks cannot be removed completely. Common side effects (1 in every 10 cases) include feeling sick, dizzy or having a sore throat.

Uncommon but treatable complications (about 1 in every 1000 cases) include a serious chest infection, existing medical problems getting worse or having breathing problems during or immediately after the anaesthetic.

The risk of a life-threatening problem such as a serious allergy is about 1 in every 10,000 cases and the risk of death is very rare (about 1 in 100000).

Further information

If you have any more questions which we have not answered on this page, please telephone the clinic at which you were assessed.

If you require further information about general anaesthesia, please visit the Royal College of Anaesthetists website at www.rcoa.ac.uk