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If there is food or liquid in the stomach, there is a risk of aspirating, or inhaling food or liquid into the lungs during anesthesia, which can cause serious problems including lung problems and even death. Allowing the stomach enough time to empty minimizes the risk of aspiration.

You may feel slightly groggy or tired for a few hours after your procedure. Although you may feel fine, your memory and judgment may be impaired for the remainder of the day. All effects of anesthesia should be gone within 24 hours. Depending on the type of surgery you have completed, you will have varying amounts of discomfort associated with the procedure.

Each patient and their medical history are unique and we will instruct you to either take or withhold all or some of your medications. Know that it is okay to take your medications with a small sip of water in the morning if instructed to do so by the anesthesiologist.

Side effects vary from person to person; the most common side effects include nausea and vomiting, sore throat, and physical and mental impairment. These effects are generally mild and short duration.

Some medical and dental insurance will cover total or partial payment for anesthesia services. Lone Star Dental Anesthesia does not contract with any insurance company, so your fee is paid directly to the practice. We are able to provide you with an invoice containing all the appropriate dental anesthesia codes used should you wish to seek reimbursement from your insurance plan. We are separate and not part of your dentist’s practice, and therefore cannot contact your insurance company directly.

There are several different ways to perform general anesthesia. Upon the discretion of the anesthesiologists, you may or may not have an endotracheal (breathing) tube, an LMA (laryngeal mask airway, which is a mask placed in the throat), a nasopharyngeal airway (placed in the nose) or a protective throat screen. This depends on individual patients, medical histories, and the type of procedure to be performed.