IV sedation needed for wisdom teeth removal?

[NYCDiane]

I would absolutely have the IV sedation done for him. Impacted teeth are extremely difficult to remove and, even with novocaine, it would still hurt. Not to mention, he'd be fully awake and have to experience all this and it WILL be traumatizing to him and could lead to a lifelong fear of dentists.

When I had my 4 wisdom teeth removed, I had the IV sedation done and it was g-r-e-a-t.... I was sitting in the chair, watching her put the IV in.. next thing I knew, I was waking up in the recovery room. Awesome.

 

[D&D's Mom]

Many insurance plans do cover the IV sedation. Why not check with your insurance carrier for a list of network providers (that will reduce your out of pocket cost first of all), then find out if they cover the IV sedation. If IV sedation is not covered, inquire about nitrous gas. It will be quite scary for a child to have extractions without something. Good luck!

 

[digitalsiren]

I had the pleasure of having four impacted wisdom teeth removed under IV sedation. I don't think I would have tolerated the procedure without it as I would have been too nervous/worried.

 

[ceecee]

I worked for an oral surgeon and we did a lot of wisdom teeth without it. I had mine done with just a local, two were partially impacted. We also gave something that relaxed people without putting them all the way out. I have more trouble recovering from anesthesia than anything else.

 

[ilovebassets]

I had to pay the anesthieologist (sp?) $800 out of pocket, then file with the insurance. Of course the insurance co denied it.

Just FYI, you didn't pay an anesthesiologist anything because there almost certainly wasn't one. Oral surgeons do six months of anesthesia training during their residencies so they are able to handle doing IV sedation on their own.

Unless your daughter had her procedures done under true general anesthesia in a regular operating room (which is usually reserved for mentally retarded or severely autistic children), the chances of an anesthesiologist being present for wisdom teeth removal is about zero.

I know because I am an anesthesiologist

 

[stitchlovestink]

It makes a big difference if the teeth are impacted. Basically if the teeth are impacted they are still below the gum line and will need to cut open the gums and crack them out. Pretty violent stuff. IV sedation was covered when I had mine taken out. I would check with your insurance on that part.

I totally agree w/ this poster...
I only had one out of four that was impacted, but it was bad. They had to break it into 8 pieces to get it out. I didn't have IV sedation but did have nitrous oxide (sp?).
I had them removed on a Fri and tried to go back to work on Tues. They sent me home because I looked like I had been beaten. My jaw line was black & blue and up into my cheek and slightly down my neck. I also ended up w/ a dry socket. That was the worst pain ever next to a tooth that abcessed several years ago. I can't recommend whether you should have the IV sedation, but I think you'll need something more than just novacaine.
Best of Luck with a tough situation.

 

[Leajess99]

We are getting estimates for our son to have his four impacted wisdom teeth removed. One office called us yesterday and told us that their office is not "in network" with any insurance company, however, they give free IV sedation (a $700 value according to them) which most insurance companies won't cover. She suggested that the savings should more than offset the fact that they are not "in network". So, is it typical to need IV sedation for this procedure? If so, why would insurance not cover it?

I never had it when I had mine removed. I had 3 out at once and they were impacted and infected. Those were taken out by the Air Force dentist in Germany and I was sent home for the rest of the day.
My other one was previously removed and I actually had to work that night.

 

[Stinkerbell1973]

I had mine pulled when I was 29. They sedated me using an IV drip in my hand. It took less than 4 minutes for me to go completely out - in fact, I remember waking up very briefly in "recovery", but I do not remember going home, getting in the house, or most of that day (had it done at 6am) for that matter. I can't imagine it being done any other way. My oral surgeon was phenomenal; I didn't feel anything during the procedure and had no pain associated directly to the procedure. The only issue I had afterward was the swelling on the left side of my face was pinching a nerve for a few days. That didn't hurt, it was more annoying than anything.
I agree with OP, call your insurance and ask if they will pay for it. It's possible the dr's office told you that because they may not file that with your insurance. However your insurance may reimburse you for it. Also, if you are having them pulled because you have to (not because you want to), I'd recommend checking with your medical insurance provider as well. 2 of mine were impacted, one pretty badly so, and my medical insurance actually picked up some of it. I paid nothing out of pocket.

 

[stitchlovestink]

Just FYI, you didn't pay an anesthesiologist anything because there almost certainly wasn't one. Oral surgeons do six months of anesthesia training during their residencies so they are able to handle doing IV sedation on their own.

Unless your daughter had her procedures done under true general anesthesia in a regular operating room (which is usually reserved for mentally retarded or severely autistic children), the chances of an anesthesiologist being present for wisdom teeth removal is about zero.

I know because I am an anesthesiologist

Or the other exception might be if the problem is too severe to be handled in an oral surgeon's office. This happened to us w/ younger DD. She has such an incredibly high pain tolerance. She had a tooth abcess and she never said a word about it bothering her until it actually abcessed. One Thursday eve, she started balling about nothing and I ?ed what was going on because this was so out of character for her. She told me, 'I just can't take the pain anymore.' I was like what are you talking about. She showed me which tooth was bothering her and there was a 'puss pocket' on the outside of her gum the size of Texas. Anyway, when I touched it w/ a q tip, it exploded. Well, our reg dentist told me they couldn't see her for a week. Needless to say, they are NO LONGER our regular dentist. Most dentists around here are closed on Fridays. Our pediatrician had to call in a favor from an oral surgeon. He saw her that Fri afternoon, put her on heavy antibotics and said the tooth would have to come out under general anesthesia due to the infection. He actually had to trim the gum down because it had stretched with the infection, scrape the bone, and sew up the hole where the tooth came out. She did have an anesthesiologist in there taking care of her, because I was there with her in the OR at the hospital while they put her under. But hers was an unusual situation.

 

[cougar242]

I had my wisdom teeth removed this past February, but I waited to I was older let them grow get impacted and I had one that was completely sideways. I was just so nervous about having the procedure done and anxiety over it I elected for the sedation. I had dual coverage with Delta Dental and United Healhcare Dental and they both paid for my iv sedation. Mine was done in the oral surgeons office, I remember walking into the room and sitting down in the chair and really cant remember much of that day but bits and pieces. I think it is a personally preference and for me I would not have had it done any other way.

Call your insurance company and check what they will cover, we got the codes from the dentist and called the insurance company to find out exactly what would be covered prior to having the procedure done.

 

[hinodis]

My son had impacted teeth and his was covered by our major medical policy, not our dental policy. See if that makes a difference.

 

[daisax]

I had mine removed two at a time a few years apart. IV sedation, took less than 20 mins each time -- I felt like I had just closed my eyes.

Was a little droopy, went home, took a nap, woke up, had a soft dinner, went to bed, and got up for work the next day.

I'd do a lot of polling of friends and neighbors to find somebody who's skillful with the anesthesia as well as the extraction itself. I assume there are many levels of competency, and there's no need to be zonked all day just because your oral surgeon gave you too much sedation.

 

[Starbrite]

Just FYI, you didn't pay an anesthesiologist anything because there almost certainly wasn't one. Oral surgeons do six months of anesthesia training during their residencies so they are able to handle doing IV sedation on their own.

Unless your daughter had her procedures done under true general anesthesia in a regular operating room (which is usually reserved for mentally retarded or severely autistic children), the chances of an anesthesiologist being present for wisdom teeth removal is about zero.

I know because I am an anesthesiologist

Yep, It was definately a separate anesthesiologist. She didn't have wisdom teeth removed, so it wasn't an oral surgeon....just a Pediatric Dentist. ( I was just comparing my dealings with the insurance co)

She had to have 4 fillings, 2 crowns, some pulp thingy + they did the sealant while they were in there.

She's deathly afraid of the dentist & they thought it would be way too traumatic if she were awake for all this. Regular cleanings are a major deal

 

[Tricia1972]

I had IV Sedation for this procedure and I wouldn't personally do it any other way. I am not fond of dentists to begin with and it would have freaked me out to be awake at all.

I drifted off to a happy lala land, and woke up with gauze in my mouth. I highly recommend it!

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

We are getting estimates for our son to have his four impacted wisdom teeth removed. One office called us yesterday and told us that their office is not "in network" with any insurance company, however, they give free IV sedation (a $700 value according to them) which most insurance companies won't cover. She suggested that the savings should more than offset the fact that they are not "in network". So, is it typical to need IV sedation for this procedure? If so, why would insurance not cover it?

My only advice is no matter what the oral surgeon's office tells you about what is covered or how much your insurance will pay, verify it with your dental and/or medical insurance. I've been burned twice now by believing what the office staff told me instead of checking myself. It won't happen a third time.

 

[ma2jr]

It's elective. I didn't get it when I had mine removed, and I saved a lot of money. They still give you shots so it doesn't hurt, so the only difference was that I was awake instead of sedated. There was some pressure but nothing that scared me. I was totally fine!

Me too... brought and ipod.

 

[branv]

I had impacted wisdom teeth and they were removed using just the nitrous, no IV sedation. I wore headphones through out the procedure. I do remember feeling the tugging and pounding sensation, but frankly was so stoned I could have cared less. In fact, I was wiggling my toes to the music I was listening to. And when they were done, lightening fast recovery.

On the reverse side, DH had his out a few years ago as an adult using the full sedation. He was just so out of it for the longest time, but at the same time he said he felt like his head was about to fly off. When I called the dentist to ask what was going on they said that they'd also given him an injection of steroids to help with inflammation and he was probably reacting to that. Stoned yet wired, and DH afterwards said it was one of the worst feelings he's ever had -- like he was trapped inside his mind while it was going crazy. He was exhausted from the sedation but couldn't sleep. Just insane. I'm always a little surprised by how many people I know who react poorly to sedation -- though usually (thank god) limited to vomiting/nausea. My sister and a friend of mine didn't understand that sedation was the problem until they were adults and had a few more procedures, so their first experience with it WAS their wisdom teeth. Poor things were throwing up after having their wisdom teeth out..and I mean, OUCH!

Sorry, didn't mean to go into horror stories Just making the point that there are also positives about using just the nitrous, on top of saving money.

 

[dawnball]

I had my first wisdom tooth out with xanax and novocain. It -hurt-. None of this "all you feel is pressure" crap - it just outright hurt, right from the very beginning. The dentist wouldn't believe me, and wouldn't give me more novocain.

The second two (and I only had three) I had IV-sedation. I'd pay for IV-sedation for impacted wisdom teeth in a heartbeat. However - I'd check with your insurance company to see if it's covered, and how much is covered. For our old dental policy it wasn't covered, the new policy covers it, but there's a $1500/year insurance cap, and I'd have run into the cap.

 

[Gabrielsbigtrip]

I am not sure about your state but our pediatric dentist told me about a Maryland state policy that I was not aware of. Sedation would fall under medical and not dental coverage if certain criteria was met.

I handle our company benefits and wasn't aware of this because we are self insured(our company gets charged for the claim $'s up to a certain stop-loss). The state policy only applied to fully insured companies.

I explained the situation to my boss and they were nice enough to ammend our plan to include it on our medical policy.

It basically states:

Anesthesia and related charges for dental services performed in a
Hospital or Alternate Facility when the dentist and the Physician
determine that such services are necessary for the safe and effective
treatment of a dental condition. Such treatment is limited to a
Covered Person who:
• Is a child under 7 years of age; or
• Is developmentally disabled; or
• Has one or more physical or mental conditions that require
admission to a Hospital or Alternate Facility and general
anesthesia for successful dental treatment.
• Is an individual for whom a superior result can be expected from
dental care provided under general anesthesia.
• Is an emotionally disturbed child 17 years of age or younger with
severe dental problems requiring immediate treatment.


I don't know how old your child is or if it would be helpful to research it a little bit further.

My son is Autistic and needed crowns - poor boy doesn't even eat candy and I guess he just inherited bad teeth

Good luck.

 

[toledo13]

It makes a big difference if the teeth are impacted. Basically if the teeth are impacted they are still below the gum line and will need to cut open the gums and crack them out. Pretty violent stuff. IV sedation was covered when I had mine taken out. I would check with your insurance on that part.

Agree. I was KNOCKED OUT! So was my sister, and my DH. All of ours were impacted. I was 17 when I had mine done.