General Anesthesia for Oral Surgery
 General anesthesia lets you sleep completely through oral surgery, and it is the deepest level of anesthesia our oral surgeons provide in Pullman, WA and Lewiston, ID.
At Oral & Facial Surgery, our board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeons reserve general anesthesia for complex procedures and for patients whose needs call for being fully asleep, and they provide and monitor it themselves.
Unlike lighter options, general anesthesia places you in a fully unconscious state. You will not move, feel, or remember any part of the procedure, which makes it well suited to longer surgeries, very involved cases, and patients for whom staying calm and still while awake is not realistic.
It is not the right choice for every appointment. For many people a lighter level such as IV sedation is enough, and we will help you compare where general anesthesia fits among our sedation options at your consultation.
On This Page
What Is General Anesthesia?
 General anesthesia uses carefully controlled medication, delivered through an IV, to bring you into a deep sleep for the length of your procedure. Your surgeon and team monitor your breathing, heart rate, and oxygen closely the entire time, and you wake once the surgery is complete.
This is different from lighter sedation. Under IV sedation you stay drowsy but responsive, while under general anesthesia you are fully unconscious and unaware. That depth is what makes it appropriate for the most involved oral surgery.
Is General Anesthesia Right for You?
We usually recommend general anesthesia for specific situations rather than as a default. It tends to be the right fit when:
- The surgery is long or complex – such as removing multiple impacted teeth or repairing facial trauma in one visit.
- Staying still while awake is not realistic – for young patients or those with special needs who cannot otherwise tolerate treatment.
- Severe dental fear makes lighter options insufficient – when even IV sedation would not allow comfortable treatment.
- A medical condition calls for it – certain health situations are managed more safely under full anesthesia in a controlled setting.
We review your health history closely before recommending general anesthesia, because the decision weighs the benefit of full sedation against your individual medical picture.
In the Office or in a Hospital
Where your general anesthesia takes place depends on your health and the procedure. Many cases are handled safely in our office, where the surgical and anesthesia setup is built for it. For patients with significant medical complexity or special needs, we coordinate hospital-based general anesthesia instead, drawing on the same hospital training both surgeons completed during residency.
Your Surgeons and Their Anesthesia Training
The most important question with general anesthesia is who is providing it. At our practice, the same board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon performing your procedure also provides and monitors your anesthesia, supported by a trained team. Both surgeons completed extensive general anesthesia training during their hospital-based residencies.
Dr. Stephen W. Holm is a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and served as chief resident during his residency at Carle Foundation Hospital, with more on Dr. Holm’s bio. Dr. Sherdon W. Cordova completed his oral and maxillofacial surgery residency at the same hospital and served as an oral and maxillofacial surgeon in the United States Air Force, with more on Dr. Cordova’s bio.
Both surgeons hold the anesthesia certifications and permits required in Idaho and Washington and keep that training current. Because the person directing your anesthesia is the same person doing your surgery, nothing about your care is split between separate providers.
What to Expect With General Anesthesia
General anesthesia follows a careful sequence that starts a day or two before your surgery, not on the morning of.
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Pre-op instructions – in the 12 to 24 hours before surgery we tell you exactly what to stop eating, drinking, and taking, because anything in your stomach raises the risk of complications under anesthesia.
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Arranging your ride and recovery – you will need a responsible adult to drive you home and stay with you, so we confirm that plan in advance.
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Going under – on the day of surgery your surgeon starts an IV and brings you gradually into a deep, controlled sleep within a few minutes.
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Continuous monitoring – your surgeon and team track your breathing, heart rate, oxygen, and other vital signs without pause for the entire procedure.
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The surgery – with you fully asleep, we complete the wisdom teeth removal or other procedure, often handling several things in one visit.
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Waking and recovery – you wake in our recovery area as the medication clears, and we send you home with written aftercare instructions once you are stable. |
Most of the grogginess fades over the rest of the day, though we ask you to rest and skip driving, work, and important decisions until the next morning.
The Benefits of General Anesthesia
Because the surgeon directing your anesthesia is also the one performing your surgery, the depth of sedation stays matched to each stage of a long or complex case. Procedures that might otherwise be split across several appointments can often be finished in one.
For patients who have avoided care because of severe fear or a strong gag reflex, full anesthesia removes the experience entirely. You wake with no memory of the procedure, and because we can address several issues in that single asleep visit, years of postponed treatment are often handled at once.
General anesthesia also opens the door to treatment for young children and patients with special needs who cannot safely sit through surgery any other way. Because our surgeons provide anesthesia in the office or coordinate it in a hospital, we match the setting to each patient’s medical needs.
Why Choose Our Surgeons for General Anesthesia
The biggest reason patients across the Lewiston/Clarkston and Moscow/Pullman regions trust us with general anesthesia is that one board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon both performs the surgery and directs the anesthesia, with permits held in both Idaho and Washington. There is no separate anesthesia provider stepping in and out of your care.
Experience matters at this depth of sedation. Our surgeons bring more than forty years of combined experience and have safely sedated thousands of patients, and they can provide anesthesia in our office or in a hospital when a patient’s health calls for it.
General Anesthesia Cost and Insurance
Cost matters, and we want to be upfront about it. What you pay for general anesthesia depends on the length of the procedure, the surgery it supports, and whether it is provided in the office or a hospital, so a precise figure comes from an in-person evaluation rather than a quote over the phone.
Because general anesthesia is usually tied to a medically necessary surgery, dental or medical insurance often covers part of it, though every plan differs. You can review the details of your insurance and financing options, and our team will confirm your benefits before treatment and explain payment options for qualifying patients.
Schedule Your Consultation
Ready to talk through whether general anesthesia is right for your oral surgery? Call our Lewiston, ID office at 208-743-1640 or our Pullman, WA office at 509-330-5020 to schedule. You can also request an appointment online anytime. Our Lewiston office is at 444 Thain Rd, Lewiston, ID 83501. Our Pullman office is at 1256 Bishop Blvd Suite I, Pullman, WA 99163. For questions before you book, our Contact page is the quickest way to reach us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I feel or remember anything under general anesthesia?
No. General anesthesia keeps you fully unconscious, so you will not feel, hear, or remember any part of the surgery. You wake afterward with the procedure already done.
Is general anesthesia the same as IV sedation?
No. IV sedation keeps you drowsy but able to respond, while general anesthesia places you in a fully unconscious state. Your surgeon recommends the lighter option whenever it is enough and reserves general anesthesia for more complex needs.
Is general anesthesia safe?
It is very safe when a properly trained team provides and monitors it. Both of our surgeons completed hospital-based anesthesia training and hold permits in Idaho and Washington, and we watch your vital signs continuously from the moment you go under until you wake.
Will my procedure be done in the office or a hospital?
Most cases are handled in our office. For patients with significant medical complexity or special needs, we arrange hospital-based anesthesia instead, and we decide together which setting is safest for you.
Do I need someone to drive me home?
Yes. You must have a responsible adult drive you home and stay with you afterward, because the medication affects your coordination and judgment for the rest of the day. This applies even if you feel alert.
How long does it take to recover?
Most patients feel groggy for a few hours and back to themselves by the next morning. Soreness from the surgery itself usually lasts longer than the effects of the anesthesia, and we give you specific aftercare instructions.
Can children or patients with special needs have general anesthesia?
Yes, and it is often the safest way to treat them. We plan the approach at a consultation first, then treat young children or patients with special needs while fully asleep, in whichever setting, office or hospital, their health calls for.
Does insurance cover general anesthesia?
Often in part, especially when the anesthesia supports a medically necessary surgery. Because it is frequently billed through medical coverage rather than dental, our team checks both for you, and you can review our insurance and financing options in the meantime. |
