General Anesthesia and Deep Sedation in Dentistry
Course Overview
The ability to provide effective pain and anxiety control has been fundamental to dentistry since the profession’s inception. Today, deep sedation and general anesthesia play a critical role in enabling access to oral healthcare for populations that might otherwise be excluded, including young children, individuals with severe dental anxiety or phobias, patients with developmental or cognitive disabilities, and those requiring extensive or invasive procedures.
This continuing education course provides an in-depth, evidence-based review of general anesthesia and deep sedation in dentistry. Emphasis is placed on physiological principles, pharmacology, patient evaluation, anesthesia delivery techniques, monitoring standards, emergency preparedness, and risk management. The course is designed to strengthen clinical judgment, reinforce safety culture, and support regulatory compliance for dentists and dental anesthesiology providers practicing in office-based and hospital-based environments.
Learning Outcomes
Upon the completion of this course, the learner should be able to:
- Summarize the historical evolution of deep sedation and anesthesia in dentistry.
- Describe the role of deep sedation and general anesthesia in modern dental practice.
- Define anesthesia terminology and levels of sedation according to accepted standards.
- Identify current regulatory and professional expectations governing the use of deep sedation and general anesthesia.
- Identify the equipment used in the practice of deep sedation and general anesthesia.
- Interpret patient selection criteria for deep sedation and general anesthesia.
- List the medications that are utilized in the delivery of general anesthesia and deep sedation and apply that knowledge to the delivery of these services.
- Recognize emergencies as they occur in the patient under general anesthesia.
- Identify aspects of patient physiology important in patients undergoing deep sedation and general anesthesia.
- Perform a pre-anesthetic patient evaluation.
- Demonstrate an understanding of emergency preparedness and crisis management for the patient undergoing deep sedation and general anesthesia.
About the Author/Presenter
Paul Subar, DDS, EdD, FACD, is a tenured professor and chair of the Department of Diagnostic Sciences and Director of the Special Care Clinic/Hospital Dentistry Program at the University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry in San Francisco, California. In addition, he holds a clinical professorship at the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine in Family and Community Medicine. Dr. Subar earned his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz; his DDS at the University of California, Los Angeles; his advanced training in hospital dentistry at the University of California Los Angeles Medical Center; and his doctorate of education at the Benerd School of Education, University of the Pacific.
Audience/Accreditations and Approvals
TRC Healthcare/ NetCE
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by TRC Healthcare/ NetCE. TRC Healthcare/NetCE is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
This course is designed for the following healthcare professions (select your profession for details):
Dental AGD Code: 340
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