Same-Day Surgery
Pediatric dentists sometimes recommend that a child’s dental treatment be completed while the child is totally asleep. For safety and other reasons, we do not administer intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM), or general anesthetic medications in the office setting. These procedures are usually completed in an outpatient surgical center or a hospital because of the amount of extra attention to the child that is necessary for safe care. Both Dr. Camacho and Dr. Virts are proud to hold privileges close to our office at the Frederick Surgical Center and Frederick Memorial Hospital.
Some reasons for children being seen in an outpatient setting for dental care include:
- A very young child
- Certain medical, emotional, and/or developmental special needs
- An extensive treatment plan that would require several office visits to complete
Occasionally, we are not able to obtain adequate x-rays or other diagnostic information in the office prior to the day of the appointment, and the treatment plan may change. We will inform you before the procedure begins if there are major changes that are discovered after x-rays or the examination.
An entire medical-dental team fully devotes their time and attention to your child before, during, and after the procedure. Children who are seen for dental treatment while asleep are being treated by at least two doctors during the case. An anesthesiologist is responsible for putting the child to sleep, and the pediatric dentist is responsible for completing the dental treatment. Several nurses, technicians, and dental assistants are also present in the room. In most cases, the entire treatment plan is completed in a single session, and the child wakes up in the recovery area with no memory of the procedure. A follow-up check in the office is scheduled a week to ten days after the procedure.
Instructions:
For your child’s safety, the procedure may need to be cancelled if the instructions below are not followed. However, the ultimate decision to proceed with treatment will be at the discretion of the Department of Anesthesiology and/or the attending anesthesiologist.
Additional instructions from Dr. Camacho and Dr. Virts are:
MEDICAL:
DO NOT allow your child to eat or drink anything after midnight the evening before the procedure.
Complete and sign the “Request and Authorization for Operation or Other Procedures” form.
Your child needs a physical exam from your pediatrician within 7 days of the surgery for procedures at Frederick Memorial Hospital and within 30 days for procedures at Frederick Surgical Center, and the results faxed to us at (301) 682-7984 no later than 1 day prior to the surgery. Have your pediatrician fill out the “History and Physical for Outpatient Procedures and Short Stay Admissions” form.
INSURANCE:
If you carry insurance, we will obtain the necessary dental and medical pre-certification. Without insurance authorization, we will not schedule the procedure. We do advise you to contact your medical insurance to confirm that you have benefits for the facility and anesthesia for dental procedures. Ultimately we are not responsible for non-payment by your medical insurance and the fees to the facility and anesthesiologist are your responsibility as the policy holder.
Professional Hospital Visits are not normally covered by dental insurance, and must be paid prior to being seen in same day surgery along with the estimated patient portion.
After contacting your insurance and determining the estimated coverage, we ask that the Guarantor’s portion be paid prior to the surgery date.
