Health

Dr. Steven Paul, DDS Oral Surgeon Murrieta

Published

6 years ago

September 12, 2019

Four Types of Oral Surgery Anesthesia For Dental Patients

It’s not uncommon for a dental patient to feel anxious thinking about an upcoming dental procedure. At our clinic, we are always responsive to easing your nervousness or anxiety about dental treatment. We talk to you, understand your dental and personal profile and then suggest the right kind of oral surgery anesthesia to address the expected pain—nothing more, or less.

Giving anesthesia is about controlling the temporary loss of awareness or sensation. It provides relief from pain and brings down levels of anxiety during a dental procedure. The patient becomes numb to pain and stays relaxed while the dentist carries out the treatment in your mouth.

The type of dental treatment determines the degree of numbness to be attained. A simple procedure will probably need just the numbing of the area being treated. Sometimes, you may be required to be wholly unaware of events during a procedure, in which case you may need to be sedated.

Four Types of Oral Surgery Anesthesia Used By Dentists

Using Local Anesthetic

A local anesthetic alone is utilized when managing a simple and minimally invasive dental procedure. The anesthetic numbs only a part of your mouth, and you remain awake for the duration of the procedure.

Your dentist may use Lidocaine, which is a common local anesthetic medicine. It is injected in and surrounding the surgery area.

Explain How Local Anesthetics Work?

The first step involves the dentist drying the area with air or cotton or both. Usually, a gel is utilized to numb the skin. Your dentist will then gradually inject the local anesthetic. While most patients don’t feel pain due to the inserting needle, some may feel a bit of a sting.

The effect of an injection of local anesthesia can last up to a few hours. Following the procedure, the patient may find it challenging to eat, drink, or even speak clearly. It is normal to be awkward while using a straw while drinking, and you may need some towels after the procedure.

You will be cautioned not to bite on the numb area as you can hurt yourself without realizing it.

Nitrous Oxide Sedation With Local Anesthetic

You may be aware of the term “laughing gas” that is used on people during dental procedures. Nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, is an odorless and colorless breathable gas. It acts as a sedative and helps you stay calm. It will relax you by the pleasurable feelings it gives. It functions as an analgesic, and helps relieve pain.

Nitrous oxide is used for simple oral procedures as well as more complex dental procedures. It works quickly, and its effects are reversible. That’s why nitrous oxide is considered to be a safe sedation method.

If you’re about to have a wisdom tooth removed or dental implant insertion, call our office to find out if nitrous oxide sedation is best for you.

Even when nitrous oxide is used, a local anesthetic is still going to be used around the part in the mouth affected by the procedure.

What’s ‘Laughing Gas’ Or Nitrous Oxide And How Does It Work?

You will be given a mix of oxygen and nitrous oxide through a breathing apparatus before and during the procedure, and the gas will enable you to stay conscious and at ease.

The gas has a known side effect: mild amnesia, and till the time its effect goes away, you will not remember much of the procedure.

Clinic-Based Intravenous Anesthesia Using Local Anesthetic

I.V. or intravenous anesthesia triggers sedation. You will feel calm and relaxed state and not remember the dental procedure that’s usually discomforting.

Some dental patients stay asleep during the entire procedure. Some move in and out of “twilight sleep,” though they remain quite relaxed.

I.V. Anesthesia Eliminates Pain

A dental patient who is significantly anxious about dental procedures may request I.V. anesthesia even for a simple procedure.

Most patients choose I.V. anesthesia for wisdom teeth extraction or dental implants.

Skill Criteria For Dentist To Administer Anesthesia

Oral surgeons must fulfill conditions to offer general anesthesia during in-office dental procedures:

A minimum of 3 months of hospital-based anesthesia training
Passed in-office assessment carried out by state dental board examiner
Performed oral surgery utilizing general anesthesia under examiner’s oversight
Houses tested monitoring and emergency equipment
Experienced anesthesia-related emergencies

A state dental board will provide the oral surgeon a license to administer general anesthesia only after successful training and evaluation.

How Does A Dentist Use Intravenous Anesthesia?

A small intravenous needle is inserted into your arm vein. The dentist or staff places an I.V. tube that will drip the anesthetic through the needle and into your vein, and you will soon relax.

Call our office if you have questions about intravenous anesthesia. We will be happy to assist you with your concerns or questions.

General Anesthesia In Hospital

A hospital offers inpatient general anesthesia to patients who require extensive surgery such as TMJ surgery, and face and jaw reconstruction. An anesthesiologist administers the general anesthesia.

You are encouraged to speak with our dentist or dental office to clarify your doubt about general anesthesia.

Know Dr. Steven Paul, MD, DDS

It is Dr. Steven Paul’s top priority to keep you safe and comfortable, and oral surgery anesthesia helps our clinic to achieve relaxation during procedures.

Once you schedule a consultation for any dental procedure, Dr. Paul and his staff interact with you comprehensively about the most appropriate type of anesthesia. Dr. Paul takes extra care in addressing any concerns you may have and will not move forward until you are satisfied with the answers.

A member of the American Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons, Dr. Paul has more than 20 years of experience in all areas of oral surgery. He specializes in the treatment and restoration of missing teeth via dental implant procedures including full mouth rehabilitation (All-on-4), restoring both aesthetics and function, bone and soft tissue grafting, associated tumors and cysts in the oral cavity, and wisdom teeth removal.

Every anesthetic technique is customized for the individual patient at our dental clinic.

Health

The Scientist as Storyteller: How Steven Quay Makes Complex Medicine Relatable

Published

1 month ago

July 23, 2025

Michelle Langton

Scientific discovery often struggles to reach the people it is meant to serve. The distance between research and public understanding can be vast. For most scientists, publishing in peer-reviewed journals is the endpoint. For Dr. Steven Quay, it is only the beginning. His career has been defined not just by what he has discovered, but by how he communicates it.

Scientific trust today faces growing skepticism and misinformation spreads faster than facts, Quay has embraced a rare role. He is both a scientist and a storyteller. His ability to bridge the technical and the human is what makes his voice resonate across disciplines, institutions, and communities.

Writing as a Lens into the Human Side of Science

One of the clearest examples of Quay’s narrative instinct lies in his writing. He has authored three major books, each rooted in a different part of his life and expertise. Together, they show how a medical researcher can also be an accessible public thinker.

In Stay Safe: A Physician’s Guide to Survive Coronavirus, published June 5, 2020, during the first days of the pandemic, Quay offered plainspoken, evidence-based guidance on protecting oneself and one’s family. It was not framed as a political statement or a policy directive. It was personal and grounded in the daily realities people faced. He wrote it not just as a scientist, but as someone who wanted to help others navigate a frightening time with clarity and calm.

His second book, The Origin of the Virus, tackled a more complex and controversial subject: the question of how SARS-CoV-2 emerged. Rather than speculate, Quay walked readers through the scientific evidence with the kind of transparency that is often lacking in public discourse. The tone was methodical, never alarmist. What set the book apart was its balance, engaging to a lay reader, yet rigorous enough to be taken seriously by professionals.

Then there is A Ride Through Northville, a deeply personal departure from the world of virology and oncology. Here, Quay revisits his childhood in Michigan, capturing the streets, friendships, and quiet moments that shaped him long before he entered a lab. The structure of the book mimics the experience of riding a bike through town, evoking memory not as a chronology, but as a sensory journey. For a scientist whose career has involved high-stakes research and global debates, this book offers a rare window into the reflective, grounded person behind the work.

Speaking Clearly Without Speaking Down

Quay’s communication skill is not limited to the written word. He has also become a frequent guest on health-focused podcasts and a speaker at public science forums. His TEDx talk on breast cancer prevention is one of the most viewed videos on the subject, and for good reason. He does not rely on drama or abstract theory. Instead, he explains mammographic density, hormonal risk, and clinical trial design in a way that makes the science both comprehensible and actionable.

In interviews, Quay has a habit of slowing things down. He avoids jargon unless he defines it. He is comfortable saying, “We don’t know yet,” which, in the realm of public science, is a kind of honesty that builds trust. He often discusses Atossa Therapeutics’ trials in plain terms, describing how experimental drugs like (Z)-endoxifen might help certain patients respond better to treatment. He emphasizes that these are ongoing studies, not marketing pitches, which sets him apart from many biotech executives.

Educating the Public Without Oversimplifying

One of the challenges of public-facing science is resisting the urge to oversimplify. Many well-intentioned scientists flatten complexity to fit the constraints of social media or mainstream news. Quay does not follow that path. He explains mechanisms and hypotheses with nuance, trusting that readers and listeners are capable of understanding more than they are often given credit for.

His social media presence reflects the same philosophy. He shares articles and research updates, but rarely with alarm or bravado. When he comments on current medical debates, he tends to lead with evidence rather than opinion. That steady tone has earned him a following that spans across ideological and professional divides.

During the pandemic, this approach stood out. While others chased headlines, Quay focused on distilling evolving guidance into practical advice. He acknowledged the limits of current knowledge, updated his views as new data emerged, and emphasized science as an iterative process. His voice became one that many people turned to not for certainty, but for clarity.

A Scientist’s Responsibility Beyond the Lab

Quay has often said that science does not exist in isolation. It is part of society. That belief informs why he writes, speaks, and engages in public discourse as actively as he does. He sees the scientist’s role not just as a producer of knowledge, but as a custodian of its meaning.

He has testified before the U.S. Congress and advised the State Department, not as a politician but as a physician-scientist committed to accuracy. In each case, his contribution has been grounded in data but shaped by a recognition of the human implications of policy and research.

This is especially evident in his work on breast cancer. By advocating for better screening tools and more personalized treatments, Quay speaks not only to clinicians and investors but to women facing real fears about their health. He explains the science behind mammographic density and hormonal modulation not just with charts, but with stories about what those risks mean in someone’s life.

Storytelling as a Form of Service

What makes Quay’s communication style compelling is that it never feels performative. He is not branding himself or building a media empire. He is doing what he believes scientists should do: make their work useful.

In every form of his storytelling, from the deeply personal to the technically specific, there is a throughline of responsibility. He understands that science touches people’s lives in ways that go far beyond the lab. For him, that means speaking clearly, writing honestly, and never underestimating the audience.