The Sedation Team That Brings You Peace of Mind
Welcome! Central Kentucky Sedation is a local, office-based anesthesia team that is passionate about serving and caring for the children of Kentucky.
Our fully certified team consists of a nurse, an anesthesiologist, and a medic. We will be there the entire time to guide you along the process and ensure that you are fully informed and your child has a safe appointment.
About Central Kentucky Sedation
What is general anesthesia?
General anesthesia is the use of one or more medications to sedate a patient so they are in a controlled state of unconsciousness. It is used for surgeries to keep the patient asleep and absent from pain.
How is general anesthetic administered?
The general anesthetic is a gas. Children breathe themselves to sleep in about 1 minute, then a breathing tube is then placed to allow the child to breathe freely during the procedure.
Is general anesthesia safe?
General anesthesia in the dental office is completely safe when it is used by properly trained individuals and applied to healthy children. Our team is comprised of experts in office-based anesthesia and includes an onsite paramedic and nurse at all times. We only see one patient at a time so your child will receive our team’s full and undivided attention.
Additionally, all patients have to be medically cleared by our anesthesiologist before being scheduled and treated with general anesthesia.
What else should I know?
It is normal for patients and parents/guardians to feel nervous before general anesthesia. Please share your concerns and questions with us so that we can address them directly. If your child is sick, has eaten any food on the day of surgery, or had any changes in their medical history, please let us know.
Why would a child require general anesthesia?
There are several reasons why a patient may require general anesthesia. It could be due to age, behavioral issues, developmental or intellectual impairments, the amount of treatment needed or to prevent further dental anxiety.
How will my child behave?
General anesthesia means your child will be completely asleep during the procedure. When waking up from anesthesia, it is normal for children to be confused. It is also typical for children to be emotional/upset for up to 30 minutes afterwards, and to be tired or sleepy for up to 3 hours.
How will my child be monitored?
We use electronic monitors that tell us how your child is doing. We will be monitoring the electrical activity in your child’s heart, their heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, and the amount of oxygen in their blood. There is no difference between the monitors we use and the monitors used in hospital operating rooms.
Can my child eat on the morning of surgery?
No. The patient must not have anything to eat 8 hours prior to surgery. For example, if your child’s surgery is scheduled for 7:00 a.m., he/she must stop eating by 11 p.m. the night prior. Patients can have small amounts of clear liquid (i.e. water, apple juice) up until two hours before arrival. For the safety and protection of your child, should these requirements not be met, his/her surgery will be canceled.
Billing & Fee Information
Central Kentucky Sedation Group is committed to providing the best care available to as many children in the Bluegrass and surrounding area as possible. Because of this, we are proud to be contracted with several of Kentucky’s medicaid companies and are always working to accept more options. If your child does not have coverage with one of our contracted providers, we also offer a fee for service payment option. For more information, please contact your dental office.
Pre-Operative Instructions
Your child will have to be medically cleared by Central Kentucky Sedation before he/she is able to be scheduled. This will be completed via phone call. In some cases, the care team may request a well-child visit with your pediatrician to ensure the patient is healthy for dental surgery.
It is very important that Central Kentucky Sedation always has the most current contact information available. Please update us immediately if any of your information changes. In the event that your Dental Provider or the Central Kentucky Sedation is unable to reach you, your child’s appointment may not be scheduled or completed. Once your child has been medically cleared for his/her dental procedure, the dental office will contact you to schedule that appointment.
It is your responsibility to inform us of any insurance changes no later than two weeks prior to your child’s dental surgery appointment. We are unable to collect the required pre-authorizations without the correct information. Additionally, if incorrect information is provided or the patient’s insurance plan(s) have been terminated your treatment estimate will not be accurate, and/or the anesthesia costs will become your responsibility.
We require a seven-day notice to reschedule your child’s appointment. Should your child become ill within that period, you should contact us as soon as possible. We will determine if a reschedule is necessary, or in some cases may request a doctor’s notes to review so we can decide if there should be a waiting period for rescheduling your child’s surgery.
If you are unable to bring your child to his/her surgery appointment, we will need a specific Helping Hands form completed. This should be completed in your dental office so that they may be witness to your consent. The form will allow for two representatives as options on your behalf. Those two people will be the only individuals allowed to bring your child to his/her dental surgery and provide consent in your absence.
We do ask that you be available for the entire day of your child’s surgery. While we do try to keep your time at the office minimal, our surgery times may take longer than expected. Most children having dental surgery receive x-rays while under anesthesia which can lead to further dental diagnosis and treatment. We want to be accommodating to all families, but please understand that our surgery times are determined by varying factors and we may not be able to comply with your request.