General anesthesia protocol for the dental patient: emphasis for older adults.

As the population ages, with increased retention of the natural dentition, there will be a greater responsibility for dental professionals to maintain the oral health of medically, behaviorally, cognitively, and physically impaired adults. Oral sedatives and nitrous oxide analgesia are frequently and successfully used for dental treatments in these patients. However, many compromised older adults cannot safely tolerate dental treatment with these sedative techniques in an outpatient setting. This paper describes the use of general anesthesia in a hospital environment, coordinated with medical and anesthesia specialists, that is a viable, safe, and effective treatment tool for providing comprehensive dental and oral surgical treatment for the older patient.