Dental sedation is emerging as a significant opportunity for anesthesia leaders, particularly certified registered nurse anesthetists, according to Jeff Tieder, MSN, CRNA, clinical assistant professor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
“It’s very much a nonoperating room anesthesia space that I think is going to keep growing,” he told Becker’s.
The primary driver, Mr. Tieder noted, is baby boomers who prefer to complete full-mouth implant work in a single day under sedation rather than spreading treatment across six months. This demand has opened the door to flexible, cash-pay service models.
“I’ve got a dental contract right now where we offer an à la carte sedation menu — sedation for a cleaning, sedation for an extraction, sedation for implants — all cash, because most insurance doesn’t cover it,” he said. “The dentist gets more done per day, the patient has a better experience and it’s a meaningful revenue stream.”
The trend is also attracting investor interest. Private equity firm Havencrest Capital Management recently completed a majority recapitalization of Worthington, Ohio-based OFFOR Health, a provider of anesthesia services for complex dental procedures. The company integrates clinical teams — including anesthesiologists, post-anesthesia care unit nurses and paramedics — directly into dental practices, allowing pediatric patients to receive timely care without the long wait times associated with hospital operating rooms.
Technology is following suit. In September, France-based dental device manufacturer Dentalhitec announced the U.S. launch of its computer-guided dental anesthesia system, QuickSleeper5, after receiving FDA clearance. The system delivers intraosseous anesthesia for immediate, precise numbness, enabling dentists to treat patients without delays while avoiding unwanted facial numbness.
Growth in the space is unfolding alongside renewed scrutiny of patient safety standards. In December, an Arizona family began advocating for reforms to state dental laws after a man died during a dental procedure. An investigation by the Arizona State Board of Dental Examiners found deviations from the standard of care, and the treating provider, Derek Lamb, DMD, MD, was required to complete 12 hours of continuing education and had his anesthesia permit suspended for three months.
Under current Arizona law, oral surgeons may perform procedures and administer anesthesia if they hold a state dental board permit and have completed the required training. The family is urging legislators to go further, mandating that a separate, anesthesia-specialized provider be present alongside the oral surgeon during dental procedures.
The broader momentum in dental sedation is part of a wider shift in outpatient anesthesia. As Mr. Tieder described it, the same forces are reshaping ASCs.
“As regional anesthetic techniques continue to grow and as the baby boomer generation — the wealthiest generation in history — continues to take care of themselves with new joints, cosmetic procedures, dental implants and more, the ASCs that do multispecialty and orthopedic work are going to do well,” he said. “The key is having anesthesia providers who are competent and flexible enough to handle that population.”
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