For patients with severe dental phobia, complex surgical needs, or medical conditions requiring the deepest level of sedation, general anesthesia provides complete unconsciousness with zero awareness during dental treatment. At Dental Sedation Ottawa, board-certified medical anesthesiologists (Dr. Hesham Talab, MD MSc PhD FRCPC FASE and Dr. Asad Mirghassemi, MD MSc FRCPC) administer hospital-quality anesthesia care right in our dental clinic — combining maximum comfort with exceptional safety.
General anesthesia creates a state of complete unconsciousness where you have no awareness, no sensation, no memory, and no reflexes during your procedure. Think of it as a medically controlled, reversible state — you're completely "asleep" in the truest sense, with your anesthesiologist managing every aspect of your body's vital functions throughout the procedure.
Unlike other forms of dental sedation where you remain conscious to some degree, with general anesthesia you are genuinely unconscious. You cannot be awakened by physical stimulation or loud noises. You don't dream, you don't hear conversations, you don't sense the passage of time. From your perspective, you close your eyes in the treatment chair and reopen them minutes later (though hours may have passed) with your procedure complete and no memory whatsoever of the experience.
General anesthesia represents the gold standard for dental anxiety management and complex procedures. It's the same anesthesia used for hospital surgeries — but delivered in the familiar environment of our dental office by the same caliber of medical professionals you'd find in a hospital operating room.
We're one of very few dental practices in the Ottawa region offering true general anesthesia with board-certified medical anesthesiologists. You receive hospital-quality anesthesia care without the expense, inconvenience, or intimidation of an actual hospital setting.
We're here to help you understand your options.
General anesthesia is the deepest option in our comprehensive sedation range. It's recommended for:
General anesthesia is the deepest option in our comprehensive sedation range:
Several weeks before your procedure, you'll meet with our anesthesiologist for a comprehensive evaluation including complete medical history review, current medications assessment, previous anesthesia experiences discussion, physical examination including airway assessment, and the opportunity to ask all your questions.
Absolutely no food for 8 hours before your appointment (typically from midnight). Clear liquids are allowed up to 2 hours before for adults and up to 1 hour before for children. This prevents aspiration complications. You must have a responsible adult drive you to and from your appointment and stay with you for at least 12–24 hours afterward.
We place monitoring equipment (pulse oximeter, blood pressure cuff, ECG leads, capnography). For adults, we typically place an IV line in your hand or arm first. For anxious children, we often start with inhaled anesthesia through a scented mask, then place the IV after they're asleep. Within 30–60 seconds of induction medications, you'll feel drowsy and then lose consciousness smoothly.
Your anesthesiologist secures your airway, administers continuous anesthetic gases, monitors all vital signs continuously, adjusts anesthesia depth as needed, and responds immediately to any changes. From your perspective, nothing happens — you have zero awareness, zero sensation, zero memory.
You'll gradually become aware over 10–30 minutes. You'll spend 30–90 minutes in our recovery area. The anesthesia effects continue wearing off over 6–12 hours. You must not drive, operate machinery, make important decisions, or sign legal documents for 24 hours.
General anesthesia requires the highest level of safety monitoring, emergency preparedness, and medical expertise. We maintain standards identical to hospital operating rooms.
We can perform virtually any dental procedure under general anesthesia:
$1000 – $1800 CAD
Most dental insurance plans cover general anesthesia at 50–80% when medically necessary — particularly for documented severe dental phobia, special needs or developmental disabilities, young children requiring extensive treatment, complex surgical procedures, or medical conditions preventing lighter sedation.
We provide direct billing to major insurers and accept the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP).
Per-session fee depending on duration and complexity. Total cost includes anesthesia plus the dental treatment being performed.
Our patients consistently rate us 5 stars for gentle, anxiety-free care. Read verified patient experiences on Google.
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