Dr. Crowley has extensive experience in multiple anesthetic techniques. For your surgical procedure, you may choose local anesthesia (numbing injections), local Anesthesia with nitrous oxide (laughing gas), sedation with intravenous anesthesia, or a general anesthetic during which you will be completely asleep. If you are particularly anxious or if an extensive procedure is scheduled (wisdom teeth or multiple extractions), you may want to choose a general anesthetic. Please be aware that certain medical problems, weight parameters, or your age may limit our ability to put you to sleep in the office.

Dr. Crowley and his staff have extensive experience and education which helps insure as safe an anesthetic as possible. Dr. Crowley completed several months of hospital anesthesia during residency, has delivered thousands of safe general anesthetics in the office since 1983, and is current in anesthetic training including Advanced Cardiac Life Support. His surgical staff all have Basic Life Support certification and have extensive experience as part of the anesthetic team.

Oral Pathology

The inside of the mouth is normally lined with a special type of skin (mucosa) that is smooth and coral pink in color. Any alteration in this appearance could be a warning sign for a pathological process. The most serious of these is oral cancer. The following can be signs at the beginning of a pathologic process or cancerous growth:

• Reddish patches (erythroplasia) or whitish patches (leukoplakia) in the mouth
  
• A sore that fails to heal and bleeds easily
  
• A lump or thickening on the skin lining the inside of the mouth
  
• Chronic sore throat or hoarseness
  
• Difficulty in chewing or swallowing
  

These changes can be detected on the lips, cheeks, palate, and gum tissue around the teeth, tongue, face, and/or neck. Pain does not always occur with pathology and, curiously, is not often associated with oral cancer. However, any patient with facial and/or oral pain without an obvious cause or reason may also be at risk for oral cancer.

We would recommend performing an oral cancer self-examination monthly and remember that your mouth is one of your body's most important warning systems. Do not ignore suspicious lumps or sores. Please contact us so we may help.