Anesthesia and Critical Care Reviews and Commentary (ACCRAC) Podcast Episode 331: Dental Anesthesia Update with Connor Schmenk
Apr 5, 2026
Connor Schmenk, a board-certified dental anesthesiologist and mobile practice owner who teaches office-based anesthesia, joins to unpack dental anesthesia. He covers training and accreditation, when general anesthesia is needed, pediatric and special-needs considerations, intubated versus open-airway techniques, nasal intubation tricks, equipment and staffing for safe office cases, and how to build a safety-first practice.
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Match Anesthesia To Dental Specialty
- Different dental specialties require different anesthesia familiarity: oral surgeons and pediatric dentists are most experienced, general dentists may have minimal anesthesia exposure.
- Schmenk outlines typical cases per specialty and warns to adjust preparation when working with general dentists.
All On X Drives Office Anesthesia Demand
- All-on-X full-mouth implant workflows exploded demand for office anesthesiologists because patients want same-day extractions, implants, and fixed prostheses under GA.
- Schmenk describes the procedure: extractions, alveoloplasty, implant placement, and immediate hybrid denture attachment.
Pick Airway Method To Match Case Risks
- Choose airway strategy by case: use nasotracheal intubation with warmed uncuffed tubes to protect airway for dental work, or open-airway remifentanil/propofol infusions for selected patients.
- Schmenk favors uncuffed nasal tubes warmed to reduce nasal trauma and uses Afrin or red-rubber catheters when needed.
