How general anaesthesia differs from local
Local anaesthesia switches off sensation in one area: one tooth, one quadrant of the arch. The patient is awake, hears and talks to the dentist. It is enough for the vast majority of dental procedures and it is the first choice whenever it can work.
General anaesthesia is a sleep controlled by an anaesthesiologist. The patient is not aware of the procedure, and their breathing, pulse, blood pressure and oxygen saturation are monitored continuously, from the first drug to full wake-up. It needs a separate team, separate equipment and a separate medical qualification. That is why it is not a premium version of an ordinary visit but a procedure you have to qualify for.
Four situations in which it is the right path
At DentalBlue, treatment under general anaesthesia is available in four situations. In each of them the reason is not convenience but the fact that treatment in the chair under local anaesthesia is not possible or not safe.
- A child who is not able to cooperate with treatment in the chair, for example very young or with a large number of teeth to treat at once.
- A patient with a disability for whom treatment in the surgery is not possible or would take many short, difficult visits.
- A patient allergic to local anaesthetic, confirmed by allergy documentation.
- A patient whose inflammation is too acute for local anaesthetic to work.
Qualification first, the date afterwards
Every treatment under general anaesthesia starts with a joint dental and anaesthesiology consultation. At this visit a panoramic X-ray is taken, in the clinic's own radiology unit, and a full medical history is collected: coexisting conditions, regular medicines, previous anaesthetics, allergies. The anaesthesiologist decides which laboratory tests are needed and explains the rules on eating and drinking before the anaesthetic. The exact times of the last meal and the last drink are given at this consultation, because they differ for children and adults.
No procedure date is set beforehand. Only when both teams have seen the image, the history and the results does a plan come together: what will be done in one anaesthetic, in what order and how long it will take. Entitlement to NFZ funding is confirmed as part of the same qualification.
How the day of the procedure runs
Two teams work in the room at the same time. The dental team treats, the anaesthesiology team watches only the patient. A qualified anaesthesia nurse is present throughout, from induction to full wake-up, and does not leave the room. Intubation and ventilation equipment is prepared and checked before every procedure, whether or not it will be needed, and the oxygen source and a separate high-power suction unit are independent of the dental unit.
For a child, a parent is present as the child falls asleep. All the planned treatment is done in one visit: restorative treatment, hygiene, extractions, everything agreed at qualification. Wake-up takes place with the nurse, and after the procedure the patient or carer receives written instructions and a direct phone number for post-operative care.
Two people whose only job is the patient
Care before and after the procedure is provided by the same person. Not reception and not the clinical team: two people at the clinic look after patients treated under general anaesthesia and nothing else, and they have direct phone numbers. Monika Gosiewska provides pre- and post-operative care (606 983 347), Anita Alińska is the patient contact (539 231 949). Both can be called directly, before the procedure and after it.
Who pays: the NFZ or the patient
The reason for treatment and the funding are two separate matters. Funding depends on age and on a disability certificate, and for children and young people under 18 also on the medical indications set out in the regulation.
The NFZ (Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia, the Polish National Health Fund) covers people up to the age of 16 with a disability certificate and people over 16 with a certificate of moderate or severe disability. Since 1 January 2026 it also funds general anaesthesia for children and young people under 18 in specific situations: an allergy to local anaesthetics, a systemic illness confirmed by a specialist physician's opinion, an acute dental infection, and, for children who do not cooperate despite adaptation visits and sedation, extensive treatment. Entitlement is confirmed at qualification, on the basis of documents.
- Up to 16, with a disability certificate: NFZ.
- Under 18, without a certificate: NFZ where the indications in force since 1 January 2026 apply, otherwise privately.
- Over 16, moderate or severe degree: NFZ.
- Adults, mild degree or no certificate: privately.
What private treatment costs
According to the clinic's published price list, the package of two anaesthesiology consultations (a visit and the review of test results) costs 400 zł, the first hour of anaesthesia 1 500 zł and each further hour 500 zł. The dental procedures carried out under anaesthesia are priced on top, according to the relevant price list categories. The final scope and cost are set at qualification, in writing, before anything is agreed.
Frequently asked questions
Can I have my teeth treated under general anaesthesia just because I am very afraid of the dentist?
Fear on its own is not one of the four situations in which the clinic treats under general anaesthesia. Whether it comes into question in a specific case is decided at the joint consultation of the dentist and the anaesthesiologist. In most anxious situations other tools are enough: a plan explained in full, local anaesthesia and inhalation sedation.
How long does the whole procedure take?
The time depends on the scope of treatment agreed at qualification. The price list charges the first hour of anaesthesia and each further hour separately, so the plan from qualification includes the expected time.
Can a parent stay with the child?
Yes, a parent is present as the child falls asleep. Wake-up takes place with the anaesthesia nurse, and the parent receives instructions and a direct number for post-operative care.
Can I eat before the anaesthetic?
No, before general anaesthesia there is a break in eating and drinking. The exact times of the last meal and the last drink are set by the anaesthesiologist at the qualification consultation, because they differ for children and adults.
An informational article. It does not replace a consultation, and treatment decisions are made during a visit.
