New York State Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons

Improving the quality and care of oral and maxillofacial treatment.
Join Society
Dentist and Patient
Advocacy

OMS Advocacy In Action

Why It Matters: Legislative and regulatory decisions directly affect oral and maxillofacial surgery practices, patient access to care, reimbursement, workforce development, licensure requirements, and professional autonomy. NYSSOMS monitors these developments year-round to ensure the specialty's voice is represented in Albany.

Meetings & Events

Fall Meeting Registration Now Open

Join NYSSOMS on Sunday, November 8, 2026, at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City or participate virtually in the 2026 Fall Scientific Meeting: Advances in OMS Care—Implants & Pediatric Anesthesia.

Featuring Dr. Amit Punj and Dr. David Beanland, the program will explore prosthodontic principles for implant treatment and comprehensive approaches to pediatric anesthesia in the OMS office.

Think it. Test it. Build it. Prosthodontic Principles for Implant Treatments | Dr. Amit Punj

 Implant success depends not only on osseointegration, but also on whether the definitive prosthesis is esthetic, functional, hygienic, and maintainable. This presentation will cover how the synergy between surgery and prosthodontics leads to better outcomes

Course Objectives

  • Recall treatment planning principles for full-arch implant treatment
  • Explain the value of provisional restoration
  • Evaluate various dental materials for definitive implant-supported restorations

Little Patients, BIG Responsibilities: A Comprehensive Approach to Pediatric Anesthesia in the Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Office | Dr. David Beanland

 Treating children in the OMS office setting requires unique clinical, behavioral, and pharmacological strategies. It requires your team to embrace a systematic approach to the anesthesia model you provide. 

 This session equips the OMS and their surgical teams with the knowledge needed to safely navigate pediatric anesthesia. Cases will be shown to demonstrate how

New England OMS uses a specific anesthesia protocol and system to provide general anesthesia to hundreds of children each year. Participants will explore the anatomical and physiological differences that make pediatric patients distinct from adults. The presentation covers pre-operative risk assessment, patient selection criteria, and tailored anesthesia regimens for multiple situations. Attendees will also learn to optimize the surgical environment to reduce pediatric anxiety and improve cooperation. The session also reviews management protocols for anesthesia-related emergencies.

 COURSE OBJECTIVES

 By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

  •  Implement a specific approach to the pediatric patient and anesthesia tailored for your office and team.
  • Identify key pediatric anatomical and physiological variations affecting airway management.
  • Evaluate pediatric patients using standardized pre-operative screening and risk assessment tools, as well as your “experienced based tools”. The “look from the door” matters greatly.
  • Manage acute pediatric anesthesia complications, including laryngospasm, bradycardia and respiratory depression.

Attendees may earn 4.5 CE credits.


Register Now

HOTEL INFORMATION

NYSSOMS has reserved a room block at The Omni Berkshire Place for November 6 and 7, 2026. Deluxe King rooms are available at a group rate of $399 per night, based on single or double occupancy. Please make reservations by October 6, 2026. After this date, we cannot guarantee the group rate or room availability.

The Omni Berkshire Place

21 East 52nd Street at Madison Avenue

New York, NY 10022

Reserve Now

Add to:

Latest News

Member Alert - ASA and SPA issue interim anesthesia clinical guidance for patients with Venezuelan heritage

Feb 6, 2026

The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and the Society of Pediatric Anesthesia (SPA) are alerting anesthesia providers of reported rare but severe neurologic injury and death following routine anesthesia in adult and pediatric patients of Venezuelan ancestry. Reports initially came from South American anesthesia societies last summer, but additional cases in the United States and Europe have since been identified.

Affected patients were previously healthy and most reportedly received sevoflurane, although all the drugs administered and their doses, concentrations and durations are unknown. Although available data are incomplete and largely derived from case reports and expert communication, the severity and consistency of these events prompted issuance of interim clinical guidance.

Genetic testing has revealed that a subset of patients carried a mitochondrial ND4 mutation, affecting complex I of the electron transport chain, a known target of volatile anesthetics. There is no point-of-care screening test, and patients may be asymptomatic until anesthetic exposure. All affected patients were of Venezuelan heritage. Several also had family members who had experienced adverse outcomes after the use of anesthesia.

The ASA and SPA have compiled an initial set of recommendations for doctors providing anesthesia, acknowledging they “are broad and somewhat imprecise” because “much more is unknown than known.” These include:

  1. Screening for risk – It is recommended to ask patients about potential maternal Venezuelan heritage as this population may be considered at risk. Be prepared to respond to concerns from patients about these questions with care and sensitivity.
  2. Genetic testing – Mitochondrial DNA sequencing of patients and/or relatives can confirm the presence of the mutation. Testing laboratories should be alerted of the specific mutation (mtNDF m.11232T>C) as many have historically interpreted it as a normal variant. Informed consent should be obtained from patients or caregivers.
  3. Clinical management – The decision to proceed should be informed by the urgency of the procedure. If proceeding with a patient considered to be at risk, consider avoiding sevoflurane, utilizing regional anesthesia and/or implementing non-implicated drugs such as midazolam, dexmedetomidine, ketamine and short/ultra-short-acting opioids. Anesthetic depth monitoring with processed EEG may be advisable, though it is still unknown if a rapid change in EEG activity is seen in this patient population. Patients should be monitored after general anesthesia for return to baseline.

Both the SPA and ASA will continue to monitor cases and will periodically update their resources and recommendations on this matter at ASAhq.org/advocating-for-you/guidance/asa-and-spa.

Please share this information with relevant colleagues involved in perioperative and anesthesia care.