On March 11, 2019, the National Commission determined that the American Society of Dentist Anesthesiologists meets the “Requirements for Recognition of Dental Specialties.”
Our adult daughter has cerebral palsy and requires being fully sedated when having anything done. The DAC was such a positive experience. Dr Hoffmann and his staff were kind and did great explaining things. As a mom, I had a lot of questions about how certain things would be done as usually she’s in her chair when getting examined at her local dentist and they had everything under control including transferring from her chair to the dentist chair and keeping her secured in the dentist chair as well as keeping her neck and legs comfortable. Many thanks to them!
Response from the owner:Thank you so much for your kind words. We’re grateful for your trust and happy to hear that you had such a positive experience with our team. Our goal is always to provide compassionate, attentive care in a safe and comfortable environment. We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your experience.
TWENTY YEARS! That is how long our special needs son has been seeing Dr Hoffman and his dedicated team! Our son suffers from an intellectual disability, is non-verbal, and is unable to cooperate for dental cleaning, x-rays, or other routine dental work. He requires general anesthesia. It is such a blessing to avoid a hospital setting just for dental work.
The team is always well staffed, friendly, personable and very professional. Every single year we have been supported by a deeply caring team who are dedicated to patients with a very wide range of disabilities and needs. They have shared useful dental advice and tools (3 sided toothbrushes, blocks to hold open their mouth for daily at-home care, etc.) which improved our son’s daily dental care. We always receive a call back the day after to check his recovery-even on weekends!
Highly recommended and so appreciative to have this team supporting our ever long road of raising a special needs son.
Response from the owner:Wow — thank you for sharing such a heartfelt review! We are so grateful for your trust and for allowing our team to be part of your family’s journey over the years. It means so much to us to know that our care and support have made a difference. We truly appreciate your kind words and recommendation!
We've been coming to Dr.Hoffman for twenty years. There's a reason we keep coming back! He's great. His staff is great. He's double boarded as an MD (Anesthesia) and DDS!!! Our son with special needs needs sedation for even a cleaning. You get what you pay for. He's expensive and... we know he's getting the best care!
Response from the owner:Thank you for trusting our team over the years and for your kind words about Dr. Hoffmann and our staff. We truly value your confidence in the care we provide!
Omg!! This place is Amazing! The people who work here are so very nice and understanding. I love this team
Response from the owner:Thank you so much for your kind words! We truly appreciate your support and are grateful to have such wonderful patients.
Searching for a new dental clinic is challenging for someone who has
dental anxiety, fear, and traumatic experiences in a dental chair. The staff and doctors at the Dental Anesthesia Center were immediately very welcoming. Dr. Thoms put together a very detailed plan to repair and replace the previous work that I had in the past that was now causing problems. Putting my faith in him was the best thing that I could have done for my situation. I am more than completely satisfied with all of the extensive dental work that I’ve had with Dr.Thoms. I had my fourth sleep dentistry experience yesterday and I’m very happy with my results. I highly recommend this practice and truly want to give them more than five stars! Thank you for giving me back my health and confidence.
Response from the owner:We know it isn’t always easy to find a dental office where you feel at ease, so your words mean the world to us. We’re so glad you feel comfortable with our team and truly appreciate your trust and recommendation!

In September 2018, the American Society of Dentist Anesthesiologists submitted an application to the National Commission. In February 2019, the review committee considered all of the information to see if dental anesthesiology met all the requirements for specialty recognition. Finally, at it’s meeting on March 11, the National Commission granted official recognition to dental anesthesiology as a dental specialty.
What is a Dental Specialty
According to the ADA, a dental specialty is a particular “area of dentistry that has been formally recognized by the National Commission on Recognition of Dental Specialties and Certifying Boards as meeting the specified Requirements for Recognition of Dental Specialties and National Certifying Boards for Dental Specialties.”
In order to qualify for specialty recognition, a sponsoring organization has to meet the 6 requirements specified by the “Requirements for Recognition of Dental Specialties.” They have to be able to prove that they are a distinct and well-defined field that requires unique knowledge and skills beyond the common ones that dental school graduates possess. In addition, they have to prove that their field requires advanced knowledge and skills and that it scientifically contributes new research and knowledge in both the profession and field.
What are the Other 9 Dental Specialties?
Dental anesthesiology joins the following 9 dental specialties:
- Dental Public Health
- Endodontics
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
- Oral Medicine and Pathology
- Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology
- Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Periodontics
- Prosthodontics
These dental specialties are recognized to protect the public, nurture the art of science in dentistry, and improve the quality of care.
The Dental Anesthesia Center
We are a state-of-the-art dental facility for patients who require general anesthesia, deep sedation, or oral sedation for their dental care. Young children unable to cooperate and individuals with mental or physical disabilities can benefit from these services.
Dr. Hoffmann and Dr. Thoms completed residencies in hospital dentistry and dental anesthesiology. Both are the first two Dental Anesthesiologist board certified in Deep Sedation in the state of Missouri.
Call us today to schedule your appointment at (314) 862-7844. We look forward to meeting you!