Dentist Anaesthesia and Your Procedure

Dentists have differing opinions of the use of anesthesia when it comes to patients. While they don't want patients to feel the pain, the different types of pain management vary from office to office. If you have struggled with going in for dentist appointments in the past, check with other offices in your area to see what they offer patients with anxiety about procedures.

Local Anesthesia

With local anesthesia dentists take care of the pain in a specific part of the mouth. They may use a topical application that is laid on the place in the mouth where the work is going to be done. This also prepares the site to receive an injection of more anesthesia to numb the entire are of the mouth. This is not used for regular exams or checkups but is used for things like fillings and or crowns.

Most people have experienced local anesthesia at an appointment before. While there is still some pain from the injection, for the most part, patients don't feel pain from the work being completed. Some patients, in spite of this treatment, that cannot relax enough to go in for this appointment. They may fear that the medicine will not work or that they will be able to feel some of pain throughout the procedure.

Conscious Sedation

As an alternative, some dentists offer conscious sedation. This means that a patient receives something that reduces their anxiety, making it easier to have them sit back in the chair and have various procedures performed. The local anesthetic is still used, but the added medication give them a chance to relax and calm down during the appointment. They are still completely awake and able to respond to directions and questions, but they are not as likely to have a difficult time.

There are several ways to assist a patient with conscious sedation. First a sedative can be given in the form of a pill. This can be taken right before coming to meet with one of the dentists. A patient may need someone to drive them to and from the appointment, but during that time, they will see that appointment as a little easier than it may have been in the past. Another form of anti-anxiety assistance is with the use of gas; sometimes called “Laughing gas.” Much like the pills, it places the patient's mind at ease while still keeping them awake and able to participate in the appointment.

Deeper Sedation

General anesthesia is most of the time reserved for oral surgeries or procedures that will take a lot of difficult and complex work. If a patient is unable to control their movements, dentists may also opt for deeper sedation provided that it is not a health risk. In this case a patient is unaware of what is going on, unable to answer questions, and unable to participate. For example, when wisdom teeth are removed, a patient goes under general anesthesia. Patients are completely unconscious and will come to some time after the procedure is completed.