Anesthesia is very helpful for some patients undergoing unpleasant and extensive dental treatment. This includes anxious patients and children.
Below you will find further information on dental treatment with anesthesia and selected specialists.
Many people get sweats and anxiety just thinking about dental treatment. Some may also have had bad experiences as a child. General anesthesia can help here and take away the fear of the necessary dental treatment.
For some dental treatments, a local anaesthetic is sufficient, or no anaesthetic is necessary at all. However, other dental treatments on the jaw, tooth roots or teeth are more complex and time-consuming. General anesthesia can be useful here. This includes, for example, the placement of dental implants in the jaw or the extraction of wisdom teeth.
General anesthesia for dental treatment can also be useful for
The stomach must be empty for an operation under anesthesia. Therefore, you must not eat or drink anything for at least five to six hours before the treatment.
Dental treatment under anesthesia can be useful for children, as they are often unable to lie still during treatment © Alla | AdobeStock
Different types of anesthesia are used to avoid pain during dental treatment. The dentist very often uses local anesthesia. It eliminates pain at a localized treatment site. However, the patient's perception is not affected by this form of anesthesia. The aim here is to interrupt the transmission of pain to the brain so that the pain does not reach there.
Another option is anesthetics that are administered intravenously, i.e. by injection into a vein or blood vessel. These consist of
respectively.
Another option is so-called inhalation narcotics, which are administered via the air we breathe. These include nitrous oxide, for example, which has a muscle-relaxing and hypnotic effect. Nitrous oxide has been used in dentistry since the 19th century and is therefore a very old anesthetic. It offers patients the advantage of remaining conscious and responsive during treatment. In addition, no anesthetist is required for its use.
Nitrous oxide is administered using a nasal mask, which causes the patient to feel relaxed. Some even describe the feeling as "bliss". The sensation of time and pain is reduced, which is particularly helpful for patients who suffer from anxiety. Nitrous oxide is tasteless and odorless and after the treatment, the doctor introduces pure oxygen, which cancels out the effect.
Another alternative is so-called analgosedation. Analgosedation is made up of the words "analgesic" (painkiller) or sedation (tranquilizer) and the patient is put into a kind of twilight sleep.
General anesthesia is generally a safe procedure. Immediately after a general anesthetic, however, the patient needs some time to regain consciousness.
They are often observed for a while in the clinic or practice. This allows the doctors to make sure that the patient has tolerated the anesthetic well. The patient can then leave the doctor's surgery with an accompanying person.
Before treatment, the patient's medical history and state of health will be examined.
Anyone with any serious
e may not be able to have a general anesthetic. The doctor can assess the risk of anesthesia individually, as well as which type of anesthesia is suitable for the respective patient. If there are certain risks associated with a general anesthetic, a local anesthetic may be possible instead.
Some patients experience nausea or headaches after anesthesia. A certain amount of drowsiness or tiredness is also completely normal.
However, the effect of nitrous oxide wears off very quickly, so that you hardly feel tired or drowsy after the procedure. Nitrous oxide is therefore a very gentle form of anesthesia for the body. Nitrous oxide sedation is highly recommended for older people who may also suffer from cardiovascular disease, as well as for children.
However, acute respiratory diseases or severe lung damage speak against sedation with nitrous oxide.
Analog sedation can also lead to side effects under certain circumstances. These include, for example, tiredness and drowsiness, which means that you should never drive after the procedure.
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