Surgical Dental Treatment: Understanding the Anaesthesia Options
Posted on: 2 October 2017
Dental surgery is essential for numerous conditions affecting the teeth and the supporting structures. The common forms of dental restoration which require surgical intervention include root canal therapy, complicated tooth extraction, insertion of dental prosthetics and periodontal treatment. In general, the success achieved through dental surgery is high. However, the prospect of these procedures can be painful and mentally stressful for patients. Therefore, dentists have excellent pain management and anti-anxiety anaesthetic products and processes. If you are scheduled for a surgical dental appointment, here are the main anaesthesia options that you should discuss with your dentist.
Local Dental Anaesthesia
The use of local anaesthesia is common for numerous dental procedures. Its application has minimal risk for the patient, and the drug allows dentists to work with speed and efficiency. As implied, local anaesthetic products are designed to cause numbness in the particular area which requires treatment. In a typical session, the dentist will swab the site of injection with a numbing topical solution. When the surface is sufficiently numb, the dentist will inject the anaesthetic with minimal discomfort for the patient. Your dentist will use this form of process for procedures such as tooth extraction, gum disease treatment and placement of fillings.
General Anaesthesia
If you have a severe dental disease which requires a long and complicated procedure or have extensive oral injuries, you might require general anaesthesia. This solution is also useful for children and overly anxious adults who might sustain self-injury due to uncontrolled movement during treatment. This anaesthetic product causes the patient to become unconscious temporarily. If your dentist uses general anaesthesia, you will be unaware during the procedure. Therefore, you will not feel pain as the dentist works on your oral cavity. Treatment processes which will necessitate this option include maxillofacial surgery and apicoectomy which involves removal of underlying bone.
Patient Sedation
Most dental patients experience some form of anxiety before treatment, and this can compromise the efficiency of the procedures. In most cases, the level of stress does not warrant general anaesthesia. Therefore, the dentist will recommend sedatives. These pharmaceutical products promote relaxation, minimising anxiety before, during and after the treatment session. The common types of sedatives used in dentistry are nitrous oxide gas, oral pill and intravenous sedation.
You should talk with your dentist about anaesthesia and sedation before the treatment session begins. The type of product or process that the dental expert will recommend will depend on the nature of the procedure and your level of anxiety.
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