Do you need anesthesia for dentistry?

Patients know that we offer safe and advanced treatment for missing teeth and other dental health issues. That’s why we offer one of the best anesthesia options in dental implantology for patients looking for the best dental treatment.

Dental implants are a great restorative option for missing teeth, although they do require oral surgery. Patients interested in dental implants often ask us about the procedure and whether it is painful. Let’s address this issue by considering the use of anesthesia during the dental implant procedure.

Is anesthesia used during oral surgery?

Regardless of whether it is local anesthesia or some type of sedation, it is important that anesthesia is used as part of any oral surgery. Anesthesia reduces pain and discomfort from the surgery and helps put the patient at ease. In addition to the anesthesia used in dental implant surgery, it can also be used in a variety of other procedures, such as periodontal surgeries and wisdom tooth extractions.

Different Anesthesia Options in Dentistry

Different types of anesthesia can be used. The most common options are as follows:

Local anesthetic – A local anesthetic is used to eliminate the sensation of pain and discomfort in the area of ​​the body that is undergoing surgery. The patient is still fully conscious, but will not feel anything during the procedure.

Nitrous Oxide Sedation with Local Anesthesia – Nitrous oxide sedation involves patients inhaling nitrous oxide (commonly known as laughing gas) through a mask to induce a relaxed yet alert state. The nitrous oxide is then combined with a local anesthetic to ensure that patients do not feel any pain or experience any anxiety.

IV Sedation with Local Anesthesia – Intravenous sedation procedures inject a sedative into the bloodstream to help the patient achieve a deeply relaxed state. They will be completely unaware of the procedure being performed. Local anesthesia is also administered to ensure a completely pain-free and anxiety-free surgery.

General Anesthesia – General anesthesia allows the surgeon to numb the entire body. This results in the patient losing all consciousness during a surgical procedure.

It is rare for patients to use general anesthesia for dental implant procedures. In most cases, general anesthesia is recommended for people undergoing extensive facial surgery or reconstructive procedures.

Which option is best for me?

For most patients, nitrous oxide sedation or IV sedation are the most ideal options. Both of these anesthesia methods, along with local anesthesia, can help patients feel completely relaxed and at ease during a procedure.

In many cases, the patient’s desired level of comfort and the nature of the oral surgery will determine the ideal form of sedation. Deeper sedation with IV medications may be ideal for patients who require extensive surgery or may be more prone to anxiety related to oral surgery.

Discussing Anesthesia and Other Issues

During the consultation process, we will be more than happy to review all of your anesthesia options. By discussing these options at length, you can make an informed choice about the health and well-being of your teeth, as well as your overall comfort and well-being during oral surgery.

When trying to imagine a procedure that involves drills, titanium screws, and your jawbone, it doesn’t take much effort to conjure up the worst-case scenario. But as painful as it may seem, you probably won’t feel any pain when you get a dental implant.

Local anesthesia

For most dental implant patients, local anesthesia is all that’s needed to perform the implant portion of the procedure.

With a simple needle inserted into the implant site, you won’t feel any discomfort until the procedure is closed. And until then, you should have a few over-the-counter pain relievers to help you get through the next day or so.

If the sticking point for you is the needles and not the procedure itself, talk to your dentist about oral options for pain relief and sedation. An oral option may require you to spend a little more time at your appointment, but it can help you avoid needles.

General Anesthesia

If you need more than one implant, your dentist may offer you the option of general anesthesia in a dental office. General anesthesia is usually not required, even when up to eight dental implants are being placed for implant-supported dentures. You can have the entire placement done with just local anesthesia and will not experience much if any, discomfort.

The bar for qualifying for general anesthesia is a little higher, as your current health and medical history will play a role in helping your dentist in Ottawa and possibly your primary care physician decide whether general anesthesia is safe for you.

If you are simply afraid of not being able to sit comfortably during the procedure, talk to your dentist about your sedation options. Along with local anesthesia, an additional sedative can help you sit still and still without falling asleep.