The fact that today it is possible to treat teeth under anesthesia is both pleasing and disturbing at the same time. On the one hand, finally, the dentist's office has ceased to be associated with a torture chamber. A c another — the reputation of anesthesia makes us wary: won’t a procedure under general anesthesia become an illustration of the saying “We treat one thing, we cripple another”?
To save you from unpleasant thoughts before visiting the doctor, we prepared answers to the most frequently asked questions.
- In what cases it is necessary to treat teeth under anesthesia
- What types of anesthesia exist in dentistry
- Oxygen-nitrogen mixture or "mask anesthesia"
- Medicated sleep or intravenous anesthesia
- How safe is dental treatment under anesthesia
In what cases it is necessary to treat teeth under anesthesia
Like any other medical procedure, general anesthesia is carried out according to certain indications. It is necessary in the following cases:
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The patient has a severe fear of dental procedures and/or an increased gag reflex.
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The doctor needs to perform complex or voluminous manipulations that can greatly tire the patient.
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The location of the working area does not allow it to be completely anesthetized by means for local anesthesia.
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Childhood, disability of the patient, or other circumstances in which the patient is not able to exercise restraint and not interfere with the doctor's actions.
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If there are no obvious indications for general anesthesia — the doctor begins to work with the patient, using local anesthesia. But if during the treatment process it turns out that the effectiveness of such anesthesia is insufficient — the dentist may decide to place the patient under general anesthesia.
What types of anesthesia exist in dentistry
The following methods of general anesthesia are used in modern dentistry:
Oxygen-nitrogen mixture or "mask anesthesia"
Almost everyone knows exactly how inhalation anesthesia is carried out from movies, when the patient is reclining or lying in a dental chair with a transparent mask on his face, and the dentist in performs the necessary manipulations. In this case, an oxygen-nitrogen mixture is used, the supply of which is regulated by the doctor directly during the procedure: the dentist observes at what minimum concentration of nitrogen the patient feels relaxed and calm, and at this dose he fixes the flow of gas through the mask.
Mask anesthesia is one of the most safe and effective, but has several contraindications:
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Acute or chronic diseases of the respiratory system and airways (including sinusitis).
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Allergy to any component of the mixture.
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First trimester of pregnancy.
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Psychic or neurotic disorders in which excitation of the central nervous system predominates over inhibition in a person.
Medicated sleep or intravenous anesthesia
Intravenous anesthesia provides a deeper level of sedation — it can be described as «fell asleep, woke up — teeth are cured. Pain relief is estimated as 100%, and allows for the most complex dental and maxillofacial operations (reticular cyst removal, mandibular endoprosthesis replacement, extraction of tooth roots in case of impacted fractures, etc.).
Contraindications for medical IV sedation are:
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Severe diseases of internal organs.
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Survived traumatic brain injury.
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Allergy to any ingredient in the anesthetic "cocktail".
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Pregnancy.
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Respiratory and/or cardiovascular disorders.
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How safe is dental treatment under anesthesia
Anesthesia or general anesthesia is surrounded by a whole trail of speculations and myths. And the patient often believes that this is a very dangerous procedure, which can only be agreed if the life is at stake.
In fact, modern anesthetics allow them to be used even in children who require dental intervention — anesthesia helps not only to eliminate pain, but also to make the little patient sit still for 15-30 minutes, providing the doctor with freedom of action.
Therefore, if a doctor suggests general anesthesia for you, he/nbsp;he has good reasons for this.
To completely eliminate the risks to your health, the dentist will definitely ask you a few questions before anesthesia. Some of — Are you married, protected from pregnancy and when you had your last period. You need to answer honestly, since even such "inappropriate" questions aim to exclude a number of contraindications or to conduct an additional examination (for example, by a gynecologist, if there is a possibility that you are pregnant).
Also, if the use of intravenous anesthesia is expected or the duration of mask anesthesia may be longer than usual, an anesthesiologist consultation, ECG and blood tests are prescribed. The results of the examination allow us to guarantee complete safety for your health.
We hope you no longer have any fear of dental anesthesia. Heal without pain, and be healthy!
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