The term anesthesia means a general or local loss of feeling or sensitivity to pain or other sensations, usually induced by certain interventions or drugs. While you may have received local anesthesia before, it may still be a bit of a mystery. Anesthesia is essentially intended for one or more goals: It can relieve pain, eliminate your memory of a procedure or how it felt, and/or reduce anxiety. While it all may sound a little scary, anesthesia is made safe by careful calculation of the required dosages and diligent monitoring by medical professionals.
Who Provides Dental Anesthesia?
There are two distinctions in the field of sedation dentistry: a dentist who provides sedation and a board certified dental anesthesiologist. The latter has completed a full anesthesiology residency, with two to three years of advanced training beyond dental school in a full-time, hospital-based residency within the anesthesiology department. Dental anesthesiologists offer a wide range of types of anesthesia and sedation and will carefully monitor you during procedures to provide the safest environments with maximum comfort.
In comparison, dentists who provide sedation–but who are not board certified–have only completed a “rotation” (several months training) in anesthesiology and only offer their patients limited options for relaxation and pain relief.
Types of Anesthesia
- Local Anesthesia (like Novocain) is typically used to make a very small area of the body insensitive to pain. It blocks the nerves’ impulses so they can’t travel to the brain. Patients may still feel pressure and sensation and remain awake and conscious but don’t get the dreamy or sleepy state that accompanies procedural sedation.
- Conscious sedation, also known as “Twilight Sleep,” can be achieved through oral, inhaled, or intravenous medications. You may want various levels of conscious sedation–from simply a calm and comfortably relaxed feeling to a state of being near sleep, yet still responsive to questions and instruction. In this case, patients feel little to no pain, and may not have a memory of the procedure.
- General anesthesia is a deep sedation through inhalation or injection (or a combination) using some of the same medications as conscious sedation. Unlike conscious sedation, a patient is in a deep sleep during a procedure and is unresponsive to questions and instruction.
What Type of Anesthesia is Right for You?
Anesthesia options are definitely not one-size-fits-all. Your choice may depend on a variety of factors, like what procedures are needed, your desire to be conscious or to be simply relaxed, your fears of dental work, and your medical history. Talk with your dentist and discuss the various options, and ask questions. Since some drugs can interact with local anesthetics, it’s important to list all of the medicines you take, including over-the-counter drugs, herbs, or vitamins. Also, discuss any reactions you have had with medicines and anesthesia in the past, regardless of how minor. If you have any additional questions about anesthesia or want to explore your anesthesia options, give us a call.
