Do you have anxiety about dentistry? If so, then dental anesthesia is something that might be helpful to you. Knowing more about this type of medicine can help you make a decision on whether or not it’s right for you.
Dental anesthesia is used to help manage pain during dental procedures and surgeries. It can be given while you are conscious or unconscious, depending on the procedure; your individual needs; as well as what the doctor recommends for you.
When it comes to our teeth, we don’t want to experience any discomfort. Dental anesthesiologists specialize in providing anesthesia for dental procedures such as fillings and wisdom tooth removal. There are various types of dental anesthesia but they all have side effects and precautions.
Types of Dental Anesthesia
Local, sedation, and general anesthesia are the three most common types. Each type has its own uses which can also be combined with other medications to create more tailored options for you as an individual patient or routine procedure in your life.
Local Anesthesia
Local dental anesthesia is the quickest and most common type of dental anesthesia. It can be used to relieve dental pain that lasts for a short while or dental pain that will only last while the dental treatment is performed. Local dental anesthesia can also be combined with other dental anesthetics in order to make it more effective.
Local dental anesthesia is a type of dental anesthesia that’s administered by a dentist to numb a small area for dental procedures such as cavity treatment and tooth whitening. This type of dental anesthesia isn’t effective if you have gum disease or other conditions that affect blood flow in your mouth.
Doctors usually use local dental anesthetic by injecting it into the area where dental work needs to be performed or by applying it directly to the surface of the skin near the area where dental work needs to be done. The dental anesthetic will only provide pain relief if it’s applied just before dental work begins, so patients must wait before receiving any other medications that might decrease their sensitivity to pain.
Local dental anesthetic works by blocking pain signals from being sent to the brain. This dental anesthetic can last for a period of time ranging from a few hours up to a day. The dental anesthetic will become less effective after a certain period of time so another dental anesthetic may be required before dental work continues.
In order for local dental anesthesia to work, the dental anesthetic must be used correctly. Not only will dental anesthesia not work if it isn’t administered correctly but incorrect use of dental anesthetic can also lead to some very serious side effects, including dental damage and dental infection.
Sedation
Sedation is a type of dental anesthesia that involves the use of drugs to make you less aware and more relaxed during dental treatments. Sedations are administered by anesthesiologists or dentists with expertise in sedation. There are various types of sedatives, but they all have side effects and precautions.
Nitrous oxide dental anesthesia is also called laughing gas or dental gas. It’s a colorless, non-flammable chemical that has anesthetic properties when inhaled. Dentists use nitrous oxide for dental treatments such as tooth extractions and cavity fillings. Nitrous oxide dental anesthesia shouldn’t be used by patients who have a history of seizures, dental restorations that aren’t stable, or risk of dental fragments in the airway.
General Anesthesia
General anesthesia is a kind of dental anesthesia that has the potential to put the patient to sleep. The patient is not aware of what is going on during the dental treatment and will not feel any pain. General anesthesia can only be used in dental surgery, dental procedures performed under local anesthetic, and dental procedures performed under conscious sedation.
Anesthesia is a crucial part of any surgery. In general, patients will have some level of anesthesia depending on what kind and how severe their procedure might be as well as the risks involved with it such as pain or discomfort from being awake during surgery without being able to move anything but the head.
Side Effects of Dental Anesthesia
The side effects of dental anesthesia depend on the type used. General anesthetics have more risks and reactions than local or sedative ones, but every patient is different so your dentist will work with you to find out what’s right for each individual case.
Sedation and general anesthesia medicines have been linked to the following negative effects:
- Sore throat
- Dry mouth
- Headache
- Shivering
- Sweating
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Speech that is slurred
- A throbbing discomfort at the injection site
- Tiredness
- Numbness
- Disorientation, insanity, or hallucinations
How Does Dental Anesthesia Work?
Dental anesthesia reduces dental pain automatically, eliminating the need for patients to rely on other forms of dental anesthetics such as topical (lidocaine) or injectable (xylocaine, metacaine). It can be used both during dental treatments and aftercare to ensure that dental patients’ mouths heal properly and don’t become reinfected. For this reason, many dentists also require their dental assistants and hygienists to have a certificate in dental anesthesia; it helps them provide optimal care for their patients, ensuring they experience minimal discomfort and requiring fewer office visits.
Dental professionals use different types of dental anesthetic – some are topical while others are injected-but they share one basic goal: providing sufficient pain relief.
What is The Best Dental Anesthesia?
Local dental anesthesia is the best dental anesthesia since it only numbs the tooth being treated. The dental anesthesiologist places a small cotton pellet containing a local anesthetic to numb just that specific tooth during dental procedures such as examination, examination and filling, extraction of impacted teeth and inferior alveolar nerve block.
Local dental anesthesia works up to 1 hour after application depending on the drug form used; topical dental anesthetics work 10 minutes at most before starting effect while injectable forms work for 30-45 minutes. Having said that, should long periods between application and treatment be expected, alternative methods should be considered such as conscious sedation or general anesthesia if appropriate.
Is Dental Anesthesia Harmful?
Dental anesthesia can be harmful if it is not used appropriately. For dental treatment, dental anesthesia prevents the patient’s ability to feel pain and discomfort from dental treatment. The potential side effects caused by dental anesthesia use include fatigue, headache, nausea, vomiting, dry mouth, or thirst.
If you are allergic to dental anesthetic then you need to find out what kind of drugs are being taken for dental treatment in order to know if they are safe for you before undergoing any dental work.
Can Dental Anesthesia Cause Nerve Damage?
Dental anesthesia can cause nerve damage if you are allergic to dental anesthetic and dental treatment. Dental anesthesia may also cause nerve damage for dental implant surgery or dental endodontic therapy which is dental work that deals with the dental pulp and the root canal system.
The side effects caused by dental anesthesia use can include fatigue, headache, nausea, vomiting, dry mouth, thirst, and facial numbness. There are some precautions you have to take before undergoing dental treatment under the influence of dental anesthesia.
How long does a Dental Anesthesia Drug take to Work?
Dental anesthesia can take anywhere from five to ten minutes before it starts to work. However, once it does start to work dental anesthesia can last hours. There are several types of dental anesthesia and they all come with different side effects and precautions. The dental anesthesia that comes with the most side effects and precautions is a local anesthesia that contains lidocaine. Nitrous oxide dental anesthetic is the dental anesthesia that works immediately but lasts for a short time and has fewer side effects and precautions. It can take five minutes before dental gas kicks in.
How Long can Dental Anesthesia Affect You?
It’s important to understand that dental anesthetic can only last for a certain amount of time, depending on the type you’re using. Local dental anesthesia with lidocaine, for example, wears off after about one hour. Nitrous dental gas, on the other hand, is almost instantaneous and lasts up to four hours; it’s most often used with dental implants or dental endodontic therapy.
