Choices In Anesthesia When You Get Dental Implants
Posted on: 5 October 2015
Getting a dental implant would be a painful procedure since the dentist screws a titanium rod into your jawbone. You'll definitely need an anesthetic to help you endure it. However, just as with most other dental procedures, you'll have a choice in the type of anesthesia used. Here is a look at your options.
Local Injection
An anesthetic injection may be enough to control your pain, especially if you're getting a single implant in a gap with an already missing tooth. An injection of local anesthetic will numb nerves that cause you to feel pain in your gum and bone in that area. Since the procedure for a single implant goes fairly quickly, your dentist will be finished before the anesthetic wears off. This is a good option if you have medical problems that make undergoing general anesthesia dangerous. You may even prefer getting a local injection over general anesthesia just so you can avoid any potential side effects that come with being put to sleep for your implant.
Sedation Dentistry
Sedation can be combined with a local anesthetic to help relieve anxiety about getting implants. When you are more relaxed, you are less likely to be bothered by mild pain. Your dentist may use nitrous oxide, or laughing gas to put you in a state of relaxation. He or she may also use medication in the form of pills or an IV. IV sedation is often preferred because the dentist can regulate your dose throughout the procedure to keep you in a twilight state similar to sleeping. You'll be awake enough to follow instructions, but you probably won't remember much about the implant procedure. While sedation is a good way to complement the effects of a local anesthetic, it doesn't offer pain relief on its own. You will still need a form of anesthesia to keep from feeling pain when the dentist operates on your bone.
General Anesthesia
There are some cases where general anesthesia is the best option when you get implants. If you're getting implants for dentures and still have several teeth, the dentist can put you under general anesthesia, remove all your teeth, and insert all the implants in a single visit. The good thing about being put to sleep is you feel no pain or anxiety at all. You go to sleep and wake up with your dental work completed.
The type of anesthesia you use when you get dental implants is a decision you'll make with the help of your dentist. Your preferences matter and are taken into consideration along with your general health and the extent of dental work you need done. Having these options available means it's possible to get dental implants even if you have a dental phobia or are afraid of undergoing anesthesia. Your dentist will help you find a way to be comfortable with the process so you can regain the health of your mouth.
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