Anesthesia Types, What to Expect & More
We offer three different types of anesthesia in our office:
- Local Anesthetic
- Intravenous IV Sedation
- General Anesthetic
Dr. Bureau will tell you which anesthetic is best for you during your consultation. Here are some facts about each one to help you better understand and prepare for your oral surgery.
Local Anesthetic
You will remain completely conscious during your procedure. A local anesthetic will cause numbing for the area being treated so that you will not feel pain. It will not affect your awareness of the pressure or vibrations of the drills associated with your procedure. The numbing typically lasts a few hours. During this time, we recommend staying away from any foods that are hot to prevent burns, given that you will not be able to feel the heat and being careful not to bite your cheek/lip. Local anesthetic is often used for less invasive oral surgeries or medically compromised patients who may be at greater risk of complications if other anesthetic options are used.
Intravenous (IV) Sedation
This type of sedation is administered through an intravenous line by one of our medical anesthesiologists, and it helps to relax you and prevent you from feeling pain. It can also be referred to as “deep sedation.” During your procedure, you may fall asleep but you will not completely lose consciousness and will still be able to maintain your breathing. Many patients say that having IV sedation makes them completely unaware of what is happening, and they do not remember their procedures.
General Anesthetic
For this anesthetic, you are completely unaware of the surgery and do not feel any pain. Typically, you are “put to sleep” by inhaling a gas. One of our medical anesthesiologists administers the gas and other medications and maintains your breathing and airway during the surgery. Specific instructions need to be followed before receiving a general anesthetic to ensure a smooth and safe procedure. In addition, a local anesthetic is administered to numb the area so that you are unaware of your procedure and feel no pain upon waking up after the surgery.
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