Oral surgery, like any surgical intervention, is performed under anesthesia – without it, the pain caused by the procedures would be unbearable and it would be impossible for the surgeon to work. Anesthetics have long been an integral part of surgical interventions – invented almost two centuries ago, anesthetics are the substances that are administered before any surgery to numb the surgical area and to induce a certain level of sedation. Here are the most common options in oral surgery:
- Local anesthesia – the lightest form of anesthesia, local numbing is the go-to option for minor interventions, Buffalo Grove dental implants procedures and for patients who do not encounter any emotional difficulty undergoing the intervention, such as dentist phobia. The effects of local anesthetics usually last for a couple of hours;
- Deeper sedation – to help patients suffering from dentist phobia and to allow doctors to perform lengthier, more complex interventions, oral surgeons often use sedation. There are various levels available, from mild sedation during which the patient is awake, but does not feel any pain or discomfort to complete sedation. There are various ways that sedation can be administered, too, from pills to administration through an intravenous line and to sedation induced with the help of nitrous gas.
