Some dental operations require anesthesia. Anesthesia is the medical procedure by which certain substances are introduced into the body, having the effect of temporarily attenuating or suppressing the perception of painful sensations. Anesthetics work by blocking the transmission of pain signals to the brain.
Local anesthesia is the most common procedure used by dentists to numb teeth and gums to prevent pain during treatment.
There are two types of local anesthesia:
· Topical anesthesia is used only at the surface of the skin. It does not have such a strong effect, being suitable instead for minor interventions.
· Local infiltration anesthesia is stronger and performed by injecting the anesthetic into or around the tissues to be operated on. Dental procedures requiring stronger anesthetics include fillings, extractions, descaling, and preparation of teeth for crowns or treatments for periodontal disease.
In dentistry, the most commonly used anesthetic substances are xylin, mepivacaine, articaine, procaine, and tetracaine. Side effects are very rare and will not occur if the dentist has consulted the patient's medical history and if the patient has informed the doctor about their general condition and current medication.
In addition to local anesthesia, dentists also use sedation techniques that improve a patient's psycho-emotional state. Very rarely, general anesthesia may also be recommended for some very complex procedures, especially those related to oral and maxillofacial surgery from Hochstadter, Isaacson, Cherny, Dumanis & Associates Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Ltd..
