A deep knowledge about anesthesia can help calm your fears and prepare you for surgery! Allow us to explain the purpose of anesthesia, the different types of anesthesia offered and their roles, and how it’ll help you during your oral surgery procedure.
The Purpose of Anesthesia
You may think of anesthesia as the medicinal way to make you “fall asleep” during a procedure. However, it serves many other roles! When anesthesia is applied, it is used to treat pain, reduce anxiety, and prevent memory. These three vital roles help your doctor perform surgery, as your body is completely still. Further, you will not be traumatized by the event since you will have no recollection of the procedure and your anxious thoughts will disappear.
3 Types of Anesthesia & Its Roles
The role of anesthesia in modern-day medicine has come leaps and bounds since the days of our ancestors. Gone are the herbal remedies and sleep-bearing sponges! In their place, there are calculated and precise measures taken to ensure the anesthesia is effective and safe. Depending on your procedure, medical history, and other factors, you will receive local anesthesia, IV sedation, or nitrous oxide before your procedure. Let’s take a look at when each type of anesthetic is used and what you can expect:
Local anesthesia is used for smaller procedures such as applying stitches or tooth extraction. You will receive a shot containing the anesthetics, numbing the site. You will be fully awake during the procedure. You will not feel pain, but you may feel a tugging sensation or pressure.
IV sedation is used for bigger, more invasive procedures such as a complex root canals or dental implant placement. You will have an IV put into one of your veins and the machine will push the medicine through the tube into your blood stream. This will cause you to fall asleep during the procedure. Once the medicine is stopped, you will wake up.
Nitrous oxide, also referred to as “laughing gas”, is used mainly to treat anxiety. You will breathe in the nitrous oxide through a nose and mouth covering, and as the medicine enters your body, you will feel calmer and more relaxed. Nitrous oxide will not make you lose consciousness, allowing you to communicate easily with your doctor.
Dr. Tomlinson is Your Premier, Watkinsville Oral Surgeon
There is no need to fear anesthesia or the procedure accompanied with it. At Athens Oral Surgery Center, you are in caring and experienced hands. Don’t hesitate to ask Dr. Tomlinson any questions you have about anesthesia or the recommended procedure. Give us a call today: 706-549-5033.