How do anesthetics work?
Anesthesia is an essential part of many dental procedures to ensure that treatment is comfortable and painless. The drug temporarily blocks the signals going from the nerve endings to the brain, so the patient does not experience painful sensations.
Modern dental clinics use disposable anesthetic carpules that are inserted into a syringe with a disposable needle. This provides an opportunity for the dentist to adjust the dosage of the injected substance. Sterility is also maintained because the contents of the cartridge do not interact with the environment.
Types of local anesthesia in dentistry
The field of dentistry uses a variety of anesthesia techniques in order to provide comfortable treatment procedures. The main types of anesthesia used in dentistry:
Applique
Principle of action: Application of anesthetic in the form of gel, cream or spray, which is applied to the mucous membranes in the area of the upcoming injection.
Use: Often used prior to injection anesthesia to reduce needle pain sensation.
Infiltration
Principle of action: The local anesthetic is injected directly into the tissue in the area of the tooth or group of teeth to be anesthetized.
Use: Used, for example, in therapeutic procedures or prosthetics on one specific tooth.
Conductive
Principle of action: Conduction anesthesia involves the injection of an anesthetic near the nerve that innervates the area (pulp) where the dental intervention is scheduled to take place. This approach provides anesthesia for more extensive areas in the oral cavity.
Use: Used, for example, when extracting a tooth or performing procedures on several neighboring teeth. Such anesthesia is also used for implantation.
Contraindications to the use of local anesthesia in dentistry
The use of local anesthesia in dentistry is generally regarded as a safe and effective method of pain relief. However, there are contraindications:
- Allergies: Some patients experience hypersensitivity to certain components of anesthetics, which can cause a reaction;
- Cardiovascular problems: For individuals with serious cardiovascular problems, the use of anesthesia requires an evaluation of pros and cons. In the presence of hypertension, the dosage of the drug is selected individually;
- Pregnancy: A special approach to the use of anesthetics is required;
- Epilepsy: Patients with epilepsy may be at risk of epileptic seizure;
- Individual characteristics: The individual selection of the drug for different pathologies and physiological characteristics of the patient is an important aspect in the use of local anesthesia.
Anesthesia for implantation
The practitioner consults with the patient to assess the oral health of the patient and determine the amount of work needed. The planning phase also decides what type of anesthesia will be most effective.
Local
Principle of action: Local anesthesia drugs stop the transmission of nerve signals in a specific part of the body, anesthetizing the site of the procedure. Such drugs include various vasoconstrictors.
Examples: lidocaine, articaine, mepivacaine, ultracaine.
General
Principle of action: It is used to ensure complete absence of pain and consciousness in the patient. The general anesthesia procedure is performed by an anesthesiologist who induces deep sleep using special drugs. The anesthesiologist chooses the drug for general anesthesia in advance.
Examples: inhalation anesthetics, injectable drugs.
Sedation
Principle of action: The patient is given an intravenous (or inhaled) sleeping or sedative medication. This may also involve the use of local anesthesia to provide additional comfort. The depth of sedation can range from light to deep depending on the needs of the patient and the nature of the medical procedures being performed.
Examples: inhalation sedation, oral sedation.
