Dental treatment is an unpleasant process that can be accompanied by severe pain. Because of this, many patients are afraid to go to the dentist's office and only worsen their condition. To relieve pain and relieve a person of discomfort during treatment, doctors began to use anesthesia. What types of pain relief are there? Does she have contraindications? Do they do it for pregnant women and children? Can I drink after dental anesthesia? What side effects and allergic reactions can occur when using it? These questions concern many patients, so we will talk about them in detail in this article.
Why is anesthesia necessary for dental treatment?
Currently, anesthesia is usually indicated for the treatment of serious pathologies that cause severe pain. However, in private clinics in the absence of contraindications, the patient can order anesthesia for any procedure. Most often, dental anesthesia is used to remove one or more teeth. It is also shown in the following cases:
- elimination of deep caries, especially if several teeth need to be treated at once;
- complete pulp removal or amputation;
- any surgical interventions;
- preparation of the patient for dental prosthetics and implant placement;
- correction of malocclusion.
Sometimes anesthesia is prescribed for the treatment of secondary caries, since the actions of the dentist in this case can also cause pain. In this case, depending on the type of pathology, completely different types of anesthesia are used.
Contraindications in which anesthesia should not be used
Modern anesthesia is considered a safe and accessible procedure, but it still has an extensive list of contraindications, because of which it is not recommended to be used. In some cases, more gentle drugs can be selected, but sometimes even their use is dangerous to health.
The use of anesthesia in patients suffering from bronchial asthma can lead to serious consequences. You can not do it for people who have recently suffered a stroke or stroke. Recently undergone heart surgery is another serious contraindication.
The use of anesthesia in dental treatment is not recommended for patients with reduced blood coagulation. With caution, people with mental disabilities should be anesthetized. Among the contraindications are diabetes and endocrine diseases, as well as some pathologies of the cardiovascular system. For example, tachycardia or angina pectoris. Some drugs can not be used in patients suffering from renal or liver failure, since drugs put a serious burden on these organs.
Many people are wondering if it is possible to drink after dental anesthesia. But not everyone knows that you can’t drink alcohol either before or after the procedure. Alcohol lowers the patient's sensitivity to the medication administered, so it may simply not work. Do not go to the dentist and on an empty stomach.
Continuous medication can also be a contraindication for anesthesia. For example, it is not recommended for people taking anticoagulants that can reduce blood coagulation. You will have to give up pain relief when taking antidepressants and adrenergic blockers.
General and local dental anesthesia
Modern dental clinics can offer customers two types of anesthesia: local and general. Most often, of course, the first option is used. Local anesthesia can anesthetize a specific area of ​​the oral cavity where the affected tooth is located. The patient does not feel unpleasant sensations, but is conscious. After treatment, a person can safely go home, because in a few hours the anesthesia will go away on their own and additional help from a dentist is not required.
Few people know whether it is possible to take food, alcohol, and certain medications after dental anesthesia. The local type of anesthesia is considered safer than general. Depending on the medication, food and liquid can be taken within a few hours after treatment. But from alcohol, even with local anesthesia should be for 2-3 days.
Some patients are so afraid of dentistry that they ask if dental anesthesia can be replaced by general anesthesia. Yes, some clinics offer this service, but it appears only for people who need a long and serious treatment. General anesthesia is given to patients who need to remove several teeth at a time, implant placement, and jaw surgery. Anesthesia is indicated for people suffering from severe dentophobia or psychological illnesses. For example, it is recommended for patients with epilepsy in the treatment of teeth.
Types of Local Anesthesia
Thus, the most common variant of pain relief in dentistry is local anesthesia, which is used in most ordinary cases. At the same time, modern medicine offers patients several of its types. For example, when removing tartar, local anesthesia is used, but usually the gums are not very anesthetized. In the treatment of advanced caries, on the contrary, the use of more effective drugs will be required.
The most common options for local anesthesia used in dental clinics are the following types:
- application pain relief;
- infiltration anesthesia;
- conductor;
- intraosseous;
- intra channel;
- intraligamentary;
- stem.
These are only the most popular types of pain relief. We will talk about some of them in more detail below.
Application Anesthesia
Application dental anesthesia is the safest option for pain relief, which is usually used to treat simple pathologies of the oral cavity. Sometimes it is used as an initial tool to reduce the sensitivity of the gums before the introduction of more serious drugs. As a rule, sprays, ointments or gels are used for this purpose for surface application to soft tissues. Most often, the active substance of such drugs is lidocaine or benzocaine. Ointments and gels are more popular, since when applying sprays and aerosols it is more difficult for a specialist to choose the right dosage. They can also get into the airways and bloodstream, which increases the likelihood of side effects and complications.
Thus, there is no need to use a syringe to administer application anesthesia. The drug, getting on soft tissues, blocks nerve endings for a short time. However, the duration of anesthesia is not long. Sensitivity returns to the patient after 10-25 minutes. Therefore, this type of anesthesia is used for short-term dental procedures.
Infiltration Anesthesia
The most common option for local anesthesia in dentistry is considered to be infiltration of dental anesthesia. It is used to treat caries and pulpitis, as well as during some surgical operations. To anesthetize the necessary part of the oral cavity, the specialist makes several injections next to him in the gums. Most often used to anesthetize upper teeth. Popular drugs used for infiltration anesthesia are medicines, the active substance of which is articaine or trimecaine.
The effect after administration of the drug occurs for several minutes. As a rule, it lasts for an hour. The doctor, if necessary, can take another injection to continue his work. Infiltration anesthesia is considered a safe option for pain relief, since drugs are administered in a small dosage.
Conduction anesthesia
Conductor dental anesthesia is used to treat more serious pathologies, since it allows you to anesthetize a larger area of ​​the oral cavity. The medicine in this case is administered in the immediate vicinity of the nerve, and then impregnates it and the area nearby. It is carried out to eliminate pathologies of the lower jaw. Anesthesia has proven effective in removing teeth, opening purulent abscesses in the oral cavity, and treating chronic periodontitis.
After the introduction of the drug, sensitivity loses an extensive area of ​​the oral cavity associated with the anesthetized nerve. Anesthesia lasts for 1-2 hours, and then passes on its own. It is important to choose the right specialist who is treating, since an incorrectly made injection can lead to a serious complication - neuropathy. It occurs if the doctor during anesthesia got a needle into the nerve itself.
Intraosseous anesthesia
Intraosseous analgesia is necessary for serious dental interventions. It is chosen if conduction or infiltration anesthesia could not effectively relieve pain from the affected area. Often it is used to remove or treat lower molars, as well as teeth located on the alveolar bone. However, it is not particularly popular, since it is rather difficult to introduce it. First, the doctor must dissect the mucous membrane, and then make a hole in the bone. A needle is inserted into it, through which, under high pressure, the drug is slowly introduced into the spongy substance.
The advantage of such anesthesia is its high efficiency - the jaw area loses sensitivity almost instantly. However, because of the complexity of the procedure, there is a high risk of complications, especially if the drug falls into the bloodstream due to a doctor’s mistake.
Intracanal anesthesia
To introduce this type of anesthesia, the doctor makes a hole in the tooth with a drill, and then with the help of a syringe with a needle, injects the drug into the pulp or the canal itself. In some cases, anesthesia is carried out directly into the carious cavity. After administration of the drug, the patient loses sensitivity almost immediately. Anesthesia is enough to perform the basic procedures necessary to treat a damaged tooth. However, due to the complex technique of anesthesia, doctors choose it infrequently, preferring easier options.
Anesthesia in pediatric dentistry
In many adult patients, the fear of dentists has remained since childhood. Therefore, now doctors are trying by their actions to prevent the development of dentophobia in babies. Dental anesthesia is also given to children, however, taking into account some features of a growing organism. The body of a small child is much more sensitive to the introduction of pain medications. It is almost impossible to choose a tool absolutely safe in this case. The safest drugs for treating children’s teeth are Mepivacaine and Aricain.
As a rule, general anesthesia is used to treat serious pathologies in babies up to 3 years old. More adult children are recommended to use infiltration and conduction anesthesia. In order not to frighten the child with a painful injection, the doctor first removes the sensitivity of the gums using application anesthesia.
Features of the use of anesthesia in the treatment of teeth in pregnant women
When choosing an anesthetic drug, it is important to choose a remedy that does not harm the fetus in the womb. During pregnancy, dental anesthesia is performed using gentle medications. It is not recommended to use vasoconstrictor drugs and anesthetics containing adrenaline. So, the best option is anesthesia with Mepivacaine. It contains no adrenaline. It is also recommended for children, the elderly and patients suffering from diseases of the cardiovascular system.
It should be limited to local dental anesthesia during pregnancy. In severe cases, sedation is used. With its help, you can increase the pain threshold in a woman and calm her by entering half asleep. During treatment, the pregnant woman is in a relaxed state, but is able to respond to doctor's requests if necessary.
Overview of Anesthesia Drugs Used
In the past, the most popular drugs for dentists were Lidocaine and Novocaine. They are still used in practice, usually in public hospitals, where treatment is free. Private clinics are trying to apply modern anesthesia to treat toothache. Anesthesia in them is carried out using the following drugs:
- "Ultracain" - it is believed that it is twice as effective as "Lidocaine", the anesthetic has practically no contraindications and is easily tolerated by children, the elderly and pregnant women.
- "Scandonest" - produced on the basis of mepivacaine, does not contain adrenaline, so it can be used to treat pregnant women.
- Septanest is an analogue of Ultracain.
- Artikain.
- "Ubistezin" and others.
Modern drugs are supplied in capsule syringes. They put on special needles that are much thinner than usual. This allows you to reduce the pain of the injection itself.
Side effects and individual reactions
In practice, pain relief is now considered a safe procedure. Therefore, after dental anesthesia, side effects and complications are practically not observed. In rare cases, patients may experience individual reactions to the administered drug. At the injection site, the patient may feel pain and burning. This is considered the norm - such unpleasant symptoms will soon pass. It is extremely rare that an overdose occurs. If a doctor mistakenly gets a needle into a nerve, then a person may suffer from a prolonged loss of his sensitivity. Sometimes bruises and bruises, as well as swelling, can occur at the injection site. In exceptional cases, a specialist may erroneously break off a needle or infect soft tissues.
Alcohol after dental anesthesia is prohibited for several days, until the drug is completely eliminated from the body. The exact period will depend on the medication used to treat it.
What should be done after dental treatment with anesthesia?
As a rule, after a few hours, the sensitivity returns to the patient on his own, so additional procedures are not required. Of course, this does not apply to general anesthesia, which is carried out in hospitals under the strict supervision of a doctor.
After dental anesthesia, it is not recommended to take too hot food and drinks, since you can not calculate the temperature correctly and get burned. Usually anesthesia passes on its own. But you can speed it up by applying a warm compress to the injection site or by lightly massaging the injection site. After treatment, the pain may return - this is also considered the norm. If the sensitivity does not return for a long time, then you should seek the help of a doctor. This symptom indicates damage to the nerve during treatment, and therefore requires help not only from the dentist, but also from a neurologist.