At one time, the dentist’s office was perceived by many patients as a kind of torture chamber, and the visit to the doctor was delayed as much as possible. Fortunately, medicine does not stand still and is constantly evolving. Today, anesthesia in dentistry is widely used. There are many drugs and ways to eliminate pain and make the treatment process more comfortable.
It is worth noting that doctors distinguish general and local anesthesia. Local anesthesia, in turn, has a lot of options, which will be discussed below.
Dental anesthesia
This method of analgesia is that the gums are treated with a strong anesthetic, but without an injection. For such anesthesia, special sprays and gels are available. The doctor applies the drug to a cotton swab and treats it with the necessary tissue site. The effect manifests itself after a few minutes.
It is worth noting that application anesthesia is used for superficial manipulations - it is the opening of abscesses under the mucous membrane, some procedures near the edge of the gums, as well as the removal of tartar. Sometimes topical preparations are used to anesthetize a patient before an injection.
Dental infiltration anesthesia
This is a well-known method of freezing. Using a syringe with a needle, the doctor injects an anesthetic under the mucous membrane of the gums and oral cavity. Sometimes a medicine can be injected into the periosteum or directly to the bone itself. This method of pain relief is simply necessary in the treatment of complex tooth injuries. For example, it is used during the treatment of dental canals or some procedures on the pulp of the tooth. The effect of the anesthetic appears after 10 - 15 minutes and lasts more than one hour. During this time, the dentist can even perform some complex operations without causing discomfort and pain to the patient.
Dental anesthesia
This anesthesia procedure is used much less often and only in the case of really complex and heavy operations on the gums or large molars. An anesthetic is injected directly into the trigeminal nerve and spreads (is carried out) along its branches. As a result of such anesthesia, a good effect can be achieved - the patient will not feel pain.
Stem anesthesia in dentistry
This is a more serious way of pain relief, which is rarely used in medicine. Its essence is that the drug is injected into the stem part of the brain and spreads along both trigeminal nerves and their branches. Thus, a persistent analgesic effect is achieved, which lasts quite a long time. This technique is used to treat injuries, operations on the jaw, as well as for neuralgia and severe pain.
General anesthesia in dentistry
It is worth noting that general anesthesia in dentistry is used extremely rarely and only in case of serious indications. During the procedure, the patient does not feel anything at all. But this technique is associated with a health risk, especially among patients with diseases of the circulatory and endocrine systems. Therefore, before prescribing general anesthesia, the dentist must carefully familiarize himself with the patient's medical record and medical history, as well as prescribe some tests.
Dental anesthesia during pregnancy: is it possible?
Many future mothers are interested in whether painkillers can be used while carrying a child. After all, quite often it is during pregnancy that the fillings are observed, as the body lacks calcium. We can say for sure that the range of painkillers that can be used to treat a future mother is much narrower. Nevertheless, there are special remedies that will relieve pain and not harm the child.