Laughing Gas or Anesthesia?

What type of anesthesia for tooth extraction is an important consideration. The dentist has to loosen the tooth from the periodontal ligament as well as a number of other structures in order to remove it. This is a painful procedure and dentists will offer you two choices when it comes to anesthesia for your procedure: local anesthesia and general anesthesia. For the most part, general anesthesia is reserved for those who have a tougher tooth extraction procedures or those who have a severe fear of dental procedures while the bulk of the procedures are performed under a local anesthetic and twilight gas anesthetic. Either way, you should plan on having someone available to drive you home as this is an outpatient procedure.

Most dentists will prescribe a pre-procedure antibiotic regimen which you will need to be sure that you take as directed both before and after your surgery. Also, because this is oral surgery, your dentist will ask you to refrain from eating at least 6 hours if not 12 hours prior to the procedure. If you choose to undergo the gas/local anesthetic route, you should be aware that while you will feel sleepy during the procedure and you won't be feeling any pain, you will be aware of what is happening during the procedure and will feel movement, pressure, vibrations and more. This can be disconcerting for anyone, so take this into consideration when choosing your anesthesia for tooth extraction.