Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow Anesthesia is AdministeredSide EffectsRisksPrecautions and InteractionsRedheads and Anesthesia
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
How Anesthesia is Administered
Side Effects
Risks
Precautions and Interactions
Redheads and Anesthesia
More than a third of adults fear going to the dentist.This can prevent them from getting regular checkups and cleanings, hurting their oral and general health.
Read on to learn about the various types of anesthesia used for oral surgery, how they are administered, how safe they are, and how dentists and oral surgeons decide which methods to use.
Anesthesia in dental procedures can be given in various ways. The method dentists and oral surgeons use may depend on factors such as a person’s age, overall health, history of allergies, level of anxiety, their preference, and the length and complexity of the dental procedure required.
Local Anesthesia
Dentists give injections of local anesthesia for routine dental procedures like filling cavities. Local anesthesia can take about seven minutes to work, depending on the location of the tooth. Lower back teeth generally take longer to become numb. The dentist may apply a topical numbing agent to ease the sting of an injection so you don’t feel pain.
Local anesthesia is considered very safe. The biggest risk is allergies. A patient may be unusually sensitive to a drug and have an adverse reaction such as itching, swelling, or hives. In a worst-case scenario, a patient may suffer breathing problems and require emergency care. This is extremely rare and happens in fewer than 1 % of all cases.
Sometimesvasoconstrictordrugs, such as epinephrine, are used to help the anesthesia work or make it last for a longer. Epinephrine can make your heart feel like it is racing and cause anxiety, headache, and tremors, but this is not an allergic reaction.
Science Photo Library - IAN HOOTON / Getty Images
Laughing Gas
Patients often feel a tingling or floating sensation but are awake, calm, and feel no pain. Adverse effects are extremely rare.Dentists will advise you not to eat before your procedure to reduce the risk of vomiting.
The mixture wears off three to five minutes after the patient takes off the mask. Dentists advise patients to wait at least five minutes before getting up to avoid the risk of falling.
Sedation
Other levels of sedation include deep and IV sedation. Patients might be given pills to swallow, asked to inhale a medication from a mask, be given an injection, or have the anesthesia administered intravenously (IV, in a vein). They can even be given a combination of these methods.
The different levels of sedation range from conscious sedation, where you’re able to follow commands, to being unaware of your surroundings at all.
If you’re having deep or IV sedation, the dental team will monitor your vital signs such as your breathing and heart rate, temperature, and blood pressure throughout the procedure.
Review studies show that while IV sedation is slightly riskier, sedation is safe for outpatient oral surgery.
General Anesthesia
General anesthesia is what’s commonly known as being put to sleep for a procedure. It’s generally used for longer, more complicated procedures, such as the removal of impacted wisdom teeth or the placement ofdental implants.
It can also be used for very anxious patients, patients with disabilities, and children who can’t sit still. General anesthesia is administered through a face mask, or given as an IV.
Patients are unconscious and, like with deep and IV sedation, their heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing are monitored. General anesthesia is riskier than local anesthesia and sedation but still considered very safe.
A multi-year review found that oral anesthesia is very safe. The risk of death from oral anesthesia is estimated at three deaths per every one million cases.
However, there are side several known side effects. That’s why you should always plan on having someone accompany you who can either drive or help get you home after your procedure.
The side effects include:
Risks of Anesthesia
Most patients don’t have any trouble with local anesthesia. Sedation and general anesthesia are riskier for people with health conditions such as heart, liver, lung, or kidney problems. People with disabilities, older patients, and young children also have an increased risk of suffering a complication due to anesthesia.
The possible complications include:
Certain conditions like heart, lung, and thyroid disease can increase the risk of an adverse reaction to anesthesia.
Dentists and oral surgeons need to evaluate and monitor older patients, children, and patients with disabilities carefully during surgery to prevent overdose. One study found that children with cerebral palsy had an increased risk of adverse effects such as a drop in temperature, blood pressure, or difficulty breathing while undergoing general anesthesia.
In recent years, there has been a trend to use sedation or general anesthesia to treat children with cavities. But certain precautions are necessary if these are used.
If you’re a natural redhead but color your hair, you may want to tell the dentist or oral surgeon. Studies have found that due to a mutation in a gene, redheads are more sensitive to pain and tend to need more painkillers. One study found that redheads may require as much as 20% more anesthesia than blonde and dark-haired people.
Summary
Whether you’re a redhead, a child, an older adult, or someone with underlying medical problems, local anesthesia, sedation and general anesthesia can lessen the pain and help you get through the dental cleanings and treatments you need to maintain your oral health.
Oral anesthesia is considered very safe and can calm people’s anxieties about going to the dentist. However, people with certain medical conditions or allergies may have an increased risk of an adverse reaction.
That’s why it’s important to go over medical history with the dentist and oral surgeon before any operations. Tell them about any allergies you have, any medications you’re taking, and whether you’ve had a prior adverse reaction to anesthesia.
A Word From Verywell
Many people hate going to the dentist. The sound of the drill and fear of pain can cause people to avoid going, which hurts their oral and overall health. Studies show that local, sedation, and general anesthesia methods for oral surgery are safe and help put patients at ease.
However, there are some risks, especially if you have certain health problems. To avoid an allergic reaction or and adverse outcome, it’s important to provide the dentist or oral surgeon with a detailed medical history that includes whether you’ve ever had a reaction to anesthesia, if you have any allergies, and any medications or supplements you’re currently taking.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Mortazavi H, Baharvand M, Safi Y.Death rate of dental anaesthesia.J Clin Diagn Res. 2017;11(6):ZE07-ZE09. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2017/24813.10009
Beaton L, Freeman R, Humphris G.Why are people afraid of the dentist? Observations and explanations.Med Princ Pract. 2014;23(4):295-301. doi:10.1159/000357223
Lee J, Lee J-Y, Kim HJ, Seo K-S.Dental anesthesia for patients with allergic reactions to lidocaine: two case reports.J Dent Anesth Pain Med. 2016;16(3):209-212. doi:10.17245/jdapm.2016.16.3.209
Inverso G, Dodson TB, Gonzalez ML, Chuang S-K.Complications of moderate sedation versus deep sedation/general anesthesia for adolescent patients undergoing third molar extraction.J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2016;74(3):474-479. doi:10.1016/j.joms.2015.10.009
Minassian C, D’Aiuto F, Hingorani AD, Smeeth L.Invasive dental treatment and risk for vascular events: a self-controlled case series.Ann Intern Med. 2010;153(8):499-506. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-153-8-201010190-00006
Wass CT, Warner ME, Worrell GA, et al.Effect of general anesthesia in patients with cerebral palsy at the turn of the new millennium: a population-based study evaluating perioperative outcome and brief overview of anesthetic implications of this coexisting disease.J Child Neurol. 2012;27(7):859-866. doi:10.1177/0883073811428378
Coté CJ, Wilson S, Pediatrics AAO, Dentistry AA of P.Guidelines for monitoring and management of pediatric patients before, during, and after sedation for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures: update 2016.Pediatrics. 2016;138(1). doi: 10.1542/peds.2016-1212
Liem EB, Lin C, Suleman M, et al.Anesthetic requirement is increased in redheads.Anesthesiology. 2004;101(2):279-283. doi:10.1097/00000542-200408000-00006
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
