Aesthetic Reconstructive Jaw Surgery and Dental Implants Blog

Do I Need General Anesthesia for Dental Implant Surgery in Singapore?

dental anesthesiaLike any oral surgery in Singapore, dental implant placement procedures involve the use of anesthesia to ensure the comfort of patients. However, general anesthesia is seldom used in routine implant procedures. Rather, it is reserved for procedures performed in hospital, generally due to underlying health problems or other complicating factors. Typical anesthesia options for dental implants procedure include IV sedation, local anesthesia and nitrous oxide. Of these options, IV Sedation is the most frequently used, typically in conjunction with local anesthesia, a combination that offers results in patient comfort comparable to those of general anesthesia, but with fewer risks and after-effects.

Dental Implant Surgery in Singapore: Your Anesthesia Options

While your Singapore oral surgeon will offer recommendations as to which anesthesia options for oral surgery are best in your particular case, your input will be essential to the decision making process. Knowing the effects and level of pain control you can expect from each one of these options can help you feel more comfortable and confident as you discuss them with your oral surgeon.

Local anesthesia involves injecting medication, commonly Novocaine or lidocaine, into the soft tissues of the oral cavity, numbing the area to block pain. While this anesthesia method is often used in routine dental procedures and may be an option in very simple dental implant procedures – the placement of a single implant, for instance – it is seldom the only method used in oral surgeries. While local anesthesia is very effective in blocking pain, pressure and other sensations can still be felt, which can be quite uncomfortable for patients undergoing implant surgery.

Nitrous oxide is an inhaled anesthetic, offering both pain blocking affects and light sedation. It is generally used in combination with local anesthesia to provide a greater level of pain relief and comfort than is possible with local anesthesia alone. Patients may choose this combination for anesthesia during dental implant surgeries if they are concerned about the effects of more potent options, but it is generally not recommended for complex dental implant surgeries.

IV sedation is the preferred anesthesia option for most dental implant surgeries, most frequently recommended by Singapore oral surgeons – including Dr. Chan – and most often chosen by patients. IV sedation involves the administration of sedative medications through and intravenous (IV) line. Typically, local anesthesia is also used to block pain at surgical sites. Patients using this option generally feel no pain, and once the affects of anesthesia have faded, usually have no memory of the procedure.

General anesthesia is only used in Singapore patients that have their dental implant surgeries done in hospital. Typically, hospital procedures are only done when underlying medical conditions or extremely complex circumstances make such measures necessary for patient safety. That means that, for the average patient, general anesthesia is not necessary – since IV sedation offers comparable results in terms of pain relief and comfort – and will not be among the options offered.

Learn how dental implants can be your solution to loose teeth or loose dentures:

 

loose teeth and dentures

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