Understanding Deep Sedation and General Anesthesia

When it comes to improving your dental experience, dental sedation offers a number of treatment advantages. For patients facing extensive dental procedures, deep sedation and general anesthesia are excellent options for enhancing your procedure. To determine which option works best for your smile, consider the following:

Administered intravenously, deep sedation is the highest level of sedation dentistry and requires specialized training by the oral surgeon. While under the influence of deep sedation, patients are only barely conscious and thus unable to respond to commands. In some cases, breathing assistance may be required. For patients with severe dental phobia or those requiring more complex or multiple dental procedures such as tooth extraction or implant placement, deep sedation is an ideal option.

In contrast, general anesthesia is not considered a form of true sedation dentistry and is more commonly used in the event of extensive oral surgery, such as jaw reconstruction or TMJ surgery. Unlike deep sedation, general anesthesia can only be administered by a highly trained anesthesiologist or oral surgeon. As a result, patients considering general anesthesia must consider the fact that their treatment will most likely be performed in a hospital or surgical center. General anesthesia also put patients in a state of complete unconsciousness, requiring a ventilator in order to maintain the airway.

However, this level of unconsciousness makes general anesthesia ideal for cases in which many procedures must be completed. Additionally, patients with preexisting conditions may find general anesthesia to be a safer option as they are continuously monitored throughout the entirety of their procedure.

Selecting Sedation Dentistry

Given the unique needs of each patient, preparing for sedation dentistry requires an in-depth analysis of the patient’s health history and procedural needs. At the Lorton and Springfield dental practices of Dr. Snehal Patel, our mission is to provide each patient with a comfortable and safe procedure that yields lasting results. By utilizing advanced technology and one-on-one consultations, our team is able to help patients of all ages find the right dental sedation for their upcoming procedure.

Lorton Springfield Dental Implants and Oral Surgery is proud to offer a number of different sedation options, ranging from mild to deep sedation. For more information about improving your upcoming procedure, contactour Northern Virginia oral surgeon today.