The placement of dental implants is a surgical procedure. Patients rightfully wonder how a dentist or oral surgeon can help with pain and anxiety during implant placement. Fortunately, there are several types of anesthesia for dental implants available to keep patients comfortable during dental procedures. Here at New Teeth Now, we offer general anesthesia to our full-mouth dental implant patients to truly make the implant experience as comfortable and easy as possible.
Are You ‘Put Under’ for Dental Implants?
In some cases, yes. If you’re getting multiple implants or you have anxiety about the procedure, some oral surgeons can offer general anesthesia. While under this type of anesthesia, you’ll be completely asleep and will feel no pain.
During the New Teeth Now procedure, any extractions will take place while you’re asleep, meaning you won’t have to experience them. When you wake up, the implants will already be placed, and you’ll have no memory of the procedure.
Ultimately, the use of general anesthesia for dental implants depends on what kind of dental implants you need and, most importantly, the credentials of your doctor. An oral surgeon who has the required training and certification is authorized to administer general anesthesia while a family dentist is not.
What Anesthesia Options Are Available?
The two anesthesia options available for dental implants are IV sedation and general anesthesia. In addition, numbing injections are common, especially for those getting just one or two implants. Nitrous oxide – commonly known as “laughing gas” – is often added to control mild anxiety.
Twilight Sleep/IV Sedation
There’s a reason IV sedation is referred to as twilight sleep. During this form of anesthesia, patients remain conscious but unaware. They can obey commands from the dentist but will experience no anxiety and remember little to none of the procedure once the drug wears off. A local anesthetic is used to block the actual pain. When a dentist performs a full-mouth procedure, for example, this is the only method they are licensed to offer.
General Anesthesia
General anesthesia is often the best choice for dental implant patients, but it’s not available at a dentist’s office. It can be administered only in a surgeon’s office. At New Teeth Now, a full team of anesthetists prepares the patient and monitors their vitals throughout the procedure.
Patients under general anesthesia neither experience nor remember anything from their procedure. It is much like being in an extra deep, dreamless sleep. Only oral surgeons can provide this option, which is typically selected for patients getting multiple implants or bone grafts. Your oral surgeon may also choose general anesthesia for your procedure if you’re likely to suffer from extreme anxiety.
Can Any Dentist Administer General Anesthesia?
No, regular dentists are limited to providing local anesthesia, nitrous oxide, and in some areas, IV sedation. Only an oral surgeon is allowed to provide true general anesthesia. Learn more about the difference between a dentist and an oral surgeon.
When to Choose General Anesthesia for Dental Implants
The use of general anesthesia for full-mouth dental implants provides a number of benefits compared to IV sedation. Here are a few reasons that make general anesthesia the superior option for this complex procedure:
- Patient comfort – After the procedure, you’ll appreciate how general anesthesia for dental implants makes it seem like they were all done in an instant. You won’t have to feel someone doing things inside your mouth at all, let alone for hours.
- Physical and psychological health – General anesthesia provides a valuable solution to alleviate psychological stress by ensuring you remain asleep throughout the entire procedure. When under general anesthesia, you are intubated and your airways are kept clear of surgical obstruction or drainage. Contrast this to IV sedation, during which drainage could be swallowed and cause choking. Another benefit of general anesthesia is that the patient is not aware of the sights, sounds, or sensations associated with surgery, so the patient does not come away feeling the trauma associated with other dental procedures.
- Efficiency – With general anesthesia, patients are fully asleep and unresponsive, making procedures quicker and easier for the surgeon and patient alike.
- Safety – General anesthesia is not only more comfortable and convenient, but it makes lengthy procedures, such as zygomatic implants, much safer.
Is General Anesthesia Safe for Older Patients?
Yes! General anesthesia is a safe option for older patients getting dental implants. At New Teeth Now, our team will review your medical history to make sure you are healthy enough for the procedure. This option is very common for older patients visiting our office, and we would never perform the procedure if we felt it weren’t in the best interest of the patient.
What Do Patients Think of Anesthesia?
According to one study, dentist-phobic patients had a 100% satisfaction rate after receiving general anesthesia during dental implant placement. The patients in this study were unlikely to get the recommended treatment under other conditions.
Is There Pain After Dental Implantation with General Anesthesia?
You may experience relatively mild pain once you wake up. This can be well-controlled by pain medication. For the first few days, you may be given a prescription. After that, over-the-counter pain pills should be sufficient.
Will Implant Placement Be Complete When You Wake Up?
There are a variety of methods used for placing implants. Most of them require multiple sessions between the start of the process and the final placement of the implant crown(s). If your dentist uses one of these methods, then no, you will not wake up with your implants completely ready.
One type of implant process promises to give you a new smile in one day, and it’s one of the top reasons we’ve treated thousands of satisfied patients at New Teeth Now. With New Teeth Now, you will go home the same day with new teeth! There’s no waiting for bone grafting to heal or crowns to be fitted. You will wake up and shortly afterward, your new teeth will be fitted to your implants. And with general anesthesia for your dental implant procedure, you can feel confident that you’re in the best hands, the hands of an experienced oral surgeon.
Interested in Dental Implants Using General Anesthesia?
If having your full-mouth dental implant procedure performed under general anesthesia sounds like the perfect solution for you, contact New Teeth Now to schedule a consultation.
