Okay. I’ve got to do it, but I can’t stand the thought of actually going under the drill again while conscious. My question is, do dentists still sometimes apply general anesthesia while they do their dirty work? I don’t want to be awake when my dentist drills and scrapes my teeth. The mere thought is enough to keep me away from all dentists’ offices.
Will they be willing to put me to sleep while drilling, or at least give me laughing gas, or are those two options a thing of the past? What are the dangers involved?
I did get put under to have my wisdom teeth extracted. That was done by a dental surgeon, though. I recent;y had a root canal and whatever my dentist used (not Novocaine, it was a newer “-caine”) worked like a charm; really, no pain whatsoever.
I can only give you a very limited insight into this, as my theatre experience is somewhat limited, having only worked on wards and in Accident & Emergency Department. On top of that, I don’t know what country you’re on.
Here in Australia, in the small “city” I’m in (approx 13,000 people,) generally only children are put under a GA for Dental procedures, but from what I can gather, they can do adults if requested. In this hospital where I’ve worked though, the private dentist(s) use the public hospital’s theatre, so it can get a little expensive. Might also pay to check if your dental is covered under your health Insurance, be it private or Government!
I am very nervous too when work is being done on my mouth, but if it’s any help, you are unlikely to feel any actual pain for routine fillings. In fact, my dentist carries out work on me without any anaesthetic (my choice) and has never inflicted any pain at all. So that’s one less thing to fear.
IANAA[sub]nesthesiologist[/sub] - but there is risk with any general anethesia, just as there are risks with an medical procedure, not matter how ‘routine’. I am sure there is a website out there somewhere (I don’t have time to look right now, sorry).
One thing I do know - if you are going in for GA, do not eat, drink, or smoke anything well before hand (for me it was 12 hours before surgery). This includes chewing gum - this creates excessive saliva and the risk of aspiration.
Personal experiences:
(former)Roommate was a ‘complete chicken’ [his words] about going to the dentist, and his teeth were proof of it. We finally found a dentist that would do general anethesia for routine cleanings. The cost was not covered by insurance [about $200, IIRC] (since a cleaning was not a major medical procedure, like a root canal), but it was worth the cost in
less whining and cringing,
better looking teeth, and
not having to bail him out for jail for assaulting the doctor (striking out of fear, not anger).
He was out for a couple of hours and I had to drive him home. (Note - carry an emesis (word?) basin (barf pot) in the car, just in case. Trust me.)
Now when he had to go back for fillings, the GA was covered by the insurance at 80%. hibernicus - boy are YOU lucky. I have had to have 3 to 5 shots of Novacaine for fillings or any work. It just doesn’t take on me. Trust me, it was pain, not “pressure” as the fresh-out-of-dental-school assistant was telling me. Yeah? “Pressure this.”
Not to scare you, Snark, but each person is different and each person reacts differently to anesthesia. A good dentist will fix your teeth. A great dentist will be understanding and work with you, knowing there are people like (f)R out there who can maneuver a 78,000 tractor trailer down an ice-slicked mountain road in a blizzard without a second thought but cower and lash out in fear of a 1/2 inch needle and drill. You are not the only one.
Snark, don’t get dental work done in the UK… due to fears about the safety of general anesthesia, it’s being phased out completely. From 2002 onwards, dentists will only be able to give locals - any dental work absolutely needing a general will have to be done in a hospital.
Like screech-owl says, there is a risk with any sort of GA, and, while it’s low, there have been enough incidents that our General Dental Council has made this decision.
Mind you, my dentist when I was a kid didn’t even believe in locals for little stuff like fillings. Did I clean my teeth regularly? You betcha.
The most important thing is to FIND A SYMPATHETIC DENTISTS. I am terrified of dentists. Then I found a nice one. I think it helps that she has loads of dental work, and braces. I still get the shakes, tense up, hyperventilate, and burst randomly into tears, but she doesn’t take it personally. No, instead I get a jaw massage, an assistant holding my hand throughout the entire procedure, and offers of valium (which, so far, I have turned down). Also, She puts on loads of topical anaesthetic before the dreaded shot(s) (of the other -caine, the good one. Lidocaine?).
I would think that something to ease the anxiety (valium or some such) would be more effective (and safer) then GA. But whatever works for you. The right dentist will take your fears seriously and work with you to establish a treatment plan.
Definitely search for a kind dentist. Tell them up front you’re nervous and ask what they can do to help. Many will offer nitrous for cleanings, and it runs (around here) about an extra $50 or so iirc. The local dental society may also be of help in finding a dentist who is good w/ nervous patients.
My dentist is a doll, and uses lots of lidocaine and spaces the novocaine shots enough that I only feel the first one. And since I have 3 more fillings and a bridge in the next month, (and maybe a root canal) I need someone good!
I once processed an insurance claim involving a child who was so phobic about dentists that he ended up with a godawful infection in his mouth that required treatment under general anesthetic at a surgical center. This information was obtained through chart notes that were sent in with the claim.
If it bothers you to go, but the dentist won’t give you general anesthesia, you can always request to be pre-medicated with a sedative like Ativan or Xanax. Most dentists would rather do that than have a patient who is tense and fighting. I’ve had a LOT of dental work done, and it hurts a LOT more when I’m tense than when I’m relaxed.
I finally found a dentist who would prescribe valium for me since I have a tremendous dental phobia (not doubt caused by a sadistic bastard of a dentist when I was a little kid).
My new dentist gives me a 'scrip for a couple of blues, and I almost snooze through the procedure. Highly recommended.
I had 4 wisdom teeth out the day after Thanksgiving :(. I was put under GA, and boy is that stuff strong. The whole operation was $1000, but if it’s something simpler than quad-wisdom teeth, I bet it wouldn’t be even close to that. Most was covered by insurance. I couldn’t eat for the 6 hours before, and I was way out of it for the rest of the day. They take a lot of precautions (heart rate and breathing are constantly being checked, staff on duty), so it’s fairly safe.
I had all four of mine out plus another one all at once under local. The dentist used a combination of short-, medium-, and long-acting anesthetics, plus Hurricaine spray to numb my mouth so I could have the anesthetic shots. By the time all that stuff wore off, it was 2 am, but that was OK, because the Demerol had already kicked in.
recommended.