Advantages of general anesthesia | Wisdom tooth extraction under general anesthesia

Advantages of general anesthesia

• Time saving: Under general anesthesia all wisdom teeth that need to be removed can be extracted at once. If one would operate under simple local anesthesia, one should not pull 4 teeth at once, but schedule several sessions.
• Apart from being painless, it is also pleasant for the patient that he or she is not aware of the noises, conversations and any complications that may occur under general anesthesia. Since the complete sensation cannot be switched off under local anesthesia, one still feels an unpleasant feeling of pressure.

  This is because the nerves that are responsible for transmitting strong feelings of pressure cannot be switched off by local anesthesia.

• Ease of work: One advantage for the dentist is that the patient cannot move around arbitrarily under anesthesia. This means that he or she can participate in the operation without reluctance. The mouth can be kept open to the maximum, so that a good view is guaranteed.
• Protection against injuries: Moreover, the dentist does not need to be afraid that the patient will make any movements. Unforeseen twitches can cause the dentist to slip with the drill or other instruments. He may also get scared, which can lead to dangerous injuries for patients and dentists.
• It should be noted that the pain and swelling after the surgery is usually as severe as under local anesthesia.

Disadvantages of general anesthesia

The disadvantages overlap to a certain extent with the risks, since treatment under general anesthesia can also cause complications that are not common with local anesthesia. Compared to treatment in the waking state, there are few other disadvantages.

• Patients under general anesthesia who do not notice the treatment may have a tear in the corners of the mouth due to excessive pulling of the cheek hooks.
• In addition, after the anesthesia you have to stay in the recovery room until you regain consciousness.

  So you cannot go home immediately, as is usual with local anesthesia.

• Usually, one stays in bed for the rest of the day after the general anesthesia because the anesthetics tire the body and dizziness and nausea are not uncommon. Operating machines and participating in traffic is prohibited for the following 24 hours.
• During surgery, a venous access is necessary so that emergency medication can be administered directly in case of complications.
• All in all, general anesthesia means more effort, since suitable rooms and personnel (namely the anesthesiologist) are required.
• The typical sore throat and hoarseness after general anesthesia usually do not occur, because during the wisdom tooth surgery one is ventilated through the nose. Post-operative sore throat usually comes through the respiratory mask.