To a layman, the dental implant procedure often sounds like an arduous and time consuming process. That’s of course, not true. If anything, the process is usually quick and efficient. This has a lot to do with the numerous innovations in the dental implants niche which have revolutionized the procedure. Despite the innovations, it is important to note that local anesthesia is usually used during the dental implant procedure so as to numb the implant site. In other words, the patient does not have to go through the usual surgery process of being put into deep sleep. This begs the question, ‘which type of anesthesia is suitable for dental implant surgery?’ Read on to learn more.
Local AnesthesiaImagine your dentist using a dental drill to make a large hole into your jawbone so as to allow a titanium implants to be posted straight into the screw. The idea alone makes one feel quite uneasy. But while the thought of this whole idea sounds painful, it actually isn’t. That’s because local anesthesia does the magic. It numbs pain. It gets even better with the fact that the dental implant process is not very long. By the time your dentist is done, you won’t even notice your gum was punched. Remember that dental implant solutions like All-on-4 use advanced imaging as well as modeling solutions to place a full row of dental dentures on all four dental implants. That explains why with dental implants, your dentist will only need local anesthetic.
Pain ManagementThere’ll be some pain and slight discomfort after a short while immediately after a dental implant procedure. As such, you will need an over the counter pain killer for a few days after every six to eight hours so as to relieve the pain. The pain will subside with time but your dental implants will take as much as four months to heal. By the fifth month after the procedure both pain and discomfort should have disappeared. You may notice swelling two or three days after your dental implant surgery. This is normal, unless the swelling is accompanied by bleeding.
Categories Of Local AnesthesiaThere are several categories of local anesthesia used in dentistry. The most common one is referred to as lidocaine which is also known as lignocaine or xylocaine. It is a modern replacement for procaine which is also known as novocaine. Lidocaine is preferred by dentists because its half-life in the body ranges between 1.5 to 2 hours.
Other local anesthetic agents used by dentists include articaine which is sometimes referred to as ubistesin or septocaine. There is also bupivacaine, which is a long acting anesthetic, prilocaine also known as citanest and mepivacaine also referred to as polocaine or carbocaine.
PotencyEach of the aforementioned local anesthetic drugs vary in both potency and duration of action. It is also worth noting that in some cases, a combination of different anesthetic elements may be used depending on a situation. Nearly all agents come in two main forms – either with epinephrine which is another name for adrenaline or without it. An agent may also be laced with another type of vasoconstrictor other than epinephrine so as to make it last longer.
