General Anesthesia In Dentistry

In dentistry, treatments can be performed under general anesthesia for various reasons. In recent years, the increase in facilities suitable for general anesthesia has led to a rise in the frequency of dental treatments conducted under this method.

General anesthesia is particularly the preferred choice for adult patients with dental phobia, especially for surgical procedures such as multiple implant placements and sinus lift operations.

The patient groups requiring general anesthesia in dentistry can be summarized as follows:

Patients with behavioral issues, particularly children
Individuals with dental anxiety
Mentally challenged adults or children
Patients undergoing extensive surgical procedures
Infants and young children
Adults who, despite recommendations for safe surgical procedures under local or regional anesthesia, prefer general anesthesia
Patients requiring prolonged surgical procedures due to the limited effect duration of local anesthetics
Cases where local anesthesia is insufficient or inappropriate for the surgical procedure
Patients with a history of toxic or allergic reactions to local anesthetics
Patients undergoing anticoagulant therapy

PRE-ANESTHESIA TESTS

For patients scheduled to undergo general anesthesia, if no known health problems are present, the following routine tests are typically conducted:

Complete blood count
Coagulation tests (aPTT, INR, or KZ, PZ)
Routine biochemistry tests (UREA, CREATININE, AST, ALT, Potassium, etc.)
Chest X-ray

These tests are performed to assess the patient’s overall health status. In certain cases, depending on the complexity of the procedure, some of these tests may not be required.

PRECAUTIONS FOR PATIENTS UNDERGOING GENERAL ANESTHESIA

Any existing health conditions must be disclosed to the doctor prior to the procedure.
If the patient experiences severe cold, flu, diarrhea, or widespread cold sores on the day of the procedure, it will be postponed until the illness has resolved.
For disabled children, a pediatric consultation may be required, while for disabled adults, an internal medicine consultation may be requested.
For both general anesthesia and sedation, adult patients should refrain from eating or drinking for at least 8 hours, and pediatric patients for at least 6 hours before the procedure.
General anesthesia is not recommended within 15 days of receiving any vaccination, unless absolutely necessary.
General anesthesia is particularly avoided during the first 6 months of pregnancy.