General Anesthesia and Sedation

In dentistry, patients who have a fear of the dentist’s chair or have difficulty being treated due to dental anxiety are challenging to work with. The control of fear and anxiety can be achieved through both psychological and pharmacological (medication) methods, with sedation dentistry in Istanbul offering a solution for those seeking treatment.

Establishing good communication is crucial for successful dental treatment. However, in cases where psychological approaches and basic behavior management techniques are insufficient, undergoing dental treatment becomes increasingly challenging. In such situations, sedation and general anesthesia methods are employed to facilitate dental treatments.

Sedation and general anesthesia are valuable tools in dentistry, enabling anxious patients to receive necessary care while minimizing discomfort and distress. Sedation involves using medications to induce a relaxed state, reducing anxiety and promoting cooperation during procedures. General anesthesia, on the other hand, induces a state of unconsciousness, allowing complex treatments to be performed without the patient experiencing any awareness or pain. The choice between sedation and general anesthesia depends on factors such as the patient’s level of anxiety, the complexity of the procedure, and the patient’s overall health.

Sedation Application

Sedation is the process of reducing a patient’s interaction with the environment and decreasing their consciousness by utilizing different agents and methods to suppress the central nervous system (CNS). The goal of sedation is to minimize the psychological and physiological reactions caused by patient stress while maintaining consciousness and protective reflexes.

Sedation can be administered through various routes, including inhalation, oral, intramuscular, and intravenous. The choice of method and specific agent depends on factors such as the desired level of sedation, the patient’s age and health status, and the specific procedure being performed. Common sedatives used in medical and dental settings include benzodiazepines, barbiturates, and opioids.

While sedation offers numerous benefits, it’s important to note that it carries potential risks, including respiratory depression, allergic reactions, and adverse interactions with other medications. As such, the administration of sedation in Istanbul should always be performed by qualified professionals with appropriate monitoring and safety measures in place.

General Anesthesia Application

General anesthesia in Istanbul, Turkey is a complex and controlled state of unconsciousness induced by the administration of various anesthetic agents. It not only eliminates consciousness and pain perception but also produces amnesia, muscle relaxation, and suppression of reflexes. This state is achieved through a combination of intravenous and inhaled medications, carefully titrated to achieve the desired depth of anesthesia.

General anesthesia is commonly used for surgical procedures that require complete immobility, pain control, and a lack of awareness. The specific drugs used and their dosages are tailored to the individual patient and the surgical procedure, taking into account factors such as age, health status, and the duration of the surgery. Although generally safe, general anesthesia carries potential risks, including adverse reactions to medications, respiratory complications, and cardiovascular effects. Therefore, it is administered under the careful supervision of an anesthesiologist, who continuously monitors the patient’s vital signs and adjusts the anesthesia as needed.

Common patient groups in which general anesthesia and sedation are frequently applied include:

• Children with intellectual disabilities requiring dental treatments,
• Children or adults with developmental delays,
• Adult patients with severe dental anxiety,
• Surgical procedures requiring general anesthesia (such as bone grafting or cyst removal),
• Patients who want many surgical procedures that cannot be performed in a single session with local anesthesia to be performed under general anesthesia in a short time (2-3 hours),
• Children under 4 years old. (as it is often challenging to perform dental treatments on this age group through persuasion).