Pros and cons of general anesthesia for children

With the greatly improved living standards nowadays, children have more and more snacks and they are becoming more and more diverse. This also makes children's teeth more prone to problems. When treating dental diseases and filling teeth, general anesthesia is required. Will this have any impact on children? This article introduces this. Children's bodies are still in the development stage and their resistance is weak. Will general anesthesia have an impact on their future? The editor will introduce the situation in detail.

Reasons for general anesthesia

Children are afraid of dentists, and are even more afraid of the sound of the drill squeaking in their mouths. A "terrible" dental experience may have a permanent psychological impact on a child, so that he or she will never dare to see a dentist again. In view of children's fear of dentistry, dental experts believe that children under 4 years old have poor cooperation. It is best to use general anesthesia during oral treatment. After inhalation of anesthetics (laughing gas + sevoflurane), children can receive dental treatment in their sleep to avoid fear of dental treatment. At the same time, it is safer for doctors to treat children.

Inhalation anesthesia VS surgical anesthesia

There is a difference between inhalation anesthesia for dental treatment and general anesthesia for surgery. The former only requires sedation, not too much analgesia, and certainly not muscle relaxation. This method has a quick onset and quick recovery, and dental treatment can be performed in an outpatient clinic without the need for anesthesia. After the child inhales a mixture of nitrous oxide and sevoflurane, he or she will fall asleep in a few seconds. After stopping inhaling anesthetic drugs 15 minutes before the end of the treatment, the child will wake up after the treatment.

Effects of general anesthesia