Anesthesia and pain relief

General anesthesia is a controlled, medication-induced sleep. The patient is placed under anesthesia using an intravenous anesthetic while their breathing is supported by mechanical ventilation.

This method helps the patient relax and enter a state similar to alcohol intoxication. The dentist then additionally numbs the tooth with a local anesthetic.

The anesthetic blocks pain signals from reaching the brain. As a result, the brain does not perceive pain in the area affected by the anesthetic for a certain period of time.