Sedation and Anesthesia
General anesthesia
General anesthesia is a medically controlled state of deep unconsciousness in which you are fully asleep and cannot feel or respond to anything.
General anesthesia is the deepest level of anesthesia. The ADA says that on occasion, general anesthesia may be used to cause a temporary loss of consciousness during dental care. It is not common in routine dentistry. It may be used for long or complex surgery, or for some young children or patients with special needs. Providers need advanced training, special equipment, and monitoring, and they must hold the permits their state requires. The ADA suggests asking whether the provider holds the permits needed for the planned level of anesthesia. This entry explains the term in general. See sedation monitoring, IV sedation, and moderate sedation.