Are there times when local anesthesia doesn work during oral surgical procedures?
Yes. In order for the local anesthetic to work well, the tissue pH must be neutral or slightly alkaline. Fortunately, local anesthesia works well in noninfected tissue because normal tissue pH is slightly alkaline. However, many patients whom oral surgeons need to treat have infections which cause the tissue pH around the infected tooth to become acidic. This acidic pH does not allow for optimal effectiveness of the local anesthetic, resulting in the patient experiencing pain during the procedure. IV office general anesthesia allows the performance of procedures without causing distress and pain to the patient because tissue pH is not a factor in its effectiveness. Finally, local anesthesia doesn’t treat the anxiety many patients have associated with dental surgical procedures. IV anesthetics effectively treat anxiety and allow for a safer and more comfortable environment for the patient to undergo surgery.
