General anaesthesia is the ultimate in terms of anaesthesia. As it is a procedure not without risk, it is only carried out in a dedicated operating theatre. General anaesthesia is achieved by a mixture of anaesthetic gases (Nitrous oxide and sevoflurance) as well as medication injected through an IV access (Mixture of propofol, fentanyl, midazolam). The patient is an unconscious state and cannot be awakened except by cessation of the anaesthesia agents. They cannot breathe on their own and will need to have a breathing tube inserted into their bronchus (Windpipe). However, this means that the airway is secure. Hence, procedures that generate too much bleeding or require water irrigation in the mouth are not a problem for this type of anaesthesia.
Propofol has received a lot of bad press recently. All this boils down to the fact that the patients were not closely monitored with equipment during the procedure as well as the drugs were not administered by an anaesthetist. In the operating theatre, all IV sedation is carried out by an accredited anaesthetist with the Singapore Medical Council. As such, the treatment fees would include the professional fees of both the dentist as well as the anaesthetist. We believe that your safety should not be taken lightly.
The drugs used in General Anaesthesia is mildly amnesic, due to the presence of midazolam. This lets the patient forget about the whole procedure, which is useful for those patients who are fearful of dental procedures and do not want to remember too much about it. Due to this effect, patients are not allowed to go home on their own but with the help of an adult friend. They are also advised to refrain from signing any important documents for the next 24 hours. Patients also loose orientation in time during this process. They may close their eyes and open them again, believing that they only shut them for 5 minutes when in fact, they were asleep for 30 minutes.