Both sedation and general anesthesia are used to help patients during dental treatments. They ease anxiety, prevent pain and ensure the safety of the procedure, as the British Columbia Dental Association explains. Both can make you feel drowsy, limit your coordination and affect your ability to remember the procedure, which is why you should always bring an escort to the dental office if you are undergoing sedation or anesthesia. Despite these similarities, sedation and anesthesia are not the same.
Under sedation, you will feel relaxed and may fall into a light sleep, as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) notes. Often, your dentist refers to this as conscious sedation because you are awake, though in a state of depressed alertness. You will likely be able to maintain your own airway and respond to verbal or physical cues. This method of sedation is delivered through a face mask using nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, or it can be administered as an oral pill or via injection, according to the American Dental Association (ADA).
As for general anesthesia, patients are completely asleep throughout the procedure and won't remember the treatment afterward, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). As the ADA's sedation guidelines outline, qualified professionals will administer general anesthesia through an IV line, and patients often require assistance with their airway. Typically, this procedure occurs in a surgical center, hospital or properly equipped dental office with trained anesthesia professionals, as the AAP explains.