What are common dental procedures that utilize local anesthesia?

Local anesthesia plays a crucial role in providing comfort and managing pain during various dental procedures. Fillings, extractions, and periodontal treatments are common procedures where local anesthesia is extensively used.

When a dentist performs fillings, local anesthesia is administered to numb the area around the tooth being treated, allowing the dentist to work without causing the patient discomfort. Similarly, during extractions, local anesthesia is vital for numbing the specific tooth and surrounding tissues to alleviate pain during the procedure. In periodontal treatments, such as scaling and root planing, local anesthesia ensures that the patient experiences minimal discomfort while dealing with sensitive areas of the gums.

While orthodontic adjustments and cleanings may sometimes be performed without anesthesia, their use is not as common as in the aforementioned procedures. Root canals typically do require local anesthesia, but whitening treatments usually do not involve it, as they are less invasive and do not cause significant discomfort. Lastly, limiting local anesthesia to only surgical procedures overlooks its important role in various non-surgical interventions. Thus, the selection accurately reflects the procedures that commonly incorporate local anesthesia for optimal patient management.