Mom has dementia. Five years ago she needed to have a full upper dentures which required anesthesia to remove some teeth. My sister had mom at the time and conveyed that mom suffered a decline after the surgery that required months to bounce back from, and never did all the way. Now, I have mom and we are facing another dental surgery requiring Anesthesia. I've researched and find conflicting information on the impact of Anesthesia on dementia patients. Mom's surgery is preventative to avoid further decay of surrounding teeth, so we could possibly delay till absolutely necessary. Anyone have a resource or knowledge in this area? I sure could use the collective wisdom.
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I leaned that there are options to treat people of advanced age and with disabilities like cognitive decline. As a result, my LO's condition was treated not as aggressively and they were able to extract 3 teeth with just local numbing agent and an Ativan to relax her. The staff and dentist are great, patient and work towards keeping her as comfortable as possible, without extreme measures.
Also, if you do decide to proceed, I'd inquire about anesthesia. I've never heard of general for dental surgery.