Does general anesthesia , (like dental surgery), affect a fetus?

Yes
Always

Dental surgery does not use full ‘general anaethesia’. ( where the patient must be breathed). There are different stages of anaesthesia and dentistry uses ‘twilight sedation’, usually a line in your arm or hand, you are ‘asleep’, breathing on your own, wake up quickly and easily with no memory of the procedure. Elective surgical procedures are always postponed on pregnant women.

@trailsillustrated I’d like to think that was true, but I had an endodontist who insisted I could have my impacted wisdom tooth extracted with no harm to my baby. I considered it elective because I could have waited until the baby was born. I did, and I fired him. That was 30 years ago.

Anything that the pregnant mother eats, drinks or has done to her affects the fetus. A drink, caffeine, smoking, anesthesia, medications, what she eats – all of it.

@snowberry things have changed alot in 30 years and I wouldve fired him, too.

I’m glad that you clarified that you’re not pregnant. I would have been quite confused otherwise. ^_~

Sure. It makes them sleep like a baby.