Dental anaesthesia

hello
and I hope someone here will offer opinion on use of general
anaesthesia on an 8 year old healthy boy who requires dental
extraction. he has been referred by our dental practice to the dental
hospital as xrays showed an additional tooth in his upper teeth set
(in his jaw still?) which is halting dental development. Its an
operation that will be 'somewhat traumatic' in words of the consultant
who we saw there. Its not just a tooth pull! He's had a small filling
earlier this year with no anaesthesia and was v. co-operative if a
little tearful at the conclusion.

So he's been offered local anaesthesia, sedation (laughing gas?) or a
general anaesthetic for the proposed operation in a few weeks time.

We are obviously concerned about the general (although I have read the
available stats and recognise that it is a risk of comlications and no
more), but equally do not want him to experience trauma uneccessarily
..

Any words of wisdom out here? or alternative sources of critical
information?
There seems to be a lot of emotion surrounding anaesthetic practice,
anyone got advice on how to cut through the c**p ;-) ?

cheers
nicko