Whats the difference between a local and general anesthetic?

Asleep vs. awake: Local anesthetics are meds such as Lidocaine that are injected with a needle into a part of the body to numb it. They don't cause sedation or unconsciousness. This is what dentists usually use to numb a tooth. General anesthesia involves meds given into a vein, and/or gas that you breathe, that put you completely to sleep for surgery or other uncomfortable procedures.

Sleep: General anesthesia involves the patient being in a deep state of sleep with some method of airway control. Local anesthesia can refer to a truly local anesthetic (numbing the skin of the operative area) or to a regional anesthetic (spinal anesthesia or nerve block).