Many of us are deadly afraid of going to the dentist. Reasons for this fear may be anything from extreme pain arising from dental surgeries, discomfort due to sensitive palette, or past bad experiences with dentists etc. There’s only one solution to all these worries, sleep dentistry.
Read on to know more about Sleep Dentistry and whether it is right for you.
What is sleep dentistry?
Sleep Dentistry, also called sedation dentistry, is the process of performing dental surgeries on patients who are under the complete influence of sedative medicines. There are 5 methods in which sedatives can be given to a patient.
- General Anaesthesia
- Sedation Through IV
- Happy Gas
- Sedation by Inhalation
- Oral Sedation
The type of sedative to be used varies from person to person. It requires an experienced anaesthetist to administer the process when general anaesthesia is to be used. In many cases where moderate sedatives are used, the patient can drive home after the effect of sedatives wear off.
However, not everybody can be a candidate for sedation dentistry. There are various factors that decide who can actually opt for this method.
Is Sleep Dentistry right for me?
We have listed some of the factors which help decide whether one can undergo sleep dentistry or not.
1) Phobia to Dental Procedures
People with deep phobia related to dental procedures can go for sleep dentistry. They can relax when the dentist is performing dental surgery. However, a thorough medical examination is needed to be carried out before leading the patient to sleep dentistry.
2) General Anxiety Disorder
General anxiety disorder doesn’t only make a person restless but particularly complicates their reaction towards other treatments, especially surgical ones. Therefore, sleep dentistry can be a good option to ease their stress. One needs to visit a dentist and confirm whether they are eligible or not.
3) Age
Age of the patient plays an important role. Not every form of sedation is suitable for patients of every age group. Children and elders fall under the highly sensitive category. General anaesthesia or any deep sedation is not advised for these patients. However, an expert opinion needs to be taken.
4) Overall Health
Sedation cannot work for patients with special medical needs. To say, asthmatic patients, people with neurological disorders are not advised for sleep dentistry. Our dentists at Healthy Smiles Dental Group carry out a comprehensive study of the medical history of a prospective patient. Sleep dentistry will only be advised if it suits the general health of the patient.
5) Cases of Accidents
In cases of major accidents where the patient is suffering from multiple injuries or needs to undergo many surgeries, sleep dentistry can help. It makes the patient calm throughout the dental surgery. Sleep dentistry can help reduce the critical time which can be utilized for other surgeries.
The feasibility of Sleep dentistry is very subjective. Every person’s body may react differently to sedatives. Visit our team of highly experienced anaesthetists and cosmetic dentists before coming to any conclusions. They can guide you as to if and which sedation will suit you.
Visit our team of trustworthy dentists at Healthy Smiles.
Call us at 03 9877 2035 Book Online Appointment
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