Have you ever considered sleep dentistry?
Sleep dentistry, also known as sedation dentistry, involves using anaesthesia to put a patient either in a restful, yet conscious state or fully unconscious state while undergoing dental treatments.
At Byron Family Dental we offer sleep dentistry for all kinds of procedures from invasive surgical work through to a simple tooth clean.
How Can Dental Anxiety Affect Your Health?
For people with high levels of dental anxiety, they are likely to miss or avoid trips to the dentist. If patients regularly miss check-ups, cleans and screening x-rays, smaller problems that can be detected early will go untreated, requiring more invasive measures down the track.
Regular dental check-ups are important not only for managing dental health issues like plaque build-up and gum disease, but good oral health can affect the rest of your body too. Like most parts of your body, the mouth is home to a huge number of bacteria – most of which is harmless. However, when certain bacteria overcome the body’s natural defences due to poor oral care, it can lead to infection and more severe health problems.
Are You A Candidate For Sedation Dentistry?
It’s safe to say the vast majority of people have a certain level of anxiety about visiting the dentist. However, this does not mean everyone requires sedation.
Dental anxiety is common and can affect people regardless of gender or age. There are many ways to cope or manage this anxiety that do not involve sedation. Having an open discussion with your dentist about your anxiety and what triggers it, is a critical first step.
Dental anxiety is not the only reason you might consider sedation dentistry, patients who require larger more invasive procedures are also good candidates for sleep dentistry.
What To Expect Before, During, And After The Procedure
Before any sedation procedure, our team will provide the required information for patients to thoroughly weigh the pros and cons of the process. We will have an in-depth conversation that covers your history of dental anxiety as well as your medical history. As a patient, it is important to remember to ask any questions you may have and be fully informed about your options.
On the day of the procedure, it is recommended you’re accompanied by another adult or organise for someone else to pick you up following the appointment. Depending on the type of sedation used, the dentist will either provide you with a mask to administer the sedative or a small needle will be injected into the arm. While people may naturally feel nervous about needles this is often no more than a small prick. In cases of IV sedation and general anaesthetic, a trained anaesthetist will monitor your blood pressure and breathing throughout the appointment. Once the procedure is completed, the sedation will be ceased, and you will awake from your temporary sleep.
Immediately after the procedure, patients are required to undergo a short recovery period in our office to ensure there are no unexpected side effects of the sedation. For light sedation options such as nitrous oxide and oral sedation, the effects generally wear off soon after the appointment. For more serious sedatives you will not be permitted to drive home and its recommended that you do not operate any vehicle or machinery for 24 hours. Our team will provide instructions to the person picking you up and how to monitor your drowsiness.
Sedation Dentistry At Byron Family Dental
At Byron Family Dental, our team’s priority is patient comfort. Our highly trained dentists are on hand to help manage your dental anxiety and give you the oral care you deserve.
This includes ensuring the safety of patients during any sedation dentistry appointment. This is managed by both the process in which patients are screened for sedation options and the additional training and licensing required on the part of our team to deliver these services.
Some of the treatments for which we offer sedation dentistry include:
- Wisdom tooth removal
- Oral surgery
- Dental implants
- Extractions
- Mouth reconstructions
- Complex makeovers
- Paediatric dental treatments
- Multi-tooth restorations
At Byron Family Dental, we are dedicated to offering our patients a comfortable environment and excellent quality of service to help patients with all their oral health needs.
For more information on sedation dentistry book a consultation today. Call 02 6685 8137 or book online now.