Wake up with a healthier smile
with our sleep dentistry service in Melbourne
Does the very thought of visiting a dentist make you shiver with fear and panic?
Would you rather defer seeking dental care, because of your perceptions of more pain at the dental clinic?
Do you always have a reason to not visit the dentist, even when you experience pain?
If you resonate with any of these, you are not alone. There are many others with dental phobias like these, who experience severe anxiety about the prospect of visiting a dentist for receiving dental care.
Also, there are some who are too busy to seek dental care. And when timely care is not taken, dental problems can get more serious over time. It is for people like these that we offer sleep dentistry in Melbourne.
What is sleep dentistry?
Sleep dentistry, also known as sedation dentistry, is a way to perform complex dental procedures using sedation to put at ease those who are very anxious about treatment. This not only helps the patients relax and be more comfortable during the treatment, but also allows the sleep dentist to focus uninterrupted on the task at hand.
Depending upon the type of treatment to be done and the anxiety levels of the patient, the sleep dentists at our Melbourne clinic use different levels of sedation:
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Minimal Sedation: The patient will be extremely relaxed, but awake and conscious. This is mostly administered via nitrous oxide, which needs to be inhaled.
Moderate Sedation: Though awake, the patient will be drowsy and have little recollection of the procedure. It could likely result in temporary slurred speech under sedation.
Deep Sedation: The patient will be almost unconscious, and will have almost no remembrance of the dental procedure. This also takes a longer while to wear off.
General Anaesthesia: In this, the patient will be completely unconscious throughout, and will not feel any pain either.
What are the different types of procedures that can be done under sleep dentistry?
Sleep dentistry can come in useful for a variety of procedures, like:
- Dental Implants
- Bone Grafting
- Periodontal treatment
- Wisdom tooth removal
- Dental emergencies
- Complex dental procedures
- Full mouth restoration
Who would make a good candidate for sleep dentistry?
Those who have the following characteristics would be apt descriptors for those who will most benefit from sleep dentistry:
- Acute anxiety about dental visits
- Low pain threshold
- Sensitive teeth
- Inability to keep jaw open for long
- Complex and prolonged dental treatments
How safe is sleep dentistry in Melbourne?
The only known risk is in the administration of controlled anaesthesia, especially for those patients who have existing medical conditions like sleep apnea. Incorrect dosage of sedation or anaesthesia could result in other issues, and therefore it is extremely important that you check on the credentials of the dentist who will be offering this procedure. But as long as it is performed by an experienced dental professional, sleep dentistry is considered to be pretty safe.
The sleep dentists at our Melbourne clinic have the experience and the commitment to see dental procedures through, with the maximum comfort and ease for our clients. We have been practicing sleep dentistry for a few years now, and have successfully completed many treatments with great results. To know more or to book an appointment, please call us on (03) 9583 4888.