Sleep Dentistry
Sleep Dentistry
Relieving Any Pain
Sleep Dentistry and Sedation Dentistry are specialties of ours. We offer different types of sedation dentistry for patients who have dental phobias or anxieties. Some of the options include, gas, administering oral sedation, a pill or intravenous anesthesia to dose a combination of drugs. These can be tailored uniquely to each patient.
Using these methods, the dentist and the patient can both feel appropriate giving and receiving pain free and stress free dental care.
Sleep Dentistry
What is Sleep Dentistry or Sedation Dentistry?
Patients are given an oral medication an hour prior to their appointment. This medication will put you in to a light state of sedation that will allow you to sleep through your dental procedure. It’s completely safe! When you wake up, your appointment is over and your procedure is finished.
You will need to have someone accompany you to your appointment because you won’t be able to drive. When you arrive you’ll be escorted to a comfortable quite room where you can rest with a nice cozy blanket. Throughout your procedure we will monitor you to ensure your safety.
Complicated dental procedures that would normally require six or more visits can all be done in one appointment, all while you rest peacefully.
Sleep Dentistry
Be Prepared Before Anesthesia
There are several essential aspects and instructions that patients should be aware of before undergoing anesthesia.
8 hours prior to your surgery, you should not eat or drink anything. You should also not smoke 12 hours prior to your surgery.
You should bring someone with you to your procedure who will be able to drive you home afterwards.
Do not wear any jewelry, contact lenses or dentures the day of your surgery.
Make sure you talk to your dentist about any medications your take regularly prior to your surgery to make sure they are approved.
Sleep Dentistry
Additional Sedation Methods
Oral Conscious Sedation
Patients are given an oral medication an hour prior to their appointment. This medication will put you in to a light state of sedation that will allow you to sleep through your dental procedure. It’s completely safe! When you wake up, your appointment is over and your procedure is finished.
You will need to have someone accompany you to your appointment because you won’t be able to drive. When you arrive you’ll be escorted to a comfortable quite room where you can rest with a nice cozy blanket. Throughout your procedure we will monitor you to ensure your safety.
Complicated dental procedures that would normally require six or more visits can all be done in one appointment, all while you rest peacefully.
IV Sedation
Should the idea of having dental work done give you feelings of fear or anxiety, rest assured that there are options to help you with those feelings. IV sedation is a safe and easy method for dealing with moderate to severe anxiety. A medication is administered directly in to your blood stream that works effectively, safely and quickly. You will remain conscious throughout the procedure but will be in a state of relaxation. There is also the chance that you won’t remember part of or the entire procedure.
IV sedation can make complicated dental procedures that would normally seem longer be done in one appointment that seems short. To make entirely sure that there is absolutely no pain, a local anesthetic will be used on the area being worked on as a precautionary measure. One of the benefits to using IV sedation versus other methods is that the level of medication can be adjusted throughout your procedure to give you the highest level of comfort possible. Your health and safety are of the utmost importance to us, so we will monitor your heart rate and breathing to ensure your safety.
Stop putting off dental work and ask your dentist about whether or not IV sedation is the right option for you.
Anxiolysis
Anxiolysis is a type of oral sedation that uses a lighter sedative like Valium. It is not as potent as oral conscious sedation. Anxiolysis is recommended for those with mild to moderate anxiety. Any and all fear or anxiety should subside during your procedure even though you will remain conscious. You should be able to breath normally and speak during the procedure too. Something that normally would be a stressful situation is now a calm and restful encounter.
Since Anxiolysis is such a light sedative, there is no need to have someone else drive for you after your procedure. Should dental work be something cause you to feel anxious, contact us today to set your mind at ease.
Sedation FAQ
Anyone who has a fear about the dentist or is anxious about having dental work done is a candidate for sedation dentistry. If you have ever had a harrowing experience at the dentist, fear the pain of dental work or even have anxiety about the sounds or smells in a dental office, sedation dentistry can help overcome these feelings.
Some other candidates would be people who have a sensitive gag reflex or acutely sensitive teeth. If you have questions about whether or not sedation dentistry is right for you, contact you dentist.
During your treatment, you will not be unconscious. You will, however, be in a profound state of relaxation. You’ll still have the ability to breath on your own and speak, but you should not have any feelings of anxiety or feel any pain. It’s possible that you will have no recollection of the procedure once it is over.
The length of the procedure, as well as the strength of the sedative, will determine how long you will be sedated. Sedation could be anywhere between two and 6 hours.
One of our staff will be present the entire time you are sedated. You vitals will also be monitored to assure us that everything is in a normal range. Your safety is paramount while in our care.
There are no long term effects when being sedated. You may feel a bit dazed or confused after some forms of sedation. Typically you will feel back to normal after a few hours. You will need someone to accompany you to drive you home after your appointment however.
While you are sedated, typically any procedure can be done. Sedation is not something that is necessary for the procedure. It is to help patients relax through the anxiety that may come from thinking about a procedure. Should you be curious as to whether or not sedation can be used for a particular procedure, your dentist would be happy to answer your questions.
Two appointments are typically needed to complete any dental work. The initial appointment is a consultation to gather information about your health history and to assess if you are a good candidate for sedation dentistry. Your second appointment is to actually perform any dentistry work that is needed. This can be completed in one appointment, though there are some instances that would require a follow up appointment.
Most insurance providers do not cover sedation. We are happy to go over your insurance coverage with you and inform you whether or not sedation is covered. Should sedation not be covered by your insurance, we will go over the cost of it and can even produce a financing plan for you.