Are you avoiding your dental appointment due to dental anxiety? If yes, then Sleep dentistry at the Serenity Sleep Dentistry clinic is all you need! Sedation dentistry is a vital aspect of dental care that uses sedation while treating patients for a variety of dental problems (1). The dentists at Serenity Sleep Dentistry are striving to help the patient to relax during their dental procedures.
Are you still overwhelmed about the idea of sedation dentistry? There are a few significant questions that are frequently asked before selecting sedation.
What are the Levels of Sedations and Sedatives?
There are 3 Different Types of Conscious Sedation available at the Serenity Sleep Dentistry to help ease the anxiety of our patients and provide the best dental treatment while the patient is relaxed.
- Minimal Sedation: In this type of sedation the patient remains conscious and can respond to the dentist but you will feel calm. Our dental team uses minimal sedation in the form of nitrous oxide, which is also called “laughing gas”. The process is very simple you have to inhale the laughing gas through your nose. This helps you to feel calm and relaxed keeping you completely aware of what is going on during your dental procedure.
- Moderate Sedation: In this kind of dental sedation the patients are responsive but feel sleepy and may fade in and out of consciousness. This form of moderate sedation is administered via a pill. The skilled dentists at Serenity Sleep Dentistry carefully monitor the patient when sedated with this pill. If you or a loved one is very anxious at the dental appointment then this is a great choice for you.
- Deep Sedation: As the word itself says that it is deep sedation in which the patient is mostly asleep. When the dental procedure finishes the patient is awakened. This deep sedation uses sedatives with the use of an IV. With this type of sedation, if you go with the deep sedation then you will be asleep during the procedure and won’t remember a thing. (2)
Who Can Benefit from Sleep Dentistry?
The majority of people can get benefit from deep sedation dentistry. If you have so much anxiety that you have started avoiding the dentist for years, our sleep dentistry may be a great solution for you. If you are too nervous to receive treatment, you are worried about the pain of the dental procedure, or are afraid of the sounds of the dental tools that are used, then deep sedation dentistry can be one of the best decisions for you to maintain or return to good oral health. (3)
Who Performs Sedation Dentistry Procedures?
Most dentists can administer minimal sedation and moderate sedation. However, we have a dental anesthesiologist, a dental specialist, who administers IV deep sedation at our Serenity Sleep Dentistry clinic and is qualified in performing deep sedation and general anaesthesia procedures. These dentists are anesthesiologists who are specially trained to give all levels of sedation and anesthesia to both children and adults.
General Anesthesia for the Patient Receiving Dental Care
Did you know that Patients with physical and/or intellectual disabilities have increased caries activity and higher dental treatment needs compared to the general population? For all these patients there is an amazing sedation option in dentistry called General anesthesia (GA). In GA the dentist performs the dental treatment while the dental anesthesiologist administers the anesthesia in daycare service safely and effectively for noncompliant patients. (4)
If fear of the Dentist, the sound of dental devices, or a busy schedule is hindering you from achieving the healthy, beautiful bright smile that you have always wanted, Sleep Dentistry at Serenity Sleep Dentistry can facilitate you with speedy and high-quality treatments to alleviate your anxiety.
References
- Girdler, N. M., Hill, C. M., & Wilson, K. E. (2009). Clinical sedation in dentistry. John Wiley & Sons.
- Morita, T., Tsuneto, S., & Shima, Y. (2002). Definition of sedation for symptom relief: a systematic literature review and a proposal of operational criteria. Journal of pain and symptom management, 24(4), 447-453.
- Lavigne, G. J., Cistulli, P. A., & Smith, M. T. (2009). Sleep medicine for dentists. Chicago, IL: Quintessence, 210.
- Brailo, V., Janković, B., Lozić, M., Gabrić, D., Kuna, T., Stambolija, V., & Verzak, Ž. (2019). Dental Treatment Under General Anesthesia in a Day Care Surgery Setting. Acta stomatologica Croatica, 53(1), 64–71. https://doi.org/10.15644/asc53/1/7
