Sedation and Sleep Dentistry
If you’re nervous or anxious about coming to the dentist or just don’t want to remember anything from your treatment, you may be a candidate for sedation dentistry.
What is it?
In IV sedation dentistry, our medically trained anaesthetist places you in a totally relaxed and peaceful state such that you sleep through your procedure. During Sleep Dentistry your mind is switched off but your body is conscious and you breathe by yourself. We do this right in our own surgery so you don’t have to go to a hospital.
It differs from general anaesthesia in a hospital environment where your body is completely paralysed and a machine does all the breathing for you.
We can put you to sleep for virtually any dental procedures you wish. We most commonly do it for more invasive procedures such as surgical wisdom tooth extractions and other complex surgeries.
It’s ideal for nervous or anxious patients who would rather not know what is happening and to help overcome any fears, especially those who haven’t attended for many years.
It’s also good for patients who have a significant amount of work to do and would rather get it all done at once as time will pass quickly.
You’ll normally need to fast 6 hours prior to your appointment. When you arrive, our anaesthetist will place a small cannula into the back of your hand. You’ll barely feel a thing before you drift to sleep.
Once you’re asleep we sometimes still use local anaesthetics in the mouth, so when you wake you might feel a bit numb. This is ideal if you’re not a fan of injections as by the time you’re asleep you won’t remember or feel anything.
When we have finished your treatment it will probably take about 20 minutes before you fully rouse and that we are satisfied it is safe for you to leave the clinic. Rest assured that when you wake you won’t remember what has happened. Many patients will ask us if we’ve started yet! You’ll probably feel a bit tired and drowsy for the rest of the day but most people will comment on how refreshing the sleep was.
You’ll need someone to take you to and from our clinic and you won’t be able to drive or operate heavy machinery for 24hrs after the procedure.
Schedule Your Visit
If you’d like to learn more about sedation dentistry in Mandurah, we welcome your questions. Contact Southern Dental Care – Smile By Design today to book your appointment—we look forward to speaking with you.
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