Why you should Go for Sleep Dentistry

Ashton Avenue Dental
4 min readNov 14, 2022

Are you scared of visiting a dentist? It’s not a big problem. Many people feel nervous about going to the dentist because of fear of the procedure, which can be overwhelming. They are ready to suffer from pain than receive treatment.

But what if you get a relaxed feeling in the dentist’s chair? May it be possible?

Sedation dentistry is a treatment option for patients who have anxiety about dental treatments. It can be effective for most procedures, from invasive treatments to routine cleanings. Sedation levels can range from minimal, where you feel awake but relaxed, to deep sedation. The goal is to make it as painless as possible for you during your appointment. In this blog, we will discuss why we should consider sleep dentistry, but first, let’s understand what sleep dentistry is.

What is Sleep Dentistry?

Sleep Dentistry is also known as sedation dentistry. It is a process of using sedation to induce a deep, restful sleep for a short period. It relaxes the patient enough to prevent them from feeling pain during the treatment. Not only does this help you relax before a procedure, but it allows your oral surgeon to access tight areas by enabling them to work with less restriction.

Understanding Sedation Levels

Sleep dentistry involves putting a little bit of medication through the blood vessels so that you feel drowsiness that is almost half asleep and your dental treatment is carried out. You are unaware of what’s happening in the surroundings, and the entire procedure is finished until you awake. It has different degrees, such as oral sedatives, Intravenous (IV) sedatives, and nitrous oxide. The levels are chosen according to the needs of the patients.

For example, minimal sedation is used to induce relaxation, but the patient remains awake in this process. Deep sedation keeps the patient unconscious. That is, the patient may sometime be awake. Dentists sometimes use general dental anesthesia to complete the sedation process.

Five reasons you should consider sleep dentistry

Sleep dentistry is common and routinely carried out by sleep dentists. Most of them are unaware of what sleep dentistry is. It is a great advantage for those who have fear, don’t like needles, or the procedure is lengthy or complex. So, sedation helps to take the fear and stress out of you.

The sedation process is carried out when procedures like wisdom teeth extraction, multiple implant placement, or simply for any lengthy procedures. There are various reasons why one should consider sleep dentistry.

Anxiety Control

Many people experience fear of visiting the dentist and develop anxiety. This unease can make them uncomfortable with the treatment and increases the risk of complications. For some people, the anxiety is minimal and controllable. But, for some people, it is challenging to control, leading to dental trauma. Many sedation dentist use sedatives to control anxiety.

Pain Suppression

Pain is the primary concern during the major treatment process, such as root canals, tooth removal, and dental implant installation. So, sedation is one of the best ways to minimize pain during the entire treatment procedure.

Trigger Management

In a dental clinic, you will have to trigger many unpleasant emotions, such as sounds, smells, and even sights. For example, the sound of the drilling machine might scare you. So, sleep dentists use sedation to minimize the impact of triggers in the dental clinic.

Control Gag Reflex

If you suffer from a sensitive gag reflex, your dental check-ups and procedures can be very uncomfortable. You might feel the urge to choke or sputter when anything is placed in your mouth, making simple procedures like X-rays unbearable. So, sedation dentistry options, like oral sedatives, nitrous oxide, and intravenous drugs, help you to relax during the treatment. It paralyzes the gagging responses for a certain period so that the dentist can freely perform their work. It also reduces the risk of complications.

Faster Treatment

Dental work takes longer time because of the fidgeting patients. Also, the tools used by the dentist are very scary, even the anesthesia injected into the gums. So, sedation dentistry helps keep the patient calm and allows the dentist to focus on their work without interruption. Also, it does not cause more stress to the patients.

Conclusion:

Sedation dentistry not only helps manage people of all ages, but it is a practical approach for those with disorders, making dental work difficult.

If you are looking for professional dental clinic in Claremont, visit Ashton Avenue Dental Practice, where our sleep dentist provides the best dental care.

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Ashton Avenue Dental

Established in 1996, Ashton Avenue Dental Practice has been serving the dental needs of the local and surrounding communities of Claremont for over 18 years.