What is sleep dentistry?
Sleep dentistry, also known as twilight sedation or twilight anaesthesia, is intravenous sedation used in dentistry. A combination of intravenous anaesthetic, sedative and pain-relieving medications is administered to make your dental visit a relaxing, sleepy and comfortable experience. Intravenous
(IV) sedation puts you in a pleasant, dream-like state for the whole procedure so that you will be relaxed, comfortable and unaware of your surroundings while still maintaining the ability to breathe on your own, move and respond.
Is it safe?
IV sedation in dentistry is very safe and highly effective. The vast majority of people have no memory of the procedure. Memory before and after IV sedation is usually not affected. Patients often comment that the whole procedure has passed in only a few minutes when in reality it may have been several hours. IV sedation also allows patients to avoid the risks, cost and time involved with having a general anaesthetic. It allows your dentist to care for you at their clinic and is safer, allows you to recover more quickly, and has minimal side effects compared to general anaesthetic.
Who can have IV sedation?
IV sedation is available and very effective for any dental procedure. It is suitable and extremely safe for most people. No procedure is too small for IV sedation. Intravenous sedation is beneficial for patients who:
- Have anxiety or fear/phobia or are nervous about dental procedures or avoid going to the
- Have had traumatic or negative dental experiences in the
- Require complex, multiple, extensive or long dental
- Dislike needles, drills, pain/discomfort, sights, sounds/noises, tastes or smells associated with their dental
- Have sensitive teeth or
- Require removal of wisdom teeth, teeth extractions, dental surgery/oral surgery, dental implants, root canal treatment, fillings, periodontal or gum treatments, crowns and bridges, full mouth restorations, bone grafts, All on 4, emergency procedures, and so
- Have limited time and wish to undertake their dental procedures in one appointment instead of multiple
- Are uncomfortable with dental
- Have difficulty feeling numb with a local anaesthetic
- Have a strong gag
- Find it difficult to keep their mouth open or have jaw
- Feel embarrassed about the condition of their
- Find it difficult to sit still in the dental
- Are anxious, fearful or nervous about injections/needles or who have a low-pain
If you’d like to find out more about IV sedation, or wish to make arrangements for your next appointment, contact our friendly reception team today on 1300 698 326.
My Dental Team are your local dentists with Clinics conveniently located in Bella Vista, Shellharbour and Wollongong. Offering a wide range range of general dental and specialist Orthodontist services.