Does a dental procedure get you anxious? It’s a shame you can’t just sleep through the procedure.
But you can!
Sleep Dentistry is a service we offer here at Sydney Dental Aesthetics and Implants (SDAI) so you can sleep through your procedure!
What is sleep dentistry?
Sleep dentistry is the use of pharmacological agents, used to relax and calm a patient – before and during a dental appointment. It is also commonly known as IV Sedation and twilight sedation. Common procedures performed under sleep dentistry are wisdom teeth removal, tooth extractions, All on 4 and Dental Implants but any dental procedure can be done with sleep dentistry!
Why should I use sleep dentistry?
There are many benefits to using sleep dentistry including:
Reduced anxiety – You would not be awake for the treatment! It allows you to relax in our practice and sleep right through.
Less pain – You won’t experience any pain throughout your procedure. You’ll just wake up and it’s over!
Multiple treatments – With sleep dentistry, you can have multiple treatments in a single session! Saving you time and money by not having to come back.
Less time in the chair – Treatments take less time with sleep dentistry and patients have no or little memory of the procedure.
What should I expect?
We will walk you through the entire process before, but here is what usually happens.
Prior to the appointment, we’ll ask you to fast from food and liquids for at least 6 hours – this is important and mandatory. Usual medications can be taken with a small amount of water, but this has to be discussed with Dr Melissa Licenblat beforehand. Loose comfortable clothing is recommended as blood pressure cuffs need to be placed to monitor you.
On the day – we’ll set up monitors to keep track of your blood pressure, oxygen saturation and pulse rate. We also set up an ECG, to monitor your heart during the procedure. Once we make sure that everything is okay and you are suitable for IV sedation, an IV line will give you sedatives and pain-relieving drugs. You’ll feel instant relaxation in a few minutes – allowing the dentist to start the procedure quickly. We even administer the local anesthetic after sedation, so you won’t be aware of any needles!
You’ll wake up after the procedure ends – we’ll still monitor your vitals, and you may feel a bit ‘sleepy’, but you’ll be under the supervision of our dental seditionist. This phase usually only lasts 15 to 45 minutes. You will be discharged after Melissa feels that you are alert and steady enough to walk and have sufficient transport – which needs to be a private vehicle (can’t be public transport, uber or taxis). You will not be able to drive or operate heavy machinery for 24 hours.
Meet our dental seditionist – Dr. Melissa Licenblat
Dr. Melissa Licenblat is our dental seditionist and a principal dentist at Sydney Dental Aesthetics & Implants. Her warm, gentle nature is combined with years of experience. She has a Bachelor of Medical Science, a Bachelor of Dentistry, and a Graduate Diploma in Clinical Dentistry (Conscious Sedation and Pain Control) – so you can be sure you are in great hands.
If you are anxious about a procedure, we can help you get the dental care you need. Please call on (02) 9233 3301 or email us at info@sdai.com.au