Sleep dentistry, also known as twilight dentistry or IV sedation, is used to calm you down if you have a fear of the Dentist or are anxious about your dental treatment. We use sleep dentistry to help you get the treatment you need without making you feel nervous, anxious, or upset.Before your dental treatment starts, we carefully administer a relaxing drug that will make you feel super relaxed. During sleep dentistry, you just lie back and let the world pass you by while we take care of your teeth. You’ll have little or no memory of the appointment and before you know it, it’s all over!
Am I Awake in Sleep Dentistry?
Yes, technically you’ll be awake during treatment with sleep dentistry, however, you more often than not won’t remember receiving treatment or anything that happened. You’ll be able to communicate to us using hand signals, if needed. The chances are, you’ll be so relaxed, you’ll just want to lie back and be left alone (a moment’s peace – heaven!).
Can I Drive After Sleep Dentistry?
No, you won’t be able to drive, return to work or look after children after sleep dentistry. It’s best to go straight home and rest. You’ll need to bring a friend or family member with you to help you get home safely and look after you for the rest of the day. The effects of sleep dentistry will wear off quickly but it’s best to sleep it off overnight. Don’t worry though, we’ll explain all this to you when you book in. The team will keep a close eye on you throughout your treatment and we’ll stay in touch after your appointment to check you’re feeling A-OK.
Can I Be Put to Sleep With a General Anaesthetic at the Dentist?
It’s very difficult to have a full general anaesthetic in a local dental practice and we don’t offer it at Warragul Dental Care. The good news is that we have lots of other great sedation options to help you get the treatment you need, including sleep or twilight dentistry.
IV sedation (sleep dentistry), for example, is the next best thing to a general anaesthetic as you’re technically awake but so relaxed you usually won’t remember anything that happened. It also saves you the time and expense of having a general anaesthetic and has fewer side effects.
At Warragul Dental Care, we’ve got lots of tricks up our sleeve to have you calm and relaxed without being put to sleep, including Dogtor Bruce, our dental therapy dog, happy gas and sleep dentistry.
Or, we can let Dr Anand tell you all about the advanced technology behind the Cerec machine, (which makes crowns in a day). Guaranteed to get you yawning.
What Are the Different Types of Sedation Dentistry?
Sedation dentistry is the term we use where you’re having treatment in our comfy dental chair but in a very deep state of relaxation and unaware of, or unconcerned about, the treatment taking place.
There are two main types of sedation used in dentistry: happy gas (nitrous oxide) and sleep dentistry (also known as twilight dentistry or IV sedation).
If you’re a nervous patient at Warragul Dental Care, we always start by offering our range of comfort options. These include our noise-cancelling headphones, comfy blankets, stress toys or the reassuring company of our dental therapy dog, Dogtor Bruce.
If you need more support to get you through your treatment, you can choose to have happy gas or nitrous oxide for dentistry at Warragul Dental Care. With happy gas, you’ll be completely awake while feeling so relaxed that you won’t care about the dental treatment taking place. This is great if you’re a little nervous and just need a little something extra to get you through.
The next step up from happy gas is sleep, or twilight, dentistry, where you’re in a much deeper state of relaxation. With sleep dentistry, you can still be treated in our calm, relaxing practice with your familiar WDC team. You’ll feel so relaxed that you’ll have little memory of the treatment. If you’re more nervous and really hate the thought of having your teeth fixed, or simply don’t want to remember the experience then this is the best choice for you.
How Do I Book Sleep Dentistry at Warragul Dental Care?
Just pick up the phone, dial 5623 5588 and chat to our friendly team! It’s that easy.
If you’re feeling a bit jittery about your appointment or have any questions about what is sleep dentistry, you can always chat to us using live chat (where we pop up on the website). You’ll still be chatting to the same team, it just means you don’t have to speak to us over the phone – we know it can get a bit emotional when you’re feeling nervous.
The first thing we’ll do is book you in for a consultation with one of our experienced Dentists for a comprehensive examination and to chat about you treatment options. If you’re interested in sleep dentistry, we’ll then book you in with the lovely Dr Barry (our Anaesthetist) to check that you’re eligible for twilight sedation.
We’ll take great care of you and there’s no obligation to do anything if you’re not comfortable. You can ask us as many questions as you like and take your time to make any decisions.
Our main aim is to get you the dental treatment you need in the calmest way possible.
Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’ve got any questions.
