Tips From a Sleep Dentist On How To Ease Anxiety at Your Dental Appointment

If you have dental anxiety, also known as dental phobia, you should only see a sleep dentist. When you have dental anxiety, you know it is more than just a childlike fear of visiting the dentist. It is an intense, unreasonable, and unhealthy fear that can lead you to take any measures possible to avoid visiting the dentist. When your anxiety comes to this level, we, as a sleep dentist, can provide you with a calming environment where you won’t feel as apprehensive. Avoiding the dentist for any prolonged period of time is harmful to your teeth and your overall health. It could result in painful cavities, gum disease, tooth loss, and even the need for oral surgery. Instead of taking the risk of skipping the dentist altogether, you can try these tips in addition to visiting our office for dental sedation.
When you prepared for a dentist appointment in the past, you may have noticed that your nerves were on edge, you felt irritable or depressed, and you felt like you could not muster enough courage to step out the door. However, this time, it will be a little easier because you will know you are headed to see a sleep dentist. A sleep dentist, also known as a sedation dentist, features a relaxing environment during appointments and procedures by providing you with varying levels of sedatives. Although they are called sleep dentistry practices, they actually typically do not put you all the way to sleep. The differing levels of sedation that may be considered are:

• Minimal sedation.  You are in a relaxed stage, but you are also aware of your surroundings.
• Moderate sedation.  You feel heavy and sleepy and may slur when you talk, but you can still follow verbal orders from the dentist. In this stage, you may or may not remember your entire appointment.
• Deep sedation.  You are barely on the edge of consciousness, but you can be woken up if needed.
• General anesthesia.  You are completely unresponsive and asleep. This form of sedation is typically reserved for oral surgeries.

As your dentist, we will talk to you about your concerns and assess your level of dental anxiety to determine what scale of sedation is best for you.
In the meantime, you can prepare for your appointment by:

• Making a list of all the things you are anxious about to share with your dentist.
• Setting your appointment early in the morning so you are not required to wait. This will limit how long you agonize over the appointment.
• Bringing a friend or loved one to calm you.
• Bringing along your favorite reading materials or music to distract yourself while you wait to be sedated.
• Requesting oral sedatives that can be taken before your appointment and arrange for a driver to bring you in.

In addition to these tips, it is best to get to know our office and staff before your appointment so you will know you are with people you can trust and relax around. As a sleep dentist, we will help you conquer your fears and provide you with an environment you won’t be scared to come back to.

Are There Side Effects From Visiting a Sleep Dentist?

As a sleep dentist, we make comfortable dental treatments possible.  Our approach to dental care makes it easy for people to have their oral health challenges addressed without fear or anxiety.  In fact, many people that come to us for dental care, have avoided visiting the dentist for years due to severe anxiety.  Our ability to use sedation and put patients to sleep makes it possible for these individuals to receive the care that they need and have been avoiding.

Given the positive impact that sedation or sleep dentistry can have, we often work with patients of other dentists as well.  During the initial consultation, we will examine teeth and gums to determine what oral health problems exist before making a plan for how to treat them. During this initial appointment, we will also discuss sedation and what can be expected from it.  Some of the questions that we regularly hear revolve around what possible side effects sleep dentistry may have.
With that in mind, here is what you need to know:

There are typically very few side effects.  Most people can handle sedation without any problems.  However, any time that you visit the dentist, it is important to discuss any allergies or other health problems that you have so that we can take those facts into consideration when planning for your dental treatments.  As a sleep dentist, we may recommend, for example, that a diabetic delay treatment until their blood sugar is under control.

You shouldn't eat for twelve hours beforehand.  This is true for any time that you receive sedation whether it is in our dental office or at the hospital.  Making sure that you have an empty stomach, prevents the risk of accidentally choking.

You may feel thirsty afterwards.  In fact, most people do.  We recommend that you continue to drink a lot of water while recovering.  The easiest way to do so is to buy a water bottle with a straw.  Since your mouth may be sore, this can be a preferred method of drinking.  Be sure to remain hydrated during your recovery.

It is normal to feel drowsy afterwards.  As a sleep dentist, we will monitor you while you are waking up to ensure that you come out of the sedation without any issues.  We do not, however, recommend that you drive home.  Instead, have someone take you to your appointment and pick you up so that you can get home safely.  Driving while drowsy is incredibly dangerous and can increase your risk of getting into a car wreck.  Avoid this situation by planning ahead.
You will need rest.  We recommend that you plan on resting for twelve hours following your procedure.  Watch some movies, read a good book, or go to sleep.  Since sedation can make you drowsy, this may happen naturally anyway and sleep is one way that the body recharges so that you can heal faster.

As a sleep dentist, we find very few, if any, side effects from sedation and recommend that you schedule a consultation to discuss any further questions you may have.

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What You Can Expect From a Sleep Dentist

You may wonder the pros of sleep dentistry, we can tell you what you can expect from a licensed and experienced sleep dentist. The phrase sleep dentistry gets tossed around a lot, but most people are inaccurately identifying what it means. A true sleep dentist can actually be very hard to find, but we offer first rate sleep dentistry. Sleep dentists often get confused with lighter sedation dentists, but they are not the same. Our sleep dentistry provides actual sleep sedation, in addition to other sedation methods. If you want all the options possible, our dentist office can provide quality care.

Normal sedation is commonly limited to light levels of sedation like those attained with Nitrous Oxide (laughing gas) or benzodiazepines to be taken beforehand. These methods offer a calming and relaxing effect in a conscious state. This is preferred by some, but during these sedative methods you will still need local anesthesia for areas that are being worked on. When you need a more complicated procedure done, or you suffer from intense anxiety or dental phobia, you will want and need a deep sleep sedation.

As a sleep dentist, we will provide you with an unconscious sedation during the whole length of whatever procedure or oral surgery you are undergoing, whether is it getting dental implants or having your wisdom teeth removed among many others. This unconscious sedation will be administered through an IV. Although you can also be consciously sedated through an IV, our safe and monitored unconscious IV sedation provides unbeatable comfort during any procedure. Depending on your level of sedation, IV sedation can also be called general anesthesia.

The benefits of visiting a sleep dentist are extensive. Firstly, you will not require additional local anesthesia in most cases. This eliminates the hassles of misplaced numbing or the need of additional numbing throughout your procedure, creating a smoother process. During unconscious sedation, you will not recall anything that takes place during your procedure. This eliminates all chances of having a traumatic experience or being in any state of discomfort. If you remember anything, it will extremely limited and it will not include feelings of discomfort. We will also be able to accomplish more during a shorter period of time since you will be very still during your sedation. This will create a more efficient procedure and lead to less chair time and follow up visits for you to schedule. You will be monitored closely so there will be no chance of you waking up during your procedure. This will also put your fears at rest

We can help you avoid any unpleasantries during your dental visits. As a sleep dentist, we will help you to relax knowing that you won’t have to endure a complex procedure consciously. If you have a severe dental phobia, our sleep dentist will ensure that you have a supportive and relaxed visit. Whatever your reasons may be, we encourage you to try a qualified sleep dentist for your sleep sedation. This way you can ensure that your dental procedure is completed while you are entirely comfortable and unaware of what is happening.  By the time you wake up, we will be finished and you will be on the road to recovery.

How a Sleep Dentist Helps People With Sensitive Teeth

As a local sleep dentist, we treat people with sensitive teeth on a regular basis. Teeth can become sensitive for a variety of reasons, and when they do, it is difficult for patients to receive treatment because they are already in pain.  We can ensure that our patients are comfortable, and sleeping, during their procedures so that the issue causing the sensitivity can be addressed while keeping patients comfortable.

One of the common reasons for sensitivity is a lack of enamel.  The enamel is the hard outer layer of the tooth.  It is strong and durable but can wear away over time due to a lack of oral health care, brushing too rigorously or eating and drinking certain foods.  As it wears away, dentin is exposed, and since dentin is porous, this can lead to pain. The tiny holes in the dentin contain nerve endings.  As sensations are transmitted through the holes to your roots and to your brain, you can start to feel pain.  This can be addressed with a bonding procedure to seal in the dentin or by having dental crowns placed.

As a sleep dentist, we regularly treat people that are suffering from gum disease.  This condition can become very uncomfortable, lead to infection, and even tooth loss.  Gum disease occurs when bacteria gathers on and under the gums.  Once it is underneath the gums, it needs to be removed through a deep cleaning.  We can do this while patients are sleeping so that there is no discomfort.  After a deep cleaning is performed, the gums will typically heal themselves.

If gum disease spreads to a more advanced stage, the gums will start to recede.  As they do, pockets are created in the gum tissue where bacteria tend to gather.  Since more of the tooth and roots are exposed, the bacteria can start to attack the lower part of the tooth, roots, and the infection can lead to bone loss.  This is a serious condition that can eventually lead to a person losing their teeth.  In order to heal the gums in this stage, we perform a gum graft surgery to close the pockets and protect the tooth.  This can also be done while patients are sleeping to ensure that they are entirely comfortable.

When the enamel is strong, and there is no sign of gum disease, the sensitivity is likely caused by a standard cavity.  The larger a cavity becomes, the more painful it will be and the higher the chance of an infection settling into your jawbone.  This can be incredibly uncomfortable, so we recommend scheduling a dental exam at the first sign of pain.  If a cavity is treated right away, it will be a fast and easy procedure.  If an infection spreads and gets into the jawbone, oral surgery is often required in order to drain the infection so that the mouth can start to heal.  As a sleep dentist, we can assist with this procedure and help our patients to feel better quickly. 

If you have sensitive teeth, schedule an appointment to find out why.

How a Sleep Dentist Can Create a Pleasant Dental Experience

Have you ever wished that a sleep dentist existed? Well, they do.  As with many types of health procedures, not being awake or able to feel any pain is a major benefit for people that are afraid of pain or have anxiety when getting any work done on their teeth.

This is extremely common.  In fact, around 25 million Americans report having some level of dental anxiety.  This doesn’t mean that everyone is too scared to have dental work performed but it does prevent many people from getting the procedures done that are necessary for improving their overall health.

A sleep dentist can alleviate these fears by putting a patient to sleep while they are getting dental work performed.  This way they do not feel anything and are completely unaware of what is happening.  Oftentimes pain and fear will go hand in hand.  When a patient is scared of what is happening their body can naturally tense up which makes things even more painful.  This is why people that are relaxed tend to feel less pain and even recover faster after injuries.

Going to sleep can be particularly helpful when having major dental work performed like getting dental veneers or dental implants.  Implants, for example, have a surgical component to the procedure where a metal post is implanted under the gums and secured to the jawbone.  This can be uncomfortable and create anxiety in patients. Through the use of sedation dentistry, we can help patients relax and go to sleep while the metal posts are being implanted.  By the time a patient wakes up the procedure will be complete.

There are several types of sedation that are commonly used.  Laughing gas is used to simply calm the nerves and help a patient to relax and feel at ease during an appointment.  Oral sedatives can accomplish the same goal.  The challenge is that simply relaxing isn’t enough to eliminate the pain so many people want this in combination with pain relief

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Local anesthesia can be used to numb the specific area that is being worked on.  This is commonly done when a cavity is treated so that a patient won’t feel pain from the procedure but the rest of the area is not numb, allowing patients to move and respond to commands without assistance.

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Deep sedation can be achieved by delivering a stronger medication through an IV.  This can help a patient to fall asleep during their dental procedure so that they do not feel anything and are unaware of their surroundings.  Only expert dentists and oral surgeons can use this level of sedation because it requires additional training and the ability to monitor patients closely since in this state, a patient is unable to move or respond to commands on their own.  The benefit is that the procedure will be completely relaxing.

As a sleep dentist, we specialize in keeping our patients comfortable during oral surgery and can discuss the options for doing so in detail during a consultation.