4 Advantages of Sleep Dentistry
Posted on: 29 October 2020
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Few people enjoy having dental work carried out, but for some it is an ordeal that is difficult to manage. If you have a dental phobia or other problem that makes sitting in a dental chair difficult, consider visiting a sleep dentist. Here are a few of the main advantages of sleep dentistry.
1. No Fear
If you have had a bad experience with a dentist in the past, then associated anxiety could make it very difficult for you to endure basic dental procedures such as fillings, root canals, or tooth extractions. Sleep dentists offer various types of sedative treatments to keep fear at bay, ranging from putting you completely to sleep for your procedure to offering you oral sedatives to help you feel calm and relaxed.
2. No Gagging
Some people have a physical problem that makes dental procedures difficult for them, which is that their gag reflex is so strong that it triggers whenever a dentist is working near the back of their mouth. If this is the case for you, then consider visiting a sleep dentist when you need a procedure such as wisdom teeth extraction or a treatment on the back molars. The dentist might suggest using twilight sedation, which relaxes your muscles and makes you feel sleepy, without the risks or recovery time associated with general anaesthesia.
3. No Pain
All dental treatments should be pain-free, but some people do not have the expected reaction to local anaesthetics. If you always end up feeling pain even after your dentist administers a numbing injection, consider visiting a sleep dentist instead. They can combine sedation with pain medications to ensure you have a pain-free procedure.
4. No Boredom
Sleep dentistry is ideal for long procedures that stretch over several hours. Even people who don't normally mind dental procedures can find these long sessions tedious and tiring. Most people have to either split the treatment into more than one session or take breaks to move around and break the monotony, which makes the total treatment time longer. One advantage of visiting a sleep dentist is that they can put you to sleep or into a sedated state for the entire procedure, so it won't feel like it is dragging on and on. The dentist can get on with their work efficiently while you relax or drift off to sleep. When you come around, your dental work will be complete, which means there is no need for multiple treatment sessions.