While Novocain or Lidocaine may be enough for some patients when having dental work done, other patients need to have a little more help. Sleep dentistry, where patients are either in a very relaxed state or knocked out, is becoming more popular because of many people with dental phobias. Because drugs are involved in sleep dentistry, individuals using the procedure need to be driven to and from their appointment.
The dental field is awakening to a new treatment option for patients,
sleep dentistry.
Performed by a sedation dentist, the procedure has been labeled a huge advance in pain-free and fear-free dentistry.
For many people, the fear factor is a major obstacle in dealing with a dental appointment. Worries about pain, discomfort and dental personnel being in your face create much anxiety for some patients. For days before a dental appointment, individuals with dental phobia may be uncomfortable and on edge. And once in the dental chair, feelings of vulnerability can rush over a person.
With hands and fingers probing your mouth, some people have a downright claustrophobic feeling when going to a dental office. Individuals who experience such feelings or have extreme cases of dental phobia, that can include fainting, should talk to a dental professional about the possibility of some form of sleep dentistry being used on them. In some cases, just talking with your dentist about the planned procedure before it takes place is enough to calm fears and qualms.
While Novocain or Lidocaine can numb the area to be treated, some people still don't like the prodding and poking, and the sound of the drill. For them, they would rather be drugged or knocked out and simply told when the procedure is over.
With some forms of sleep dentistry, a patient consults with a dentist, and, if deemed appropriate for the program, is given medication to take just prior to his or her next dental appointment. When the patient arrives, he or she is awake, but drowsy. The patient is taken back for the appointment and the dental work is performed while the patient rests. The patient is never unconscious, but in a relaxed state for anxiety-free work. When patients are in the dental chair, the sleep dentist and team monitor them closely to ensure no changes in their condition occur.
Without the fret and fear of dental work, the patient, in a very relaxed state, is later told by staff that the procedure is complete.
Some dentists give patients nitrous oxide, referred to as “laughing gas,” or an injection when they arrive instead of having them take medication.
In some more complex dental procedures, patients may be put under deeper sedation where they actually do lose consciousness and are not aware of the work being performed on them.
Patients in any sleep-dentistry procedures do need to be driven to and from their appointment due to safety concerns.
During an initial consultation for sleep dentistry, the patient will need to disclose if he or she has any allergies, any health issues or is taking any medications. These can all play a factor in a person's possible involvement in the program. Some medications, for example, cause a reaction when sleep-dentistry drugs are added to the body. Potential patients will also be able to ask any questions about the procedure that they may have during the initial consultation.
All drugs provided during sleep dentistry are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. All dentists providing medication need to be certified by their state dental boards.
