Sedation Dentistry

Here at All Smiles Dental we realise that a trip to the dentist is not anyone’s favourite thing to do so from our living room style reception area to providing sedation we aim to provide you with an experience which you can smile about.  Please do not hesitate to let our staff know how we can ensure you have a relaxing visit.

Interested in Sedation?

Oral and Intravenous sedation are methods of conscious sedation which facilitate a dental procedure to reduce fear and anxiety related to the experience.  This ‘conscious’ sedation additionally helps reduce memory or the sights and smells of the dental office.  The effect of sedation allows more dentistry to be completed in fewer appointments as well as allowing complex procedures to be performed in less time.  At All Smiles Dental we are able to offer both oral sedation and Intravenous Sedation to make your visit as comfortable as possible.

Sedation Dentistry:

Sedation dentistry is a term that refers to the use of medications during treatment to put patients into a relaxed state. Sedation dentistry is often used during procedures that require an extensive amount of time in the treatment chair, and sedation is ideal for patients who exhibit dental anxiety.
With sedation dentistry in the general dental clinic setting, patients are not unconscious (such as with a General Anaesthetic, that requires a hospital setting and an anaesthetist), but rather, in a state of relaxation or drowsiness and sometimes in a sleep-like state which means that little is felt or remembered from the dentistry procedure.

The goal of sedation dentistry is not to be ‘asleep’, but to be relaxed and calm throughout your appointment to ensure a positive overall experience. With current sedation options available, there is no need to fear dental appointments or treatment, and our aim is to make each and every visit for you as comfortable as possible. After all, the more relaxed you are, the more relaxed we are!!

Types of Sedation:

Depending on the extent of the anxiety or the difficulty of the procedure being performed, varying degrees of dental sedation can be utilised, including conscious sedation with sedatives, inhalation nitrous oxide sedation, and intravenous (IV) sedation.

These sedation dentistry techniques enable us to help patients who might otherwise avoid the dentist to receive dental treatment necessary for a healthy smile.

There are four types of dental sedation methods used by sedation dentists today:

• Oral sedatives: Oral sedative medications such as Midazolam can be given 30-45 minutes before your dental appointment. Oral sedatives do not provide pain relief, so an injection of local anesthetic will also be administered if required.
• Intravenous (IV) sedation: Like oral sedatives, intravenous (IV) sedation does not provide pain relief, so an injection of local anesthetic will also be administered in conjunction with this method of dental sedation. Similar drugs are used to oral sedatives, but are administered directly to the veins (Intravenously, or ‘I.V’) to enable a faster and more predictable response. The level of sedation can also be more finely controlled with IV sedation compared to Oral Sedation.
• Nitrous Oxide Sedation: In one form of conscious inhalation sedation, nitrous oxide gas (also known as laughing gas) is used to induce a state of relaxation. A local anesthetic will be administered in combination with nitrous oxide sedation to eliminate pain. We do not use Nitrous Oxide sedation as it does not give as deep a state of sedation as other methods, and the equipment needed to deliver the gas involves bulky ‘masks’ which make carrying out the dental treatment itself difficult in many circumstances.
• General Anaesthesia: This method of dental sedation refers to the use of anaesthetic to render the patient unconscious. Unlike other sedation methods, the patient will be completely unaware of his or her surroundings. A General Anaesthetic requires treatment in a hospital setting, and is often used for surgical procedures. We can offer appropriate referrals for this form of sedation if required.

Candidates for Dental Sedation

While sedation dentistry is not for everyone, it may be the answer you’ve been seeking for yourself or a loved one. Sedation dentistry could be right for you if you exhibit any of the following:

• Dental anxiety
• Sensitive teeth
• Difficulty getting numb
• Complex dental issues
• Fear of needles
• Limited time to complete dental work
• Traumatic dental experiences in the past