Do you fear the dentist? Does the very thought of getting a painful dental procedure blow the daylights out of you? If this is true, you have better options now. Sleep dentistry is the way to go. As evident from the name, sleep dentistry is the branch of dentistry that specializes in performing procedures after making you asleep. Sleep dentistry uses sedative agents — chemicals that act directly on the nervous system and make you sleep. The main advantage of sleep dentistry is that you will not experience any pain or anxiety during the procedure.
In the field of dentistry, sedatives and anesthetics have been in use since many years. In fact, one of the first applications of anesthetics was in the field of dentistry. Many dental procedures are time-consuming and at the same time are very painful. They cannot be performed without the use of anesthetics. Though sedatives and anesthetics have been in use since many years, sleep dentistry started gaining popularity only in the recent years. This is largely due to development of better sedative agents. Because of its effectiveness in overcoming dental phobia, sleep dentistry is becoming more and more common.
There are a number of different kinds of sedatives. The type of sedative to be used will be determined by the dentist by taking your medical history into account. Sedatives can be administered via the intravenous route, orally or through inhalation. In the early years, intravenous sedatives were mainly used. Patients who have ca sleep solutions dental phobia are also afraid of needles. For this reason, administering sedatives intravenously can be difficult. This is where oral sedatives are a better option. These are available in the form of a pill which can be taken about half an hour before the procedure is started.
Sleep dentistry is very safe. It doesn’t have any serious side effects. Some mild side effects may be observed but these are very rare. In some cases, the patient may experience some discomfort after the effects of the sedatives wear off. However, this feeling will usually go away after sometime.
It is very essential to follow certain precautions. Substances such as alcohol and many prescription drugs can interfere with sedatives and amplify the effects. For this reason, it is very essential to avoid alcohol before and after the procedure for some days. It is also advisable to inform your dentist about all the prescription medicines you’re taking. If you’re taking nutritional supplements or other herbal products, you should inform your dentist about these as well. In some cases, these can cause adverse reactions.