Until a decade ago, not many people were about the fact that fear of dentists is a well-recognized phobia and not just a random fear. What used to be considered as normal anxiety is a serious phobia that should be handled with calmness and prudence.
But, over the years, the spread of information by experts regarding ‘Odontophobia’, which is also known as ‘Dentophobia’, has changed the behavior of people. Dental professionals make continuous and enormous efforts to enable odontophobic patients to receive treatments smoothly.
Sleep Dentistry Melbourne, the term that refers to the use and popularity of sleep dentistry in the city of Melbourne, is one of the outcomes of these efforts. As you must have guessed, sleep dentistry means performing the dentistry procedures when the patients are asleep. Patients, who suffer from the phobia of dentists, are made to fall asleep through proper ways so that the dentist can treat them.
Sleep Dentistry: Explained in Detail
Often confused with sedation dentistry, sleep dentistry has become a preferred way of providing dental treatments to individuals who have dentophobia. It’s important to mention here that there is a considerable difference between the terms ‘sedation dentistry’ and ‘sleep dentistry’. We will discuss that later as learning about sleep dentistry will help you to understand this difference better.
Now, sleep dentistry involves administering general anaesthesia to the patient before the beginning of the procedure. As patients remain unconscious during the whole procedure, they don’t feel anything. So, their fear or stress doesn’t obstruct the work of a dentist.
On the other hand, sedation dentistry involves administering pills, intravenous drugs, or nitrous oxide to the patient before the beginning of the procedure. The patients don’t get completely unconscious, but they feel drowsy. Sedation makes them feel relaxed. They can communicate with the dentist during the procedure.
From the different levels of sedation, namely, minimal sedation, moderate sedation, and deep sedation, the right level of sedation is chosen for the patient depending on the type of the treatment they will undergo. The noteworthy point is that in both sleep dentistry and sedation dentistry, the dentist administers local anaesthesia on the area for which treatment is required.
Sleep Dentistry: Importance in Today’s Time
In their lifetime, people may need to undergo a variety of treatments for ensuring their well-being. These treatments can be related to different body parts. Dental treatment procedures, being one of them, are essential for maintaining oral health. From stained teeth and missing teeth to gum disease and root canal infection, a wide range of problems are encountered by people.
But fortunately, dedicated branches of dentistry have been developed to provide effective solutions for these problems. You can get the most suitable solution for your oral dental health issues by considering various factors, such as age, condition of teeth and gums, and time and cost of treatment.
However, if you are one of those unfortunate people, who get the feeling of fear, anxiety, nervousness, or stress while thinking about dental treatments or consulting the dentist, then you might face a tough time. These feelings stop you from visiting the dental clinic or hospital, and thereby, become a hindrance in your way of receiving the dental treatment.
Delay in receiving the treatment can lead to prolonged pain and discomfort, which in turn can lead to further damage to not just teeth and gums but also mouth and head. Just like many other people, you might find it surprising too, but due to human anatomy, dental problems can start affecting other body parts, if not treated on time.
Therefore, sleep dentistry works like a boon for dentophobic people who want to get dental treatments. Dentists use the method of sleep dentistry for performing complex and time-consuming procedures. Patients, being unconscious, can get the benefits of the treatment without getting panic. You should remember that only those dentists, who have acquired the necessary training and experience in administering general anaesthesia should resort to sleep dentistry.
In some instances, patients have to be brought to consciousness in the midst of the treatment procedure. So, a dentist should also be equipped with supplies and knowledge of drugs and methods respectively for ending the effects of sleep dentistry.
Conclusion
Sleep dentistry is useful for several kinds of treatments in varied branches of dentistry. If you are scared of visiting a dental clinic or hospital, you should consider sleep dentistry, as it can relieve you from the pain and discomfort that accompany dental issues.
