Sleep Dentistry
Sedation Dentistry Calms Dental Anxiety
Millions of Australians avoid going to the dentist. There is even a group of patients at Wallan Dental who, before their first visit with us, were afraid, anxious and nervous to visit the dentist. For these types of patients we are happy to offer many different types of sedation dentistry to help them attend their appointments with the greatest ease.
We do what it takes to make sure the right sedation dentistry is used for our patients no matter how big or small the dental problem is. We take the time to listen and understand our patients’ anxiety issues and help them build confidence and trust. This in itself, is the most important part of overcoming dental phobias. This makes our patients experience relatively pain free treatments each and every time they visit us. Our dental team have taken special communication courses to learn how to deal with anxious and nervous patients. They have experience and are able to empathize with patients, which not often focused on in the dental profession. 
At Wallan Dental we create a relaxing environment in several different ways. Among these are soothing décor and relaxing couches, neck pillows, soft blankets, soothing music on iPods videos and of course our team’s relaxing and calm demeanor. If all this doesn’t work we offer a variety of sedation options for patients who are experiencing a high level of anxiety about their dental treatment. Our sedation/sleep dentistry services are ideal for patients who:
- Fear going to the dentist and are experiencing complex problems
- Dislike the dentist due to past bad experiences
- Have had a recent bad experience at the dentist
- Have difficulty achieving the desired effects of local anesthetic even with multiple injections and /or have gag reflex
- Have sensitive teeth during routine cleans
- Want the majority dental work done in a short time.
- Hate injections/needles, noises, smells, and taste associated with dental care
- Are afraid or embarrassed about their teeth
IV Sedation
Here at Wallan Dental we engage a registered specialist anesthetist who works in conjunction with your dentist to provide all levels of cosmetic and general dentistry. All our specialist anesthetists are registered with Medicare and you are entitled to rebates if you hold a Medicare card. Your safety is our priority and hence the dentist works on your teeth and gums while the specialist anesthetist ensures the procedure is going ahead smoothly at all times. This method of sleep dentistry is safe as it is controlled and produces a deeper level of anesthesia providing a comfortable experience and minimal level of memory afterwards. The level of sedation can be customized to each individual’s needs. This helps the patient have minimal, memory of the procedure while at the same time the patient can breathe and follow simple commands and can be responsive when needed. Prior to appointing patients for a IV sedation session, a thorough medical interview is done by the dentist and the specialist anesthetist to determine the patient’s medical fitness for the procedure. The duration of the appointment can be as little as 30 minutes up to the maximum 2.5 hours. A lot of planning needs to be done prior to the procedure to make sure everything can be done as smoothly and efficiently as possible and to avoid multiple sessions and additional fees of the specialist anesthetist. For each dental sedation method, it is common for local anesthesia to be used in addition to the sedation method utilized. This ensures the patient feels minimal discomfort afterwards. Appropriate take home medication is also provided to ensure quick healing so patients can be back on their feet as soon as possible.
Best for:
Moderate to mild phobic patients, those with anxiety issues and patients with severe gag reflex. When a patient needs major dental work in single long session.
Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.