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Myths About Sleep Dentistry

Myths About Sleep Dentistry


Dentistry has come a long way since the 1800s. Dentists everywhere are now focused on creating a more comfortable and all-around good experience for their patients. Sleep dentistry is one of the techniques to improve patients' experience. However, many people hesitate to use sleep dentistry because of the miss information. Don't let this hold you back from comfortable, quality dental care. In this article, Dr. O'Grady discusses the myths about sleep dentistry.


Every Sedation Is the Same

The best dentists in Denver, CO, use four different types of sleep dentistry, each of which produces variable degrees of drowsiness. These four types of sedation are as follows:

  • Oral Sedatives: Before a procedure, your dentist may give oral sedatives such as diazepam to a patient. These sedatives do not alleviate pain but do relax the patient. During the surgery, a local anesthetic is also employed.
  • Intravenous Sedation: A dentist may use IV sedation to assist a patient in remaining relaxed during a procedure. IV sedation, like oral sedatives, does not give pain relief, and anesthesia is still necessary.
  • Nitrous Oxide: Inhaling nitrous oxide, popularly known as laughing gas, in combination with a local anesthetic may be used to reduce a patient's stress.
  • General anesthesia makes a patient asleep and eliminates the necessity for local anesthetic. General anesthesia is normally reserved for serious oral operations such as wisdom tooth extraction.

If you choose sleep dentistry, your dentist will discuss your needs and preferences with you and personalize the drug and method of administration to you.

It's Expensive.


Sedation costs more than standard anesthetics. Sedation, on the other hand, is typically worth the extra cost for patients who have significant anxiety, lack of movement control, or a high tolerance to the traditional anesthetic.

Sedation dentistry allows your dentist to do many operations in a single appointment, saving you time and money in the long run.

It Is Only Used for Major Procedures

Many people mistakenly associate general anesthesia with dental sedation. This conveys the idea that sedation is only available and required for significant dental treatments like root canal therapy and periodontal work.

Sedation may be available from your dentist for other procedures as well. During simple operations, many patients find that sleep dentistry is beneficial. Furthermore, sedation dentistry has a calming impact that reduces stress.

Sleep Dentistry Can Linger for Days

Some patients are concerned that sedation may keep them sluggish for days, preventing them from driving, returning to work, or fulfilling their other responsibilities. This is especially concerning for individuals who are subjected to the effects of standard anesthetic for an extended period of time.

Dentists customize the quantity of sedative used for each patient and operation. In rare situations, your dentist may be able to limit the duration of the sedative to the duration of your visit. Most intravenous and oral sedation wears off within a few hours of the treatment.

It's Dangerous

There is always some danger with any invasive operation. Sedation procedures utilized in modern dentistry clinics, on the other hand, have been lab-tested for safety.

Certified sedation dentists in Denver, CO must follow strict safety measures that ensure:

  • A suitable dosage is given to the patient.
  • While sedation is in effect, staff personnel monitor the patient's heart rate, blood pressure, and blood oxygen levels for any harmful changes.
  • The office personnel is prepared for any emergency events that may arise.
  • Inquire with your dentist if you have any queries regarding how your dentist's clinic handles sedative procedures. He or she will be able to walk you through the procedure and supply you with a copy of the office's credentials.

Sedation Must Be Administered by Needles

Approximately 20% of the population has some level of apprehension about needles and injections. This anxiety frequently prevents patients from consenting to necessary medical operations. Fortunately, many dentists can provide sleep dentistry using a variety of procedures, including:

  • Oral pills
  • Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) is a pain-relieving procedure that employs electrical impulses rather than medicine. Inhalation of sedative gases
  • Doses that are managed by a computer to avoid the unpleasant sensation of drugs entering the body

Our friend Dr. Hoang a dentist in Bethlehem, GA, agrees that if you are afraid of needles, this should not prevent you from having the most effective anesthetic available. Inquire with your dentist about sedative administration alternatives.

Sedation is Only Effective for Pain and Anxiety.

Sleep dentistry can alleviate pain and anxiety connected with dental visits, but it also serves additional functions. Sedation can also make operations less stressful for both the patient and the dentist by:

  • Gagging or reflex control
  • Increasing control over any involuntary movement
  • Patient cooperation should be increased.
  • Limiting memory of the dental treatment
  • Increasing the patient's comfort

This is useful when the patient is unwilling or unable to restrain themself along enough to complete necessary dental treatments. Now that you've learned the myths about sleep dentistry, you can decide whether or not sleep dentistry is for you. Contact OG Dental today to learn more about sedation dentistry.