Sleep Dentistry and General Anaesthesia
Are you looking for an Alstonville sedation dentist with significant experience in sleep dentistry and general anaesthesia? Our dentists at Daley Street Dental are highly experienced and skilled in sleep dentistry and general anaesthesia, in both dental clinic and hospital settings. It’s our goal to treat patients safely, quickly, and without pain or fear of necessary dental procedures.
Dr Kieran McNamara performs general procedures, such as cosmetic, implant and restorative dentistry, in a hospital specifically equipped for dentistry. Dr McNamara also works with trained anaesthesiologists and surgical nurses to provide these procedures in the safest and most comfortable environments.
Types of Sleep Dentistry
Daley Street Dental provides safe and simple solutions to your dental anxiety. We take our patients through a consultation that covers medical history and anxiety history, and we discuss each patient’s concerns and fears, so we know how to best accommodate them. Our team will also discuss what to expect during the procedure and recovery. 
We offer four types of sleep dentistry options for our patients:
#1 ‘Twilight’ or Conscious Sedation
‘Twilight’ sedation is a safe, controlled, and reversible option for reducing anxiety and memory during a procedure. This form of sedation can be administered intravenously by a qualified dental seditionist, and it produces a gentle, shallow state of sedation. During this time, the patient can still maintain control of cognitive response and reflexive functions.
#2 Nitrous Oxide
Nitrous oxide, or ‘happy gas’, is typically used for patients who need a fast recovery after their procedure. A combination of nitrous oxide and oxygen is administered through the nostrils using a soft, thin tube or mask. As soon as the nitrous oxide is removed, the patient often returns to an alert state before leaving our clinic. Patients who use nitrous oxide during treatment are typically fine to drive and return to work without impairment.
#3 Oral Premedication
Oral medications usually in tablet form are taken two hours prior to the procedure. It provides sedation and quickly calms the nerves so they can relaxed during their dental appointment. The dentist can then perform multiple procedures with ease and efficiency while the patient is in a rested state in the dental chair. When the treatment is complete, a careperson is required to drive them home to rest for the remainder of the day.
#4 General Anaesthesia (GA)
General anaesthesia occurs in a hospital setting and puts patients in a comfortable, sleep-like state. Because patients are completely unconscious under GA, they often don’t remember the procedure. A general anaesthetic may be ideal for patients with more complex dental cases, a severe fear of the dentist, or a physical condition that inhibits them from comfortably receiving treatment in the dental chair. 
Unique Benefits of Sleep Dentistry and General Anaesthesia
There are several benefits of sleep dentistry and general anaesthesia, such as:
- Pain relief – When one is in a sedated state, the heightened levels of awareness and anticipation of pain are dramatically reduced.
- Anxiety relief – Patients under sedation may feel less anxious or nervous.
- Reduction in gag reflex – Under sedation, a person’s muscles are typically relaxed, which reduces the likelihood of a gag reaction.
- Anterograde amnesia – When one is under sedation, they may experience short-term memory loss so that they won’t remember the procedure.
- Quicker treatment – Our dentists can often treat a person's entire mouth using a series of procedures that would usually take several visits to our dental clinic.
Do You Have Dental Anxiety?
Sleep dentistry and general anaesthesia in Alstonville may alleviate dental anxiety and make a procedure more comfortable, convenient, and efficient. If you would like to learn more about our options, we invite you to contact our Alstonville dental clinic.
