Sleep Dentistry
Actually, “sleep dentistry” is viewed by some dental professionals as a new buzz word in the world of dentistry which serves as an easily spoken acronym for “Sedation dentistry”. Some others see “sleep dentistry” as a misleading term since the patient does not actually sleep during the procedure but the effects generated by the sedative medicine may make the person sleepy. In any case, both “sleep dentistry” and “sedation dentistry” can be used interchangeably since they actually imply the same meaning in dental niche.
There are different levels of sedation used in sleep dentistry.They include:
- Minimal sedation - Here the patient is awake but relaxed.
- Moderate sedation - Here, the patient may mumble some words but doesn't remember much during the process. This level was referred to as “conscious sedation” in the past.
- Deep sedation - Here the patient is on the edge of consciousness but may still be awakened.
- General anesthesia - Here the patient is completely unconscious.
Sleep dentistry is most suitable for people who have dental phobia, real fear or anxiety that prevent them from seeing dentist. It’s also good for people who have a low pain threshold, people who can’t sit still in a dentist’s chair, people who have sensitive teeth, people who have bad gag reflex and people who require huge amounts of dental treatment.
Sleep dentistry can also be given to children if they are terrified of going to the dentist or refuse to cooperate during a dental visit. But this is usually applied with utmost caution.
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