Sleep Dentistry Melbourne
We are making dentist visits comfortable in Melbourne.
People often experience anxiety before their dentist’s appointment. Even though everyone wants clean and white teeth, most people worry about their dentist’s visit.
Sleep dentistry helps patients sleep through the entire course of the treatment. This way, the patient hardly feels any pain or experiences any anxiety as the dentists carry out their work.
Healthy Smiles offers sleep dentistry treatments to anyone who finds dental appointments to be stressful.
As a result, patients do not have to delay or postpone their dentist appointments. Prompt dental treatments save you time and money that you may end up spending later on if the problem worsens. It also improves overall oral health.
If you have been suffering from a dental problem for some time now, then don’t delay it any longer. Book a complimentary consultation with us today. Find out about the problem and how our sleep dentistry can help you treat it without letting anxiety get in the way.
Check out some of our amazing work
Real People… Real Smiles…
*Disclaimer: The information and images provided are general in nature and do not constitute medical advice. Individual results may vary. All treatments carry risks. You should seek the opinion of a qualified health professional to determine if a treatment is suitable for you.
What is sleep dentistry?
If you find dentist visits to be stressful and you delay your appointments because of dental anxiety, the sleep dentistry is the solution. This procedure allows you to enter into a sleep induced by general anesthesia during the dental treatment.
It helps you overcome problems of pain or discomfort that you may otherwise experience during the treatment. When you are under general anesthesia, your body enters into a sleep-like state. In this state of unconsciousness, you do not feel any pain.
When you are at a dentist, sleep could be the easiest way to calm your nerves and complete the procedure. This is the reason why more people are opting for sleep dental procedures.
How Much Does Sleep Dentistry Cost in Melbourne?
Our Sleep dentistry facility uses specialist anaesthetists that put you to SLEEP COMPLETELY (General Anesthesia)
The Facility fee is $430.00 per hour, then in increments of 15 minutes thereafter. Sleep Dream Smile charges this based on the length of your procedure and recovery time. Short Procedure Facility Fee (procedures of 45 minutes or less clinical time) capped@ $650.00.
As registered day surgery and outpatient facilities, our patients get maximum rebates from Medicare for the anaesthesia. The Anaesthetist fee is $1,280/hr and is claimable on Medicare. Most patients receive between 30-80% back on Medicare, based on their safety net, and hence, it becomes extremely affordable to have dental treatment done under General anaesthesia.
For a complete understanding of costs and your options, feel free to ring us on 98772035 or come in for a complimentary consultation with one of our experienced dentists to understand all your options.
Are Melbourne people actually opting for sleep dentistry?
Sleep dentistry in Melbourne is commonly opted by patients because of the ease with which they can complete the treatment. Studies reveal the 8 out of 10 Australians find themselves in a state of anxiety when they are visiting a dentist. So we are not surprised at all to see more than 50% of the patients opt for sleep dentistry for complex dental procedures like dental implants, root canal therapy, wisdom teeth and periodontal surgery.
Is sleep dentistry safe for you in Melbourne?
A qualified specialist anesthetist administers general anesthesia after carefully going through details of the patient’s medical history. We also ask you questions about your lifestyle and allergies to better understand your health before we proceed with your sleep dentistry procedure. It helps us provide the safest possible treatment in a controlled environment.
Anyone who receives general anesthesia experiences some temporary side effects like dizziness, nausea, and shivering. To eliminate the risk associated with a general anesthetic, a complete and thorough medical evaluation is conducted prior to each anesthetic procedure administered at Healthy Smiles. We are your trusted and caring sleep dentistry experts in Melbourne. At our state-of-the-art sleep facility, you are in the most caring hands. Talk to our team today.
Who should choose sleep dentistry?
People with dental anxiety
Does a visit to the dentist seem too difficult to plan because you fear the environment, the tools, or the idea of being at the dentist’s clinic? Imagine visiting a dentist’s clinic, sleeping, and waking up after the treatment. Sleep dentistry may help you.
Those who’ve had bad dental experiences
If your past dental experience makes you fear your next one and you have been searching for a ‘sleep dentist near me’ on search engines. Our facility for sleep dentistry in Melbourne helps you overcome past bad experiences by conducting dental procedures while you sleep.
Patients who cannot bear pain
People for whom local anesthesia doesn’t work
Anyone with a small mouth
Patients with anxiety disorders
What are the alternatives to sleep dentistry in Melbourne?
Typical relaxation methods
Our team is trained to help patients relax before they begin any kind of dental procedure. Even before simple cleaning procedures, we help you feel comfortable. To do this, the doctor may suggest deep and slow breathing, which relaxes the body.
Sedation via inhalation
Inhaling happy gas
Local anesthesia
When you are preparing for a long or complex dental procedure, then the dentist may also suggest local anesthesia. This way you are awake during the procedure but part of your mouth would be numbed to carry out the treatment.
What the Survey Says About Sedation Dentistry?
The University of Adelaide conducted a study which found that Dental fear and anxiety affects about 16% of adults and 10% of children in Australia. The prevalence of dental fear and anxiety varies by a number of possible patient characteristics including age, sex and socio-economic status. However, anyone could have this condition regardless of these characteristics.
The preference for sedation is often higher when the extent of the dental procedure becomes more complex or major. A national survey was conducted on Candian population to analyse the preference for need and demand for sedation or general anesthesia in dentistry and the results are as follows:
Periodontal surgery
Endodontics procedures
about 54.7% preferred to do it under sedation
Tooth extraction
Fillings or crowns
Teeth cleaning
What form of Sleep dentistry is right for you?
Whatever concern or phobia that is holding you back from sorting out your dental problems; please do give us a call to discuss your options. Better still come see us and we will not only lend a listening ear but an empathetic hand as well.
Since no single method is best for every patient, a thorough consultation at Healthy Smiles with Dr Ved Berani or one of our other experienced dentists will help relieve your nervousness. We at Healthy Smiles take Sleep dentistry very seriously and consider our patients’ safety our top priority. We are here to make a true difference to the practice of dentistry and we will do what it takes to make our patients feel comfortable and at ease.
General Anaesthesia at Healthy Smiles
General anaesthesia is a sure way of getting your dental problems solved and not having to deal with the anxiety or stress of it. General anaesthesia can only be performed in the hospital with appropriate equipment or in a day surgery centre with dental facilities.
Typically, a specialist anaesthetist with AHPRA registration administers the general anaesthesia. Then, the dentist can perform minor oral surgery, such as tooth extraction, and major oral surgery, such as wisdom tooth removal, under this procedure.
Best for..
Best for patients with deep phobia and fear and who can not open their mouth at the dentist. This is also an option for younger individuals who need wisdom teeth removed and older individuals who need major work but have limited time and want no memory of the procedure.
IV Sedation
Here at Healthy Smiles, we engage a registered specialist anaesthetist who works in conjunction with your dentist to provide all levels of general and cosmetic dentistry. All our specialist anaesthetists 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 anaesthetist 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 anaesthesia providing a comfortable experience and minimal level of memory afterwards. The level of Sleep can be customised 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 an IV sedation dentistry, a thorough medical interview is done by the dentist and the specialist anaesthetist to determine the patient’s medical health for the procedure. If the dental Sleep needs to be done in a hospital the appropriate referral is provided internally to another dentist at Healthy Smiles who can complete the procedure under general anaesthetic in a hospital where all medical needs can be catered for.
The duration of the appointment can be as little as 30 minutes up to a maximum of 2 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 anaesthetist.
For each dental Sleep method, it is common for local anaesthesia to be used in addition to the Sleep method utilised. 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 a severe gag reflex. When a patient needs major dental work in a single long session.
Happy Gas
Happy gas, or laughing gas, as it is often called, is actually a combination of happy gas and oxygen delivered through a safe Porter System to achieve a mild form of analgesia and sedation.
A nosepiece is normally used to deliver this sedative. Our Dentists often uses this form of Sleep dentistry for children over 12 years of age and adults who have mild anxiety issues and can tolerate a mask over their nose. As this form of anaesthesia depends on the patient’s ability to breathe comfortably through the nose, any form of the respiratory disorder can make this a difficult option for Sleep dentistry.
Best for..
Best for patients who dislike needles as it provides a bit of altered consciousness and reduces mild analgesia. It can be used safely for most patients except those with terminal disease, respiratory obstruction, severe cold or hay fever.
Anti Anxiety Medication or Sedation via Inhalation
Sedation via inhalation is often referred to as the “green stick” and is also used also by ambulance officers to provide immediate antianxiety and analgesic effect in case of emergencies and accidents. It is used in the dental setting for similar benefits. The drug used here is called 0.5% anti-anxiety medication and is delivered as inhalation through the specially designed green device.
It is quite safe to use, even in pregnancy and young adults alike, as it is a single-use, one-off medication and is quickly eliminated from the body within a few minutes after use.
Best for..
Patients with mild anxiety benefit from the use of sedation via inhalation as it is easy to use, non-threatening and patients are in control with the device in their hand and can moderate how much they need to use. It lasts for about 10 to 45 minutes and patients can drive home straight after. Minimal cost compared to the above-mentioned options.
Oral sedation
Oral Sedation is the most common form of antianxiety medication used for the majority of patients. The choice of drug, dosage and timing is decided by one of our experienced general dentists, who can also prescribe you the medication at the time of your consultation appointment.
The medication will take effect in approximately an hour, helping to calm and relax you and keep you unaware as your Healthy Smiles dentist works on your mouth.
For most patients, oral sedation can be used as a stand-alone mechanism for anxiety control. Most dental procedures can be completed comfortably with this option. There is an amnesiac effect of these medications – which means that you probably won’t remember much about the procedure and will have a positive treatment experience. However, because it is an oral dosage of medication, it is difficult to predict the level of sleep you will feel. Most people may be reasonably aware of their surroundings yet relaxed enough to proceed.
Best for..
Best for patients who want to be relaxed and awake for general dental procedures in a short period of time.
Our Melbourne sleep dentistry or sedation 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 anaesthetic even with multiple injections and /or have gag reflex
- Have sensitive teeth during routine cleans
- Want the majority of dental work done in a short time.
- Hate injections/needles, noises, smells, and taste associated with dental care
- Are afraid about their teeth
Tight Skin Under the Tongue Explained
If you need surgery for tight skin under the tongue, you can use our sleep dentistry services to make it comfortable. A frenulum in the medical world refers to a small fold of mucous membrane (skin) that limits the movement of an organ or body part. When the thin strip of tissue running vertically from the floor of the mouth to the tongue’s
under-surface is tight, it is known as a lingual frenulum.
In serious cases, frenectomy surgery is needed to cut the tissue under the tongue, along with frenuloplasty; a surgical alteration in a frenulum. This is performed in a hospital operating room and a surgical reconstruction procedure known as ‘z-plasty closure’ may be required in a bit to prevent scar tissue from forming.
If you believe you have a lingual frenulum, or are experiencing any of the symptoms discussed above, it is recommended that you visit our Sleep Dentistry Facility in Blackburn for a comfortable dental assessment to evaluate your concerns.
