- Are you nervous about coming to the dentist?
- Have you been traumatised by past dental experiences?
- Are your fears holding you back from being able to smile with confidence?
- Is your fear greater than the pain you are suffering with?
- Are you overwhelmed with the thought of extensive treatment, or uncertain where to even begin?
Our team is specially trained to manage problems faced by people like you.
We help people overcome their fears to get the treatment they need to speak and smile freely, and function without pain.
We offer several types of sedation dentistry depending on your level of anxiety and the extent of treatment you require. Some options will allow you to have extensive amounts of treatment within one appointment, with little to no recollection of it.
Most importantly, we strive to take the anxiety out of dentistry. We have helped many people become less fearful about the dentist and even enjoy coming to see us again.
Your initial consultation
Your first appointment is an opportunity for us to find out more about your concerns and problems, and to determine a plan to take the anxiety of your treatment.
At this appointment
- We will listen to your fears and concerns, and explore your problems without judgement
- We will be gathering information and no treatment will be commenced
- We will review your treatment options and help determine a plan for you have your treatment in a way that reduces or removes the anxiety from your visits
- You will have the control to stop us and share your concerns at any time
- You will be looked after a team that understands dental anxiety, and enjoys helping people experience the success of overcoming this
We know you may be scared or even terrified to book the initial appointment.
Remember, you are not alone, and our team will strive to address your concerns and rebuild your confidence from your first phone call.
To take the next step, please contact us on 63050299 to organise your initial consultation.
Nitrous Oxide
Commonly called “laughing gas,” nitrous oxide elevates general mood and evokes a general sense of well-being. Nitrous oxide sedation falls within the mildest category of sedation. Patients can still hear, see and respond to action taking place around them, but people are much less likely to experience anxiety as a result of these environmental stimuli.
Patients may feel tingling or a sense of well-being, euphoria or floating. However they remain alert. Nitrous oxide and oxygen gases are stored in canisters and delivered in combination to patients via a tube and small mask. A flowmeter regulates the amount of nitrous oxide and oxygen delivered. This simple and straightforward system is easy for the dentist and dental staff to operate and maintain.
Advantages of Nitrous Oxide
- Nitrous oxide works very rapidly – it reaches the brain within 20 seconds, and relaxation and pain-killing properties develop after 2 or 3 minutes.
- The depth of sedation can be altered from moment to moment, allowing the person who administers the gas to increase or decrease the depth of sedation. Other sedation techniques don’t llow for this. For example, with IV sedation, it’s easy to deepen the level of sedation, but difficult to lessen it. Whereas with laughing gas, the effects are almost instant.
- The gas can be given for the exact time span it’s needed for. It can also be switched off when not needed and then switched on again. There’s no”hangover” effect and the gas is eliminated from the body within 3 to 5 minutes after the gas supply is stopped. This means you can safely drive home and don’t need an escort.
- WIth nitrous oxide, it’s easy to give incremental doses until the desired action is obtained, similar to IV sedation. So the administrator has virtually absolute control over the action of the drug, facilitating optimal comfort and preventing the possibility of accidental overdoses.
- For certain procedures – hose involving gums rather than teeth (eg. periodontal treatment or deep cleaning), it may be possible to use nitrous instead of local anaesthesia. N2O acts as a painkiller on soft tissues such as gums. However, its pain-relieving effects vary a lot from person to person and can’t be relied upon.
- Inhalation sedation is very safe. It has very few side effects. It can be used safely in patients from very young to the elderly. It should however be avoided in women who are in their first trimester of pregnancy.
- Inhalation sedation has been found to be very effective in eliminating or a least minimizing severe gagging.
Disadvantages
- Some people will not achieve adequate levels of sedation with safe concentrations of nitrous oxide and oxygen. Patients who are particularly fearful, or those who are anxious about more extensive procedures such as surgical procedures or extensive dental restorative work may benefit from a deeper level of sedation such as Intravenous Sedation.
- If you can’t breathe through your nose, or feel too claustrophobic when you put something over your nose, you may not be a suitable candidate.
We know you may be scared or even terrified to book the initial appointment.
Remember, you are not alone, and our team will strive to address your concerns and rebuild your confidence from your first phone call.
To take the next step, please contact us on 63050299 to organise your initial consultation.
IV Sedation
During IV sedation dentistry, a sedative drug is administered into the blood system during treatment inducing a deep state of relaxation and a feeling of not being bothered by what’s going on.
It is commonly mistaken for sleep dentistry, however the aim is not to induce sleep. Patients remain conscious and responsive to verbal requests, although sleepiness may be a side effect. Patients often report that they feel like that they slept throughout the entire procedure.
Benefits of IV Sedation Dentistry
IV sedation is designed to make you feel completely relaxed and comfortable. It also eliminates your anxiety and pain.
One of the major benefits of IV sedation dentistry is that for most patients, hours pass like minutes, and it allows extensive dentistry that may have normally taken multiple appointments to be done within one appointment, with little or no memory of treatment the following day.
Sedation can make you feel comfortable if you are anxious about dental procedures such as surgical extractions or dental implant surgery.
Since sedation dentistry helps to alleviate some of the fears that keep people from avoiding the dentist, patients are more likely to receive the care they need and avoid neglect and problems building to the point where more drastic and costly procedures become necessary.
IV sedation gives your dental sedation team optimum control of medication administered and allows the level of sedation to be increased or decreased as needed, quickly and comfortably. It has a fast onset which means you will be able to experience the effects of the medication quickly.
How does it work?
IV sedation medication is delivered through a very small needle placed in a vein at the top of your hand or within the inner elbow. It is administered by a specialist anaesthetist who remains throughout the entire procedure and monitors your response with pulse oximetry to ensure the optimal level of sedation for you.
What if I’m afraid of needles?
Fear of needles is not uncommon and some people are not able to tolerate IV sedation for this reason. The majority of people would describe the sensation as a small pinch or prick. The feeling can be minimised by taking an oral sedative prior and/or applying a topical anaesthetic patch in the area where the needle will be placed.
What should I expect at my first appointment?
Your first appointment with the dentist will be for a comprehensive examination. You will be asked to complete a pre-treatment form with a complete health history prior to seeing the dentist. They will spend some time listening and understanding your needs and concerns, and conducting a full evaluation of your dental and oral condition including x-ray films and photographs. Your dentist will inform you of your treatment options and help you understand them so that you can make fully informed choices. Once you have agreed upon a treatment plan, one of our front office co-ordinators will organise a consultation to go through the paperwork to give your consent for treatment, and help you schedule appointments for your treatment, and pre-treatment consultation with our dental anaesthetist.
What should I expect on the day of treatment?
On the day of your IV sedation appointment, you cannot eat or drink for 6 hours prior. We try to accommodate most of our IV sedation patients first thing in the morning for convenience.
A companion is required to take you to and from the appointment. You will never be left alone during your appointment. You are encouraged to wear loose, comfortable clothing to ensure total relaxation. Your dental assistant will bring you blankets to wrap around you to keep you comfortable and warm as necessary.
Throughout the entire appointment, you will be monitored with a pulse oximeter. This device tracks your blood pressure, heart rate and rhythm, oxygen level, and pulse.
Once the IV medication has been administered you will quickly begin to feel relaxed and at ease. You will become unaware of the sights, smells and noises around you and start to feel sleepy.
How long is the recovery time after my appointment?
There is no set amount of recovery time because every patient is different, however many patients begin to feel more alert soon after the IV medication is stopped. You should not drive, operate heavy machinery or sign any important documents for at least 24 hours after the end of your appointment.
Patients are encouraged to stay hydrated by drinking lots of water for the remainder of the day.
Your dentist will discuss with you and your companion more individualised instructions depending on the treatment you received, and help you understand what to expect.
How much does IV sedation cost?
Fees for IV sedation in Perth dental practices range widely. It is important to consider who will be administering your IV sedation medication, and whether they will be present and monitoring you throughout your procedure.
At our practice, the fee for IV sedation ranges from around $750 to $3500 depending on the length of time required. This fee is payable directly to the specialist anaesthetist. This fee includes the monitoring of your blood pressure, heart rate and rhythm, oxygen level and pulse with pulse oximetry throughout your entire procedure.
Our practice uses a Dental Anaesthetist who is endorsed by the Dental Board of Australia in relation to conscious sedation. There are only a handful of such specialists in Perth.
We know you may be scared or even terrified to book the initial appointment.
Remember, you are not alone, and our team will strive to address your concerns and rebuild your confidence from your first phone call.
To take the next step, please contact us on 63050299 to organise your initial consultation.
