A sleep dentist will help you feel relaxed and at ease through your dental procedures. The level of sedation that is used will depend on the level of your anxiety. The sedation can be moderate, which allows you to remain awake, but very relaxed. Or, the level of sedation can have you completely asleep and will be awakened after the procedure is finished.

There are different levels of sedation that can be used by the dentist and which one is used will depend on your needs. Your needs will be based on the level of anxiety you have, how long the procedure will be, your health history, and your preferences. The types of sedation that are most common are nitrous oxide, oral conscious sedation, and IV sedation.

Nitrous Oxide is used to give a calming effect. You will be awake during the procedure, but very relaxed. Once the procedure is finished, the nitrous oxide is flushed out of your system and you will be able to drive home shortly after.

Oral conscious sedation is given in the form of a pill. This will make you very groggy and you may fall asleep. It isn’t a deep sleep and you can still talk with your dentist, if necessary. You will not be able to drive yourself home after taking this.

IV sedation is the most extreme form of sedation that will get at the dentist’s office. This is only given to the people with the most serious forms of dental anxiety and long procedures.

Different types of sedation have different times to recover from.

The form with the shortest time is nitrous oxide. Once the procedure is complete, you are given oxygen to push the nitrous oxide out of your system. This only takes a few minutes and you can drive home after your procedure.

Oral conscious sedation will last longer. The sedation will last from two to eight hours. The drug that is taken will determine how long it takes for the sedation to wear off.

After you have completed your procedure, you will remain at the dentist while the drugs wear off. For oral and IV sedation, it can take half an hour or longer for you to be able to leave. You likely will not be able to drive after this, so you will need someone available to take you home.

After you have been sedated, you may want to watch for side effects that can last for the rest of the day. These can include headaches, nausea, drowsiness, and sluggishness.

You may want to take the day off from work and avoid intense physical activities. You all want to allow the medication to fully leave your system.

Roughly 30% of the population have a fear of the dentist. If you have a fear that is so strong that you avoid going to the dentist you are probably a good candidate for sleep dentistry.

Other reasons that can make you a good candidate are:

– You have a traumatic procedure scheduled
– You are very sensitive or experience extreme pain during dental visits
– Medical conditions are worse with stress
– You have a strong gag reflex
– Local anesthesia doesn’t work for you

For more information about sleep dentistry, please call for an appointment or use our online booking system. We serve patients from Miami Beach FL, Greater Miami FL, Midtown FL, Aventura FL, Wynwood FL, Little Haiti FL, Dodge Island FL, North Miami FL, Miami Shores FL, and Pinewood FL.