Sleep Your Way Through Dental Implant Surgery
Posted on: October 10, 2022
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Dental implants are a long-term replacement solution for missing or badly damaged teeth, but receiving dental implants is more involved than most other dental procedures.
If you feel nervous about dental implant surgery, you have dental anxiety or you need to replace multiple teeth with dental implants, our dentists at Perth Dental Implant Centre can offer a choice of dental sedation options to help you feel comfortable before and during treatment.
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Sedation dentistry options at Perth Dental Implant Centre
Dental sedation involves the careful use of sedatives to help patients feel calm during dental treatment. Sedation options including inhalation sedation (happy gas) or oral sedatives allow patients to feel calm and awake during treatment. While other sedation options including sleep dentistry (intravenous sedation) and general anaesthesia allow patients to sleep through their surgery entirely.
Our dentists will discuss your treatment needs and assess your medical history to determine which sedation method may be the best option for you. We’ll make sure you know any possible risks and side effects so you can make a fully informed decision about your treatment.
Surgery under local anaesthesia
Most dental implant procedures are performed under local anaesthesia. This involves injecting anaesthetic agents into the part of the mouth being treated to block pain responses in the nerves. For patients who have a fear of needles, a numbing gel may be the better alternative.
You will be awake and fully conscious under local anaesthesia, but you will not feel any pain. Numbness may last up to a few hours after your treatment, but this should not cause any problems. However, it’s advised that you avoid alcohol for at least 24 hours before and after anaesthesia is administered.
Surgery under intravenous (IV) sedation
If you need some help to feel calm, or you’re having a longer or more complex surgery, IV sedation (known as sleep dentistry) may be a better option to consider. This is administered through a cannula in the arm and the level of sedation is closely monitored by a qualified GP specialist anaesthetist in the dental chair. Local anaesthesia is used in addition to IV sedation to help prevent any pain while you sleep.
You will typically fall asleep under IV sedation and you should feel relaxed. Once you’re asleep, the dentist carefully places your dental implants and then seals the sites with sutures. You’ll then be woken up by the anaesthetist after your surgery is complete. Under IV sedation, it’s typical for patients to have very little, if any recollection of their procedure.
As the sedatives can remain in your system for up to 24 hours after your treatment, you should not drive or operate machinery during this time.
Watch as dentist Dr Rainer Anderson answers frequently asked questions about sleep dentistry, below.
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Surgery under general anaesthesia in day hospital
If you have more severe dental phobia, you’re replacing multiple teeth at once or you’re having another surgical procedure such as bone grafting, we may recommend general anaesthesia. This is an induced state of unconsciousness that lasts throughout the procedure.
If you require general anaesthetic for your implant procedure, this will be provided by a qualified anaesthetist at Southbank Day Surgery in South Perth, rather than at our clinics. General anaesthesia does not require an overnight stay, but you should avoid driving or operating machinery for up to 48 hours.
Pain-free dental implant surgery in Perth
Whether you want to replace one tooth, several teeth or all of your teeth, book a consultation with our experienced dentist Dr David Norcross to find out more about your options for dental implants and sleep dentistry in Perth.
We have two dedicated dental implants clinics in Perth. Call our team on 1300 108 133 to book at our Kelmscott or East Vic Park clinic. You can also contact Dr Norcross directly.
