Are You A Dental Phobic?
If your answer is yes, at Oris Dental - Sedation Dentist in Sunshine Coast we have you covered!
Have the best of both worlds—experience quality dental care with the comfort of being asleep during your next dental visit. Oris Dental has a purpose-built facility for twilight dental sedation and a full-time in-house dental sedationist to make your next dental visit seem like a breeze!
Our dentists have over 25 years of experience in treating anxious patients.
You may have dental phobia if you have experienced any of the following:
- Dental trauma in the past.
- Previous bad dental experiences.
- Are needle phobic
- Don’t like the sound of the drill
- Have high anxiety when thinking about scheduling an appointment.
- Have a fear of discomfort or pain while in the treatment chair.
- Have you avoided routine dental visits in the past as a result of your anxiety or fear?
What Is Twilight Dental Sedation?
Twilight Sedation or IV sedation or Conscious Sedation in dentistry is a form of anesthesia that is designed to make you feel relaxed and comfortable during your procedure. Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect:
- Relaxation and Reduced Anxiety: The medication will make you feel calm and happy, eliminating any dental anxieties you might have had before.
- Amnesia: You might not remember much of the procedure itself like taking a nap and feeling like time has gone by very quickly.
- Light Sleep: It’s common to doze off during the procedure, but you’ll be aware of what’s going on around you in a hazy way.
- Responsiveness: You’ll still be able to follow simple instructions from the dentist, like opening your mouth tipping your head or taking a few deep breaths when asked to.
- Independent Breathing: Unlike general anesthesia, you won’t need a machine to breathe. You’ll be able to breathe on your own throughout the procedure.
- Local Anesthetic: Even with sedation, a local anesthetic will be used to numb the area being worked on. The sedation will make the local anesthetic more effective.
It’s important to note that not everyone is a candidate for sedation dentistry. This is something you should discuss with your dentist to determine if it’s the right option for you.
Is Twilight Dental Sedation Right For Me?
Twilight Sedation may be the answer if you have any of the following:
- Dental Anxiety or Phobia: If you have a strong fear of the dentist, sedation can make the whole experience much more comfortable.
- Trouble Getting Numb: For some people, local anesthesia doesn't always completely numb the area. Sedation can enhance the effectiveness of the local anesthetic.
- Very sensitive teeth: If your teeth are too sensitive and cannot tolerate a standard clean
- Strong Gag Reflex: If you have a strong gag reflex, sedation can help to relax you and minimize the chance of gagging during the procedure.
- Discomfort During Procedures: Sedation is also a good option for procedures that are typically uncomfortable, such as extractions, wisdom teeth removal, root canals, implants, or other surgeries.
- Have trouble keeping your mouth open for long.
How Long Does a Twilight Sedation Appointment Typically Last?
The duration of safe sedation dentistry appointments depends on your age and the complexity of the procedure.
- Standard Appointments: For most people, a safe sedation appointment can last up to 2 hours.
- Seniors Appointments: If you are over 65 years old, the recommended sedation time is reduced to 60-90 minutes.
- Longer Procedures: Procedures exceeding these times may be possible in some cases, but only after a careful evaluation of:
– The specific procedure being performed
– Your medical history
– The need for breaks during the procedure
– The depth of sedation required
– Your ongoing safety and comfort
– The safe dosage limits of local anesthetic and sedation medication
If a procedure is expected to take longer than the recommended time, the dentist will plan for stopping points. The procedure can then be paused and completed in a separate appointment if necessary.
When Is Twilight Sedation Not Recommended?
People who might not be suitable for outpatient dental sedation include:
- Children: Children must be at least 14 years of age and must weigh over 45 kilos to be considered for sedation. They should also be able to tolerate a cannula being placed in their arm for administering the medication.
- Diabetes Patients: Type 1 Diabetes Patients.
- Special Needs Patients: Patients with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities might require special care from a dentist experienced in treating such patients. General anesthesia might be a better option in these cases.
- Elderly or Frail Patients: Patients with complex medical conditions or who are frail or elderly might require hospital care with an anesthesiologist present for proper monitoring and recovery.
- Non-Ambulatory Patients: If you use a wheelchair or have difficulty moving, transferring you in and out of the dental chair and ensuring safe transport home might be challenging. Hospital treatment might be a better option.
- Extreme Phobias: For people with extreme dental phobia who cannot tolerate any level of consciousness during the procedure, general anesthesia administered in a hospital setting might be necessary.
- Escort: People who do not have an escort to drive them back home and provide for
If you're unsure about your suitability or that of someone you know for dental sedation, consulting with a dentist is always recommended. They can assess your situation and advise you on the best course of action. They can also provide referrals to specialists if needed.
What Are The Alternatives To Twilight Dental Sedation?
Your dentist has probably discussed alternative options with you. These are:
- Local anesthetic alone
- Nitrous oxide or Happy gas sedation
- General anesthetic in a hospital setting.
How Does Twilight Dental Sedation Compare To General Anesthetic?
While both Twilight sedation and general anesthesia are forms of anesthesia, they are different in several respects.
Patients under general anesthesia have a complete loss of consciousness. This means that the patient will not feel, hear or remember anything. In contrast, sedation will bring you to a state somewhere between being very sleepy, being relaxed in consciousness, and yet not unconscious. The patients will not feel pain but are aware of what is going on around them.
As an advantage, the adverse effects that may be associated with general anesthesia are avoided with sedation. Moreover, patients maintain their natural physiological reflexes and are capable of breathing on their own.
What Can I Expect After Twilight's Dental Sedation?
Your dentist has probably discussed alternative options with you. These are:
- Most people are very drowsy afterwards and sleep when they get home.
- Impaired memory and judgment, so do not plan any work or important tasks that day.
- Impaired reflexes and balance, so no driving for 24 hours after your sedation.
- Occasionally nausea and vomiting, although this is rare.
- Also very rarely, pain, redness, bruising or swelling where the drip was inserted.
- The vast majority of people feel back to normal the following day.
What Can I Expect After Twilight's Dental Sedation?
- Drive
- Make important decisions
- Use any dangerous equipment or tools
- Operate machinery
- Sign any legal documents
- Drink alcohol
- Exercise or perform any other strenuous activity
Are There Any Associated Risks And Complications?
The vast majority of sedations are uneventful. Occasionally things don’t go to plan and to be fully consenting to your procedure, you must be aware of these. Your sedation team is trained and equipped to deal with any of these possibilities. These include:
- Temporary nausea and vomiting
- Bruising around the cannulated area
- Allergic reaction to one or more of the drugs used.
- Airway or breathing difficulties requiring assisted breathing or drug reversal.
- A response to the sedation results in uncooperative behaviour. This is only normally seen in recreational drug users or severe psychiatric illnesses.
- DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis). This can occur with any prolonged period of inactivity. This is why the length of a sedation appointment is limited to two hours. To minimize all this risk you should be well
- hydrated with water within the fasting constraints. If you are deemed to be at risk, you will be provided with compression stockings to wear during and after the sedation.
If any serious complications arise, it may result in:
– Cessation of the sedation without having completed all of the planned treatment
– A referral to your GP for investigation or treatment of a medical issue
– Calling emergency services and transferring to the hospital
– A referral to a hospital setting for sedation or a general anesthetic where you can be more safely managed
Sedation Process:
- Consultation With Our Dentist and Dental Sedationist : – Whether you know what treatment you need; or you’d like to find out what options you have, this comprehensive consultation will leave you certain that you’ve considered all your options and you’ve made the right treatment choice for you. This discussion will allow us to plan the treatment and determine the cost.
- Making a Personalized Plan : – After the consultation, we will design your personalized treatment plan to solve the issues we discussed. You will know the cost of the dental treatment, the length of time/cost of sedation required and how many appointments are required to reach your dental goal.
- Preparing for the procedure : When your sedation date is set, our sedationist will contact you via phone and email to go over your medical history/medications and the specific instructions applicable to you. These may include ceasing or reducing a medication dose in the lead-up to the procedure, the need to take another medication in the short term leading up to the procedure, fasting etc.
- It’s Time to Snooze : Present to your sedation appointment and let us worry about the rest. Your accompanying carer will need to stay with us while you are treated.
- Recovery : After the treatment is complete you will be recovered under supervision until you are able to walk steadily for yourself (the process takes 15-30 min) and you will be discharged to your awaiting carer. Patients are not allowed to drive or be responsible for children for the rest of the day.
Know Your Sedationist - Dr. Prachi Pisharodi
Dr. Prachi Pisharodi completed her Australian Dental Council Certificate (Melbourne) in 2011.
She completed the Diploma in Clinical Dentistry (Intravenous Sedation and Pain Control) from the University of Sydney in 2023.
Dr. Prachi Pisharodi is a registered dentist with a specialist qualification in Dental Sedation. She is endorsed by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and the Dental Board of Australia to provide sedation. She is an active member of the Australian Dental Association and the Australian Society of Dental Anaesthesiology.
As a fully endorsed Dental Sedationist, she undergoes annual re-endorsement training in the management of Medical Emergencies. Her goal is to ensure that all patients have access to safe, stress-free, quality dentistry and that pain, fear, phobia or anxiety should not interfere with excellent dental care.
She keeps up to date with her knowledge, skills and performance by attending professional seminars and workshops. Prachi is especially interested in sedation dentistry to minimize stress, pain and anxiety related to dentistry in patients. She is especially recognised for making her patients feel very comfortable.
She loves all aspects of dentistry but is particularly interested in sedation dentistry to minimize stress, pain and anxiety related to dentistry for her patients Prachi speaks fluent English, Gujarati and Hindi. In her downtime, she likes to relax with her family, reading, cooking and practising Yoga.
Dr. Prachi Pisharodi
BDS (2002), ADC (2011), Grad.Dip.Clin.Dent.(Conscious Sedation & Pain Control)Syd (2023)
Get in touch with our dedicated team if you're looking for dental services along the coastal hubs of Kawana, Caloundra or Maroochydore.
