Many people feel nervous or anxious when visiting the dentist and some require a little more help during visits. We do ask that you talk to our friendly and sympathetic dental team if you have concerns about visiting our dental clinic as there are a lot of different things we can do to make your visit more comfortable and relaxed.
Dr Sean Keren offers a range of different sedative techniques for those who have a disability or phobia, or who require complex treatments that cannot be completed in the dental chair. Sleep dentistry can be helpful for anyone with a strong gag reflex and it enables our dentists to complete more work during just one visit.
All our sleep dentistry treatments are carefully monitored for your safety and comfort and are carried out under the supervision of an anaesthetist. Lighter sedatives sedation alternatives may include tablets and nitrous oxide (happy gas).
During general anaesthetic a patient is fully asleep. We may suggest a general anaesthetic if you require more complex oral surgery, for example the removal of impacted wisdom teeth, implant surgery that includes bone grafting or sinus augmentation or full dental clearance. General anaesthesia may be the most suitable option for people with disabilities or for those with a dental phobia and who are unable to sit in the dental chair for treatment.
This service is offered at Caboolture Private Hospital under the care of our Dental Surgeon Dr Sean Keren and our regular anaesthetist. Once surgery is completed you can recover for a short while in the comfort of a private room before being discharged from the hospital. You will need to be accompanied by a family member or friend as someone must stay with you for a while afterwards, just to ensure you are completely recovered.
Intravenous sedation is slightly different from a general anaesthetic, as although you will be heavily sedated, you will still be aware of your surroundings and able to respond to our dental team. You will be in a relaxed state which allows you to receive treatment without any fear, discomfort or anxiety. Afterwards, you will remember very little, if anything about the actual procedure and it may seem as if only a few minutes have passed.
Once treatment is completed then we will reverse the sedation. You will need to stay with us for a short while before we can send you home. As with a general anaesthetic, it is important that you are accompanied by a family member or friend who can stay with you for a few hours until the sedative has fully worn off. Bongaree Dental will generally recommend intravenous sedation for someone who is medically unfit for a general anaesthetic or who is a phobia patient.
Relative analgesia or inhalation sedation is a very light form of sedation. Bongaree Dental uses nitrous oxide (happy gas) which is inhaled through a small comfortable nosepiece. This form of sedation takes effect within just a few seconds and helps patients feel very relaxed and ‘happy’ during treatment.
We will carefully monitor you at all times when using happy gas and can adjust the concentration as required. This sedation is suitable for both adults and children and is very safe. Once the gas is turned off it is soon eliminated from the body and you should feel back to normal within just a few minutes. Relative analgesia is the only form of sedation where you will be able to safely drive yourself home after treatment.
We can provide oral sedation for patients who are nervous or anxious about receiving dental treatment and this is normally given in the form of a pill. Oral sedation can be very good for patients who are afraid of needles and the exact dosage can vary, so sedation can be minimal or more moderate. Oral sedation is given a short while before treatment, normally about an hour but if you are particularly anxious then we may supply medication to help you get a good night’s sleep beforehand.
Once you take the pill you should begin to feel quite drowsy although you will still remain awake. If you have been given a larger dose of oral sedation then you might be sleepy enough to nod off during treatment but will still awaken quite easily. You will need someone with you to take you home after treatment as you cannot drive after oral sedation.