In the past, patients with special needs and other medical disabilities have difficulty receiving dental treatment. Making them sit still on the dental chair for longer periods is a huge challenge for the treating dentist. Now, dental innovations in the special needs dentistry allow patients with disabilities needs to receive dental treatments like normal patients do. Sedation and sleep dentistry offers solutions to treat patients with special needs and disabilities.

Patients with mental and developmental disabilities such as Down’s syndrome, Alzheimer’s, Cerebral Palsy and behavioral problems can undergo dental treatment by administering sedation or sleep dentistry. As each patient is different, dental treatment also varies. The treating dentist will conduct an evaluation of the patient’s dental health including mental and physical condition to determine which treatment applies to his case. If the patient suffers from simple anxiety problems, sedation dentistry will suffice. This procedure involves putting the patient into a relaxed state by administering sedative drugs orally or intravenously. On the one hand, patients with special needs and those who exhibit dental phobia, sleep dentistry is recommended.

What is the difference between sedation and sleep dentistry?

Sedation and sleep dentistry are often interchanged in dental advertising. Sedation and sleep dentistry are forms of sedation dental treatments but the two are totally different methods. Sedation dentistry uses medications that will reduce the levels of anxiety during the treatment. The treating dentist will administer the sedative drug to put the patient in a deep state of relaxation. The patient will hardly recall the procedure but will remain awake and aware of his surroundings. On the other hand, sleep dentistry puts the patient in a deep level of sleep by administering general anesthesia. The patient has no recall of the procedure and unaware of his surroundings.

The treatment plan involves different levels of sedation. In the case of sedation dentistry, the treating dentist can administer oral sedative drugs, use laughing gas or administer intravenous or intramuscular sedative medications. The same procedure applies to sleep dentistry; the dentist may administer general anesthesia or intravenous sedation. The type of treatment depends on the needs of the patient. 

Not all dentists are qualified to practice sleep and sedation dentistry, that’s why it is important to choose the dentist carefully. In the Plantation area in the state of Florida for example, before any Fort Lauderdale dentist can administer general anesthesia, he has to have completed one year medical residency in general anesthesia in a hospital.  This is in addition to the training they received from the dental school. So before undertaking any sedation or sleep dentistry, inquire about your dentists’ education and level of training to see if he is indeed qualified to perform the specialized dental treatment.

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