Sleep Dentistry at Lidums Dental Adelaide

It depends on which option is chosen. With IV (twilight) sedation, the most commonly used option at Lidums Dental, you remain technically conscious but in a deeply relaxed, drowsy state. Most patients have little to no memory of the procedure afterwards, and time seems to pass very quickly. This is different from a general anaesthetic, where you are fully unconscious. For most dental procedures, IV sedation provides an excellent level of comfort without the additional complexity and recovery time of full general anaesthesia. The appropriate level is discussed and agreed before your appointment.

IV sedation and general anaesthesia are both safe when administered by trained professionals in an appropriately equipped setting. At Lidums Dental, sedation is carefully monitored throughout, your breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure are observed continuously to ensure you remain stable. For general anaesthetic procedures, a specialist anaesthetist is involved. The risks of sedation — while real and outlined clearly before treatment — are uncommon and well-managed by our team. The greater risk for many anxious patients is avoiding dental care altogether, allowing problems to worsen significantly.

Sleep dentistry can be used for almost any dental procedure if anxiety or other factors make conventional treatment impractical. This includes extractions, implants, complex restorations, and in some cases, even a thorough clean or examination for patients with severe phobia or a very strong gag reflex. It allows multiple procedures to be completed efficiently in a single visit, which is particularly useful for patients who find repeat appointments difficult to manage psychologically or logistically.

Yes, this is one of the most common reasons patients choose IV sedation at Lidums Dental. A pronounced gag reflex can make even basic dental work distressing for both patient and clinician, limiting what can be achieved in a standard appointment. Under sedation, the gag reflex is significantly suppressed, allowing thorough treatment that would otherwise be impossible or extremely uncomfortable. If your gag reflex has previously prevented dental care, sleep dentistry can be genuinely life-changing in terms of restoring access to the treatment you need.

Preparation depends on the type of sedation being used. For IV sedation or general anaesthetic, you will typically need to fast for a set period beforehand — no food for 6 hours and no water for 2 hours before the appointment is a common guideline, though your specific instructions will be confirmed beforehand. You must arrange for a responsible adult to drive you to and from the appointment and stay with you for the rest of the day. Certain medications may need to be paused or adjusted, discuss your current medications at your pre-treatment consultation.

With IV sedation, most patients remember very little, the appointment often feels like it lasted only minutes, even if it took several hours. Upon waking you’ll likely feel drowsy, relaxed, and possibly a little disorientated as the medication clears. Mild nausea, a dry mouth, or a slight headache are not uncommon in the hours after. These effects typically resolve within a few hours. Because judgment and coordination are affected for up to 24 hours, it’s essential not to drive, make significant decisions, or return to work on the day of treatment.