It’s incredibly normal to feel nervous about visiting the dentist, especially when it’s for more than a routine check-up. For some people, the fear is so bad that they’d rather put up with toothache or damaged teeth than make an appointment to get the problem attended to. However, it’s vital that anxiety doesn’t stand in the way of you getting the treatment you need. If left unattended, missing or damaged teeth can lead to further complications,  such as crooked teeth, jawbone deterioration and more.

That’s why, as well as relaxation techniques and other types of anaesthetic, we offer sleep dentistry. The innovative sedation technique puts you in a dream-like state during dental implant treatment, so you’re completely relaxed. At Wollongong Implant Institute, we do everything we can to help ease your anxiety, calm your worries and help you to be as comfortable as possible during every visit to our practice.

At Wollongong Implant Institute, we’re highly experienced in treating nervous patients and realise that fear and anxiety come in all shapes and forms. Some of the key reasons we come across for our patients’ anxiety include:

• Fear of Pain – it’s normal not to want to be in pain during a visit to the dentist, and this is often the cause of anxiety among our patients. However, we can take lots of steps to ensure treatment is completely pain-free and that you are as relaxed and comfortable as possible. 
• Fear of Needles – again, lots of people are nervous when it comes to needles and that’s perfectly normal. However, by telling us in advance, we can take measures to help, such as using numbing gels and distraction techniques to help ease your worries. 
• Fear of Vulnerability – sitting back in the dentist’s chair and showing off your teeth and mouth can make even the best of us feel vulnerable. However, we’ve helped many people just like you and have the experience and expertise you need.

Whether you’re anxious for one of these reasons or something entirely different, you can rest assured that it’s never too late to overcome your fear and improve your oral health. By telling us what you’re nervous about, we can prepare for your visit and ensure it’s as easy-going and stress-free as possible.

Sleep dentistry is a way of making you feel more comfortable during dental implant treatment or, in fact, any dental procedure. It doesn’t involve putting you to sleep in the way a general anaesthetic does; with sleep dentistry, you’ll still be awake and able to communicate with your dentist and those around you. However, you’ll be in a deeply relaxed state and unable to feel any discomfort or pain.

Sleep dentistry administers medication by IV sedation using market-leading injection technology. IV stands for intravenous, which means the anaesthesia is administered through a vein. However, with the innovative technique, there really is nothing to fear and the whole process is entirely painless. Once sedated, the procedure will go ahead as normal. You’ll be entirely relaxed but fully able to communicate if you need to. Otherwise, you can just lie back and relax until the treatment is finished. Our specialist anaesthetist will be on hand at all times to monitor the sedation and ensure you stay perfectly safe. After the treatment, you may remember very little, so all you have to do is worry about looking at your new smile.

If the idea of sedation dentistry calms your worries, then you need to find a dentist who is both experienced and qualified. At Wollongong Implant Institute, we’ve used IV sedation for hundreds of patients and are committed to putting your mind at ease; we’ll always fully review your medical history, ensure any conditions you have or medications you take are taken into account, and will explain the dose of sedative you’ll receive before starting any treatment. 

At Wollongong Implant Institute, we never want your fear of the dentist to stand in the way of you getting the treatment and care you need. That’s why we offer a range of options to help put you at ease. From the moment you walk in the door, you’ll be met by a welcoming team who will listen to all your concerns. Then, depending on your needs and preferences, we can use a variety of techniques to help ease any anxiety you may have, including:

• Relaxation Techniques – whether it’s playing relaxing music, talking you through the procedure or giving you a tour of our practice, we’re here to help.
• Local Anaesthetic – most treatments will involve the use of local anaesthesia to numb the area being treated and ensure it’s pain-free.
• Laughing Gas – all our treatment rooms are fitted with laughing gas, otherwise known as Nitrous Oxide (N2O), a mild sedative agent that can be inhaled through a mask and works almost instantly.
• Sleep Dentistry – IV sedation that puts you in a dream-like, highly-relaxed state during treatment while still being awake and able to talk to your dentist.

Whatever you need to put your mind at ease, we’re here for you and will do everything in our power to help you overcome your anxiety and improve your oral health.

If you fear the dentist and the thought of having dental implant treatment fuels your anxiety, we completely understand. However, that fear shouldn’t have to stand in the way of your oral health. Avoiding treatment will likely cause more problems down the road; this is why we’re committed to helping you work through your fear and provide everything possible to put you at ease. 

At Wollongong Implant Institute, we can provide local anaesthesia, laughing gas or, indeed, IV sedation to make sure your treatment is painless and stress-free. With our expert team on your side, dental implant treatment will seem like a dream. What’s more, you can wake up to a new smile to be proud of. At Wollongong Implant Institute, from the moment you step through the door to the moment you leave, your comfort and care are our utmost priority.