With the advent of medical and technological breakthroughs, dentists now have many different ways to help even the most nervous dental patient calm down, relax, and most importantly have a pain-free experience while receiving the care and attention their teeth need.

What are sleep dentists?

Sleep dentists are doctors who specialize in sleep medicine and perform regular dental procedures while the patient is under one of several types of sedation. Sleep dentists are also licensed to diagnose and help in the treatment of sleep disorders (breathing problems experienced while asleep). In plain language, they are the perfect dentists who will build a healthy smile for you while you sleep.

What do they do?

By using carefully chosen methods of sedation, sleep dentists can perform multiple dental procedures while the patient is sound asleep. They can also participate in the treatment and diagnosis of sleep disorders such as snoring and apnea.

Why should you choose a sleep dentist?

You might choose a sleep dentist if you have a significant dentist phobia, a very busy schedule, or any condition that would prevent you from being able to handle multiple dental procedures at one time. For busy people, a sleep dentist can be your best time-saver since you can have multiple procedures done within one visit, and you will most likely be able to resume your daily activities the second day after your treatment.

While most people would describe themselves as being afraid of the dentist (or at least uncomfortable seeing one), that does not automatically make them a candidate for a sleep dentist. For people with control or trust issues, sleep dental procedures might not be appropriate since they will literally sleep through the visit and wake up after the work has been finished.

You may pay a little more for a sleep dentist as compared to a regular dentist, but for those patients who are nervous or who have a low tolerance for pain — or for those who are simply too busy to schedule multiple visits to the dentist — the extra cost is worth it.