Patient Care
Your First Appointment
Our patients understand the value of the comfortable dental experience sleep dentistry offers. They enjoy the serene environment, calming preparation and pain-free treatment that only sleep dentistry can provide.
Every patient will have a preliminary consultation prior to any treatment with sedation or anaesthesia.
Dr. Lacombe will make a complete dental and oral examination in order to evaluate your dental needs. An appropriate medical evaluation will help for the choice of the sleep medication and ensure complete safety.
After this very important appointment, you will receive a complete treatment plan incorporating both your dental and anaesthetic needs. We will discuss with you your different options and the best way to achieve optimum dental health. Our office manager can assist you in submitting an insurance claim with your dental insurance provider if you so desire.
Who Benefits from Sleep Dentistry
Ask yourself:
- How do I feel about visiting the Dentist?
- Have I ever made, and then cancelled a dental appointment for no real reason?
- Have I denied an existing problem until the pain was just unbearable?
- Have I renewed painkiller prescriptions rather than make a Dentist appointment?
- Have I skipped professional dental care for many years?
Dental Phobia – Fear of Dentistry and Avoiding Dental Care
Fear of dentistry is one of the primary reasons people do not receive the dental treatment that is best for their health. Poor oral health affects more than the condition of the teeth and gums, it reduces self-esteem, can be socially limiting, and may also impact quality of sleep, creating unneeded stress and tension.
Avoiding dental treatment can have devastating effects. Despite knowledge of the risks associated with gum disease, tooth decay or more serious dental health issues, people will still avoid going to the dentist. With the sleep dentistry treatment options available at Dr. Lacombe’s office, dental anxiety can be totally abated.
Dentists are familiar with anxious patients. This can add challenge to providing dental care and treatment. A relaxed, peaceful patient is more easily treated and will feel more satisfied with the care they receive. Sleep Dentistry creates the ultimate dental experience for the patient and the dentist.
Sleep Dentistry is particularly effective for children and adults who have:
- High fear or anxiety
- Experienced a traumatic dental experience
- Very sensitive teeth
- A gag reflex
- Difficulty in becoming numb
- Special needs or mental disability
- Extensive dental procedures needed
Fear and anxiety can stem from a number of experiences and predispositions. At any age logic and reason can be abandoned for fear. It is generally understood that good oral habits and visiting your dentist are healthy and good for you.
Fear and anxiety associated with dental treatment can be based on:
- Fear of Pain usually caused by an early and unpleasant dental experience or from ‘horror stories’ told by others.
- Fear of injections or fear the injections won’t work it is very common to be afraid of needles, particularly inside the mouth. Others fear the dosage will be too weak to block the pain.
- Fear of side effects the potential for nausea, dizziness or the numbness associated with anaesthetics can be cause for distress.
- Loss of control or helplessness in the dental chair and not being able to see or move can cause anxiety.
- Privacy and personal space dental treatment requires a high level of trust and security, for some the physical closeness of the dentist or hygienist is simply beyond their comfort level.
- Gag Reflex though fairly common this can be embarrassing and uncomfortable, even triggering past traumatic experiences.
- Panic attacks and fainting anxiety caused by the attempts to suppress natural feelings of fear, instead of openly expressing them can often compound the affects of anxiety.