Are you anxious about dental treatment?
We get it! We know that most people don’t like dental treatment, and we don’t want that to be a reason for you to avoid periodontal treatment and taking care of your teeth.
We team up with anaesthetists who help us deliver the best periodontal treatment in the most comfortable way. They assist in providing your treatment under either intravenous sedation (twilight sedation) or general anaesthesia
General Anaesthetic
Provided at ‘Southbank Day Surgery’
We operate under general anaesthetic at Southbank Day Surgery, South Perth. All periodontal procedures are day procedures and do not require an overnight stay at the hospital. This option allows us to treat even the most anxious patients in the most comfortable way. It also enables us to provide treatment that would otherwise require multiple sessions under local anaesthesia, all in one session
Intravenous Sedation
Provided at ‘The Periodontists’
Intravenous sedation is a technique in which medications are administered by our in-house consultant anaesthetist through a tube inserted into one of the veins in the arm or hand. These medications are specifically designed to decrease anxiety and improve the experience for the treatment recipient. It helps you remain calm and cooperative during the treatment. However, it does not aim to, and will not, put you to sleep. Some awareness is necessary for safety and to cooperate with us during the procedure. The medications used in intravenous sedation allow for a relatively quick recovery time (a few hours) with fewer side effects compared to those used in general anaesthesia.
Intravenous sedation is a very pleasant way of receiving dental treatment. We primarily use it for procedures such as canine exposure and gingival (gum) grafting.
Other anti-anxiety therapies for
anxious dental patients
In very limited circumstances, or for minor procedures, we can provide a prescription of anti-anxiety tablets prior to the procedure or give Penthrox (the green whistle) during the procedure to reduce anxiety making the whole experience more pleasant.
Penthrox specifically can be very useful to reduce anxiety during regular periodontal maintenance appointments as it is very short acting, and very unlikely to affect the individual during the rest of their daily activities.