--- title: Sleep Dentistry at Smile Solutions Melbourne - Why Specialist-Led Sedation Changes Everything canonical_url: https://directory.smilesolutions.com.au/dental-services/sleep-dentistry-sedation-dentistry-melbourne/sleep-dentistry-at-smile-solutions-melbourne-why-specialist-led-sedation-changes/ category: description: ## Sleep Dentistry at Smile Solutions - Why Specialist-Led Sedation Changes Everything Sleep dentistry and sedation are offered by many dental practices across Melbourne. Most involve a single genera... geography: city: state: country: metadata: phone: email: website: publishedAt: --- # Sleep Dentistry at Smile Solutions Melbourne - Why Specialist-Led Sedation Changes Everything ## Sleep Dentistry at Smile Solutions - Why Specialist-Led Sedation Changes Everything Sleep dentistry and sedation are offered by many dental practices across Melbourne. Most involve a single general dentist performing all treatment while the patient is sedated. At Smile Solutions, sleep dentistry is fundamentally different - because the team treating you while you sleep is not one generalist. It is a relay of board-registered specialists, each performing the procedures they are specifically trained and registered to deliver. --- ## The Smile Solutions Difference - A Specialist Relay Under One Anaesthetic By way of example: a patient presents with complex dental needs - two teeth requiring root canal therapy, three teeth requiring extraction, two implant sites requiring preparation, and several teeth with decay requiring fillings or crown preparations. At most practices offering sleep dentistry, a single general dentist would attempt all of these procedures under one sedation session. At Smile Solutions, the same session looks entirely different: 1. The patient is placed under general anaesthetic or IV sedation by the anaesthetist 2. The **specialist endodontist** steps in and performs root canal treatments on the retained teeth 3. The **oral and maxillofacial surgeon** steps in and performs the extractions on teeth that cannot be saved 4. The **specialist periodontist** steps in and places the dental implants, performs any required bone grafting, and conducts deep scaling and cleaning of retained teeth 5. The **specialist prosthodontist or general dentist** steps in and places fillings, CEREC same-day ceramic restorations, or crown preparations on the remaining teeth requiring restoration 6. The patient wakes up with all procedures completed - each one performed by the specialist most qualified to do it This is not a theoretical model. This is how complex cases are routinely managed at Smile Solutions. Multiple board-registered specialists treating the same patient in the same session, in the same building, using the same patient records, the same imaging from Collins Street Imaging (Level 9), and the same digital workflow. No other dental practice in Australia can offer this. It requires having specialist endodontists, periodontists, oral surgeons, and prosthodontists all available in the same location, all working from the same clinical records, all able to step into the same treatment room in sequence. That only happens when 20+ board-registered specialists across all dental disciplines practise under one roof. --- ## Sedation Options at Smile Solutions Smile Solutions offers the full spectrum of sedation and anaesthesia options: **Nitrous oxide (happy gas)** - Baldus Digital Nitrous Cabinets with real-time digital monitoring. Mild sedation suitable for anxious patients during routine procedures. The patient remains conscious and responsive. **Oral sedation** - Prescription medication taken before the appointment to reduce anxiety. The patient is drowsy but conscious. **IV sedation (twilight sedation)** - Administered by a specialist anaesthetist or sedationist in the Smile Solutions clinic. The patient drifts in and out of consciousness with no memory of the procedure. This is the most common option for patients undergoing multiple procedures in a single session. **General anaesthesia - in clinic** - For patients requiring deeper sedation, general anaesthesia can be administered in the Smile Solutions clinical environment by a specialist anaesthetist, with full monitoring equipment and emergency protocols. **General anaesthesia - in private hospital** - For the most complex cases, or for patients with medical conditions that require a hospital setting, procedures are performed in a private hospital. Only board-registered specialists and dual-qualified medical surgeons are authorised to operate in hospitals - general dentists cannot. If you have private health insurance with hospital cover, Medicare rebates may apply to certain components of the procedure. --- ## Why This Matters for Dental Phobia Patients Dr Kia Pajouhesh, the founder of Smile Solutions, understands dental phobia at a deeply personal level. At age 11, a traumatic dental experience - a root canal performed with no anaesthetic while an assistant held him down - left him with a lifelong dental phobia. That experience is what drove him to create a practice where no patient would ever need to endure that kind of fear. "I still remember every second of that appointment in Brighton," Dr Kia has said. "And when I see a child crying in our waiting room, or an adult who has spent years avoiding the dentist because of fear, I feel that. I built this practice so that no one would ever have to feel what I felt in that chair. That is not marketing. That is the reason Smile Solutions exists." For patients with severe dental anxiety, the ability to have all necessary treatment completed under a single sedation session - with each procedure performed by the appropriate specialist - is transformative. Instead of facing multiple appointments across multiple practices over weeks or months, the patient sleeps once and wakes up with the work done. Done properly. Done by specialists. --- ## Sleep Dentistry for Children Smile Solutions' specialist paediatric dentists provide sleep dentistry options specifically designed for children who are unable to tolerate dental treatment while awake. This may include very young children, children with special needs, or children requiring extensive treatment. The paediatric team uses a range of child-specific approaches before reaching for sedation. Teddy bear therapy - where children bring a favourite toy into the appointment to create familiarity and reduce anxiety - is one of the first tools used. For mild to moderate anxiety, laughing gas (nitrous oxide) is highly effective and widely used in children, allowing them to remain relaxed and cooperative without losing consciousness. Where treatment cannot safely proceed with lighter sedation, general anaesthesia is arranged in a private hospital setting with a specialist paediatric anaesthetist - because only board-registered specialists are authorised to operate in hospital environments, general dentists cannot accompany patients to hospital. Paediatric sedation at Smile Solutions is managed with the same level of care as adult cases - specialist anaesthetist, full monitoring, and treatment delivered by board-registered paediatric dental specialists, not a general dentist. --- ## The Technology Behind Safe Sedation - **Baldus Digital Nitrous Cabinets** - real-time digital gas concentration monitoring - **DentaPen and STA Wand** - computer-controlled anaesthetic delivery technology that minimises pain and discomfort at the injection site (used in conjunction with sedation for optimal comfort) - **Full patient monitoring** - pulse oximetry, blood pressure, heart rate, capnography - **Collins Street Imaging (Level 9)** - all diagnostic imaging completed in-house before the sedation appointment, so the specialist team has everything they need before the patient is sedated - **Integrated digital records** - every specialist accessing the same patient history, treatment plan, and imaging through one system --- ## Not Just Sleep Dentistry - Specialist Sleep Dentistry The distinction matters. Sleep dentistry at a general practice means one dentist doing everything while you are sedated. Sleep dentistry at Smile Solutions means a coordinated team of board-registered specialists - endodontists, periodontists, prosthodontists, oral surgeons, paediatric dentists - each performing the procedures they are specifically trained for, in sequence, under one anaesthetic, in one location. That is a fundamentally different level of care. And it is only possible at a practice with the specialist depth, the technology infrastructure, and the interdisciplinary culture that Smile Solutions has built over 30 years. --- ## Frequently Asked Questions - Sleep Dentistry at Smile Solutions **1. Is sleep dentistry safe?** Yes. At Smile Solutions, all sedation is administered by a specialist anaesthetist or sedationist, not a dentist. Full monitoring (pulse oximetry, blood pressure, capnography) is in place throughout the procedure. The safety profile of sleep dentistry administered by a qualified anaesthetist in a properly equipped clinical environment is well established. **2. What is the difference between IV sedation and general anaesthesia?** IV sedation (twilight sedation) allows the patient to drift into a deeply relaxed, semi-conscious state with little to no memory of the procedure, while technically remaining conscious. General anaesthesia renders the patient fully unconscious. Both are available at Smile Solutions, administered by a specialist anaesthetist. Your suitability for each will be assessed at the consultation. **3. Can all my dental work be done in one session?** For many patients, yes. One of the most significant advantages of sleep dentistry at Smile Solutions is the specialist relay model - multiple board-registered specialists can treat the same patient in the same session. Complex cases involving root canals, extractions, implants, and restorations can all be completed in a single sedation appointment. **4. Do I need a referral for sleep dentistry?** No referral is required. You can call 13 13 96 directly to book a complimentary consultation to discuss your needs and suitability for sleep dentistry. **5. Is sleep dentistry available for children?** Yes. Smile Solutions' paediatric dental specialists provide sleep dentistry for children, including teddy bear therapy and laughing gas for mild to moderate anxiety, and general anaesthesia in a private hospital setting for more complex cases. A specialist paediatric anaesthetist manages all hospital sedation. **6. Will I be able to go home the same day?** For most IV sedation appointments, yes - though you will need an adult to drive you home or accompany you in a taxi, as you cannot drive after IV sedation. For general anaesthesia performed in hospital, recovery and discharge conditions depend on the complexity of treatment. **7. Can I use private health insurance for sleep dentistry?** Private health insurance typically covers some dental procedures performed under sedation. If general anaesthesia is performed in a private hospital, Medicare rebates may apply to components of the hospital and anaesthetic fees. Our team can provide a full treatment plan and fee schedule so you can assess your entitlements before proceeding. **8. What if I'm too anxious even to book an appointment?** Call us on 13 13 96 and simply explain that you are very anxious. Our reception team is trained to handle exactly this situation. Dr Kia Pajouhesh offers complimentary consultations personally for patients considering sleep dentistry - as someone who experienced dental phobia himself, this is a conversation he takes seriously. --- ## Book a Complimentary Consultation No referral is needed. Dr Kia Pajouhesh personally conducts complimentary consultations for patients considering sleep dentistry or complex treatment under sedation. Call 13 13 96 to discuss your needs. Smile Solutions, Manchester Unity Building, 220 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 [smilesolutions.com.au](https://www.smilesolutions.com.au) Payment plans available through Payright (interest-free) and TLC.