Sleep On It! Meet Dr Jillian Fisher: Sleep Dentistry Expert and Lead Dentist

If you struggle with dental anxiety - or have even been avoiding dental treatment because of it - Dr Jillian Fisher and the team at National Dental Care Chermside are here to help.

With a special interest in treating nervous and anxious patients under general anaesthesia, including children and people with special needs, Dr Fisher (Chermside’s Lead Dentist) has extensive experience in the area of dental anxiety.

What’s more, National Dental Care Chermside is equipped with a purpose-built general anaesthetic theatre, so we can ensure that even our most anxious patients are able to access the dental care they need.

We chatted with Dr Fisher about all things sleep dentistry, including her advice for the many people across Australia who suffer from a fear of the dentist’s chair.

Dr Fisher, tell us a bit about your background and how you got into dentistry

I grew up in Noosa and my parents were both dentists. They owned a busy practice for over 40 years and really enjoyed their career. They inspired me to become a dentist, and my sister to become an Orthodontist. I also am a child of dental trauma, having fallen in the school yard when I was 12, I lost my two permanent front teeth so spent a lot of time at dental specialists getting my teeth fixed.

What does sleep dentistry involve and who can it help?

Sleep dentistry involves a General Anaesthetic administered by our Specialist Anaesthetist.

Once anaesthetized, we can do all the patient’s dental care, including cleans, fillings, x-rays, extractions, root canal treatments, crowns and implants while the patient is asleep and unaware. This is beneficial for a few reasons. Many of our patients have had some significant trauma in their past and are now very afraid of dentists and would otherwise never have their treatment completed.

We also see many patients with impairments or special needs that can’t tolerate treatment in the normal setting. Even a bad gag reflex can be a reason to have sleep dentistry. Children requiring many visits also benefit from having their treatment done asleep, so they don’t develop the dental anxiety that many adults have from their childhood dental treatments.

What advice do you have for nervous or anxious patients?

My advice is to talk to your dentist!

I definitely think there is a stigma around trying to tough it out but in reality if people tell us what they are worried about, many times we can actually discuss their worries and take some of that anxiety away by taking things slowly, talking through treatments, using weighted blankets, pillows, happy gas, squeezy balls and fidgets, tv shows, music and not rushing the treatment.

Having treated patients for 10 years under General Anaesthetic, I now see many of these previously terrified patients in the regular surgery and they handle it so well. Many are no longer anxious.

It just takes patience and kindness and understanding. Some people are not in a position to be able to try these techniques and prefer to go to General Anaesthetic and we support that decision too.

What about parents of children who are nervous about visiting the dentist?

My best advice is to start early and be consistent. We see many kids that won’t hop into the chair so we play games on the floor, or just chat and count the teeth of some toys etc. to build their confidence in the environment.

We play tv shows for the kids and don’t put too much pressure on them. We let the child guide the appointment and work to their comfort zone. Most kids, when given the opportunity to feel in charge in this environment will become very comfortable and compliant patients, and we can have a good inspection and clean without any worry.

How does the Chermside practice help people who are experiencing dental anxiety?

I really believe we have created an environment at Chermside that is very supportive and understanding of people with dental anxiety.

We don’t make people feel embarrassed about their anxiety and we support them. We aren’t in a rush to do the treatment and try to work to the patient’s comfort zone. We have a welcoming team of very experienced staff that greet with a smile and remember our individual patients and their specific needs.

Our purpose-built general anaesthetic theatre supports all kinds of patients, including paediatrics, people who are anxious or have a severe gag reflex, and patients with special needs (including our wheelchair-bound patients, who can often stay in their own chair for treatment).

We pride ourselves on good follow up after general anaesthetic and our main goal is to empower patients to have their treatment done in whichever way is appropriate for them. There is no one size fits all approach.

We really love what we do and I think that shows.