I know what you are thinking. This is a joke, right? NO ONE falls asleep in the dental chair while they are having work done!! Well, I can tell you from almost 25 years of experience, that in fact, MANY people have fallen asleep while I was working on them. And not because they had any kind of sedation!
The simple fact is, once you get used to the right dentist, it is easier to relax and fall asleep. Granted, there are sometimes other factors that come into play that influence a person to fall asleep, such as not having had good sleep recently, or having a very busy schedule, but it is largely because they are able to relax in the chair. This ability to relax comes from trusting the doctor who is doing your work, and feeling comfortable that she or he will not hurt you.
It is not uncommon to be doing a filling or crown procedure, and suddenly hear a small “purring” noise coming from the patient. And sometimes, it’s an outright SNORT!! On occasion, it has woken the offending sleeper up when they snore loudly enough! It always causes my assistant and me to giggle. I will forever be amazed that someone can sleep through what we do, but it happens all the time. I take it as quite the compliment that my patients feel comfortable enough and confident enough that they can get in a good nap while in my chair.
So remember, the next time you’re in the dental chair, try to relax a bit. You might get one of your best naps ever!