How Sedation Dentistry Can Help Improve Your Child’s Dental Experience

How Sedation Dentistry Can Help Improve Your Child’s Dental Experience

Jul 14, 2021

Statistics show that every three out of five people get jitters whenever they think of a dental appointment. So, if your child has dental phobia, you should know that they are not alone, and there’s nothing to be ashamed of since millions of children have dental anxiety.

So, don’t hesitate or feel embarrassed whenever you want to make your next dental appointment since you know your child throws a fit during a routine exam or even cleaning.

Dental phobia is an irrational and uncontrollable fear towards dental procedures or even the dentist. Dental phobia is a bit on the severe side and is different from dental anxiety. With dental anxiety, your child can be reassured and convinced that it is necessary to undergo the procedure.

In any case, dental phobia or anxiety can negatively impact your kids’ oral health. Hence the reason why our general anesthetic dentist offers sedation dentistry near you.

Is Sedation Dentistry Safe?

People who have never undergone sedation dentistry may think it is a scary procedure. On the contrary, sedation dentistry is offered to help many patients with dental phobia relax to get the oral care they need.

In most cases, people may fear sedation since they think they may be unconscious during the procedure. Yes, there are forms of sedation that can render your child unconscious, but that’s not always the case. There are other forms of sedation that our general anesthetic dentist can help you pick what suits your child best and is appropriate for the procedure that you are undergoing.

When a trained and certified team administers sedation dentistry, it is safe. However, you can do the following to ensure your child’s safety during the procedure:

  • Would you mind going over the complications or risks linked to sedation with our dentist?
  • Ascertain that our dentist has gone through your child’s medical history to determine whether they are eligible for sedation.
  • Find out what dosages our anesthesiologist will administer and if they are appropriate for your child.
  • Find out whether our dentist or anesthesiologist is trained and has experience administering the sedative.

Who Administers Sedation?

Many dentists are certified to administer moderate and mild forms of sedation. A dentist must be accredited and trained to administer intravenous and general anesthesia.

However, our pediatric dentist near you has an anesthesiologist within the team who is certified and trained to administer and regulate levels of sedation when your child is undergoing dental procedures.

When is Sedation Dentistry Deemed Essential?

Besides having dental phobia or anxiety, sedation dentistry can be used in the following circumstances:

  • If you have a sensitive gag reflex
  • If you had a traumatic dental experience before
  • If you are undergoing several dental procedures in a single visit

Types of Sedation

Understanding the different forms of sedation can help ease your mind. It is best to know the available safe options for your child. The types are:

  • Inhalation Sedation

Our anesthesiologist will administer laughing gas to help your child relax during treatment. Technically, laughing gas is not a sedative but anxiolytic. Your kid will be completely conscious during the procedure. However, they would be more relaxed.

It is administered via a small breathing mask placed over your kids’ nose and calms their nerves but doesn’t cause them to sleep.

It is a very effective and light method of sedation. Laughing gas is mild and is quickly eliminated from their body.

  • IV Sedation

If your child has dental phobia or anxiety, is very young, or has special needs, laughing gas will not work. Then, our dentist may recommend the use of IV sedation. Our anesthesiologist will administer the sedative intravenously. This type of sedation is fast-acting, and your child will feel the effects almost immediately after administration.

IV sedation may induce a moderate or unconscious response based on the dosage. Our anesthesiologist will adjust the levels as needed during the dental procedure.

A sedation dentist can help your child get the oral care they need. At Sunny Smiles Kids, we have a team of trained and certified experts who can administer sedation dentistry. Visit us today.

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