Imagine your child undergoing a complex dental treatment like a root canal, extraction, or oral surgery. When treatment is complete, your child will have no recollection of the time it took, the pain, the noise, or the discomfort. We are pleased to offer your child the option of comfortable, safe, and effective sedation dentistry. Our pediatric dental patients who benefit from sedation dentistry have:
- A fear or anxiety of being at the dentist
- A hard time sitting still for long periods of time
- A hard time getting (and staying) numb from anesthetics
What is sedation dentistry?
Sedation dentistry allows your pediatric dentist to provide a variety of dental treatments safely and comfortably for children who experience anxiety when visiting the dentist. There are several benefits to sedation dentistry, including:
- No memory of undergoing the procedure
- No sense of time while under sedation
- No sense of smell or sound
- No fear or anxiety during treatment
Levels of Sedation
Sedation dentistry is closely regulated by law, and there are three sedative states at which your child's dentist can administer treatment: mild sedation, moderate sedation, and deep sedation. General anesthesia is another modality commonly used in dentistry.
- Mild Sedation — Anxiolysis is the lightest form of sedation dentistry and is often used for children with mild anxiety, longer procedures, or more complex situations. Mild sedation is usually administered orally. Your child will remain awake or very sleepy throughout the entire procedure and will be able to breathe normally, but he or she will feel a great sense of relaxation. Patients typically recover from anxiolysis sedation within a few hours after the procedure is complete. Nitrous oxide inhalation (laughing gas) is another form of mild to moderate sedation that results in relaxation during treatment.
- Moderate Sedation — Used for patients with moderate dental anxiety and for patients who need longer or more complex procedures, conscious sedation often refers to the use of light sedation. With conscious sedation, your child will remain awake throughout the procedure, but will be in a deep state of relaxation.
- Deep Sedation — Patients receiving deep sedation go between consciousness and unconsciousness during their dental procedure. Patients often have no recollection of the treatment and are unable to respond to commands even if they are awake at times during the procedure.
- General Anesthesia — GA brings on a sleep-like state with the use of combination of medicines. The medicines, known as anesthetics, are given before and during surgery. GA usually uses a combination of intravenous medicines and inhaled gasses. You will feel as though you are asleep. You dont feel pain when you are under GA because your brain does not respond to pain signals or reflexes. A dentist anesthesiologist is a trained dentist who specialzes in anesthesia. While you are under GA, the anesthesialogist monitors your vital signs/functions, manages your breathing and treats pain related to the procedure.
How are sedatives administered?
- Inhalation — Nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, is the most frequently used method for easing mild to moderate anxiety. Recovery is quick so your child can resume normal activities immediately.
- Oral — An extremely common technique for dental sedation is oral sedation. It is easy and does not require the use of needles. Your child will be given a liquid medication.
Please contact our practice to schedule a consultation, learn more about sedation dentistry, and find out which sedation dentistry method may be right for your child.
If you feel that your child could benefit from sedation dentistry, please contact us and let us know how we can better accommodate your family’s needs.