Pediatric Sedation Dentistry

Dental anxiety is not only a valid experience but a common one. Many people around the world fear the dental chair.

This fear is especially difficult to combat in children, who often don’t have the perspective, experience, and personal body control to overcome it on their own. That’s where pediatric sedation dentistry comes in.

What Is Sedation Dentistry?

For both adults and children who suffer from this type of anxiety, sedation is an excellent solution. This process involves using a relaxing agent during the dental treatment.

Relaxing will not only ease anxiety but release muscle tension. With these benefits, dental treatment will be easier, faster, and less frightening.

The two most common methods of relaxation for children are laughing gas and oral conscious sedation.

Laughing gas has been used safely in dentistry for over a hundred years. It acts as a natural anxiolytic, aids in deep relaxation, and best of all, it doesn’t stick around. Within minutes of discontinuing the flow of the laughing gas, its effects completely disappear from the body.

Oral conscious sedation works similarly. Instead of a gas, it comes in the form of an orally-administered medication. In pediatric dentistry, these medications are specifically formulated for the body and metabolism of a child.

Not all children are candidates for sedation. A consultation and review of your child’s health history are necessary to ensure your child’s safety during the dental procedure.

For ages 13 and up, we may be able to offer adult oral conscious sedation. This will depend on your child’s individual needs.

Is Sedation Safe For My Child?

The short answer: Yes!

But we won’t make you simply take our word for it. Read on for information that may help you feel more comfortable with pediatric sedation dentistry.

Regulation| Everything in pediatrics is closely regulated by organizations such as the American Dental Association, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, and various state dental boards. From these organizations, we have research, statistics, and guidelines to follow. These guidelines ensure that we maintain safe standards of care.

Monitoring| Your child is monitored throughout the dental procedure. We like to keep a close eye on exactly how your child is doing, both to see that dental treatment is going according to plan, and to ensure complete comfort and safety.

Information| We have a lot of pre-sedation information available to you, as the parent. We are also more than willing to talk to you about every step of the treatment process. This way, you are not only informed but able to ensure that your child is in a state of optimum health and mental readiness for every procedure.

Up-to-the-Minute| Our office stays current with techniques, equipment, and medications. These innovations make the dental industry better every day. With this knowledge, we use child-friendly tools and medications to complete every dental treatment safely.

Call Today

If you think that sedation dentistry could benefit your child, don’t hesitate to talk to us about it. We’ll be happy to answer any of your questions and prepare you for your child’s dental experience.