While we always try to do dental work without sedation, some children do need some extra help coping while completing dental treatment. The you and the pediatric dentist will have a discussion on which sedation option (if any) will be be most beneficial for your child.
Oral Sedation
Your child will be awake but drowsy and sometimes even takes a small nap during the procedure. A benzodiazepine (typically midazolam) is administered by mouth in either a cup or by a syringe. The amount of medication administered is based on weight and amount of treatment required. Typically, nitrous oxide is also used to make the experience of your child more pleasant. For safety, a child must fast for 6 hours prior to your scheduled appointment with us.
Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas)
Nitrous Oxide can help children with anxiety and is very short acting. It will usually help children relax and give them a euphoria. It will also help with discomfort as it has mild analgesia properties and can also help reduce a gag reflex.
General Anesthesia (Dentistry while Sleeping)
This is what most parents would refer to as “putting them to sleep” for dental treatment. It is typically administered by a medical doctor who is an anesthesiologist but can also be administered by a dental anesthesiologist. Once asleep, all necessary dental work is completed and your child will not remember any of the dental work being treated and will stay sleeping during the whole procedure.