Ensuring Comfort: Pediatric Sedation Dentistry in Watauga, TX
It’s important to us that every patient leaves our office with a positive experience. Every good memory of a dental visit contributes to a positive lasting perception of oral healthcare. For young patients who are wary of the dentist or an upcoming procedure, sedation dentistry can be a gamechanger.
What is Sedation Dentistry?
Our goal is to always provide comfortable, safe treatment for your little ones. Beyond a kind welcoming environment, sedation dentistry techniques allow your child to relax and endure their dental treatment pain and worry free.
At Aviator Pediatric Dentistry, we have available different sedation techniques and with our extensive experience we recommend the best sedation technique based on your child needs. Nitrous oxide, oral conscious, and IV sedation help patients relax and relieve them from pain during extensive dental procedures. Sedation techniques are used to improve the experience of patients in several different cases:
- Patients with special needs
- Patients with strong dental phobia
- Patients who require treatment that may be uncomfortable or painful
- Early childhood patients who have not developed coping skills to sit still during treatment
Nitrous Oxide Sedation
Quick-acting and safe, nitrous oxide is delivered with oxygen through a mask. Your child will stay awake and responsive while the gas nulls discomfort and helps them relax. Laughing gas is used for procedures that may be uncomfortable or for patients with mild to moderate dental anxiety. The effects wear off quickly after breathing in plain oxygen once treatment is over.
Oral Conscious Sedation
Oral conscious sedation is taken in a pill or liquid form before the beginning of your child’s dental treatment appointment. For intimidating procedures or patients with moderate to severe anxiety, oral conscious sedation is an excellent tool. The medication allows the patient to relax by lessening their awareness of anxiety and pain. They remain awake and responsive to instructions during their entire treatment, and might have some lasting drowsiness once their visit is over.
IV Sedation
Our offices work alongside two anesthesia groups in order to perform IV sedation to our young patients. We are excited to partner with SedaDent Anesthesia Group and Anesthesia for Pediatric Dentist both board certified dental anesthesiologist to provide the best care possible for your child.
For more information, please visit their websites:
What to Expect
When you arrive for your child’s procedure, the dental anesthesiology assistant/nurse will ask when was your child’s last meal, review the medical history, and explain what to expect. Once in the treatment room your child will be distracted with toys and/or movies while flavored sleepy air or a twilight medication is administered. After asleep, an IV will be placed for continuous administration of anesthesia medications until the dental procedure is completed. We recommend you do not tell your child about the IV, in our experience this only increases their anxiety and may make them more resistant. We like to make it a fun experience for your child to make future dental visits go smoothly.
During the Procedure
Your child will have EKG, blood pressure, breathing, and oxygenation monitors throughout the procedure. The sedative medication infusion is continued throughout the dental treatment. Nitrous oxide and oxygen provides your child additional pain relief for the minor discomfort associated with dental treatment. Our dentist will inform you if local anesthesia was used.
At The End of The Procedure
At the end of the dental treatment, the IV medicine is turned off, and the IV and monitors are removed as your child begins to awaken.
You can be with your child as they awaken. Our Recovery Nurse will monitor your child’s progress and review with you the discharge instructions and home care. It usually takes about 30 minutes to an hour before your child will be ready to travel home. Your child may be sleepy and dizzy for 3-4 hours. Children can drink and eat soft foods soon after the procedure. Nausea and vomiting may occur.
Common questions about sedation dentistry
We understand that you may have many questions about IV sedation dentistry before receiving treatment. Here are some of the most common questions and answers about IV sedation dentistry:
In most cases, patients do not feel anything. There is very little discomfort, and many patients wake up feeling relaxed and comfortable with almost no memory of the treatment.
IV Sedation dentistry is a safe and effective way for many patients to receive dental treatment. Before starting your treatment with IV sedation, your doctor will help you decide if IV sedation is right for your treatment.
Any patient, from child to adult, who experiences dental anxiety is a good candidate for IV sedation dentistry. If you have any of the following fears or concerns, ask us about IV sedation dentistry as an option for your child’s next dental treatment:
- Extreme dental anxiety, or fear of visiting the dentist
- Fear of needles and/or shots
- Past traumatic dental experience
- Inability to handle the smells or noises at a dentist’s office
- Overly sensitive teeth, a strong gag reflex, or trouble getting numb
- Need for a more complex dental treatment
- Self-consciousness about one’s teeth
- Desire for a more comfortable dental treatment
If you feel that your little one could benefit from IV sedation dentistry at your next appointment, please contact us and let us know how we can better accommodate your needs.
Safe Effect Sedation Dentistry for Kids
You and your child’s peace of mind are taken to heart in our office. We make ourselves available to discuss options with you for your child to remain comfortable during their visit. If you or your child has had worrisome dental visits in the past, sedation dentistry will help them relax to get the care they need for bright, lasting smiles. Contact us today for more information or to set up your next appointment at Aviator Pediatric Dentistry.