Every kid handles the dentist a little differently.
Some hop right into the chair ready to go. Others are nervous before they even walk through the door. And sometimes, a child needs dental treatment that is too long or complex for them to comfortably sit through on their own.
That should not keep them from getting the care they need.
At St. George Kids Dental, we offer several sedation dentistry options for kids because we know there is no one-size-fits-all approach to pediatric dental care. From laughing gas to oral conscious sedation and general anesthesia, our team can help determine what level is appropriate for your child and their treatment. Most importantly, we want you to feel confident in the comfort of the care your child is receiving.
If sedation is recommended, we will explain why, walk you through your options, answer your questions, and make sure your child can receive the dental care they need in our office.
Why We Offer Sedation Dentistry for Kids
Sedation dentistry can help children who feel especially nervous, have trouble sitting still, need extensive dental work, or have individual needs that make traditional dental treatment more difficult. Sometimes a little extra support can make all the difference.
Our pediatric dentists may recommend sedation when a child:
- Has significant dental anxiety
- Is very young and needs dental treatment
- Has difficulty sitting still for treatment
- Needs several procedures or more extensive dental work, like extractions or fillings
- Has a strong gag reflex
- Has had a difficult dental experience in the past
- Has medical, developmental, behavioral, or sensory needs that make dental care more challenging
The goal is not to “get through” an appointment.
We want to provide a safe, comfortable, and non-threatening experience while providing the dental treatment they need. That is why we look at the whole child before recommending a sedation option.
What Sedation Options Do We Offer?
Not every child needs the same level of support during dental visits or procedures.
Based on your child’s age, medical history, comfort level, and sensory needs, we offer several sedation options:
Nitrous Oxide, or “Laughing Gas”
For kids who just need a little help relaxing, nitrous oxide may be a great option.
Your child breathes a mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen through a small mask that sits over their nose. They stay awake and responsive throughout treatment, but generally feel calmer and more relaxed.
One of the benefits of nitrous oxide is how quickly it works and wears off.
It can be especially helpful for kids who are nervous about treatment, uncomfortable with dental sounds or sensations, or simply need a little extra help settling into the appointment.
Oral Conscious Sedation
Oral conscious sedation can provide another level of comfort for children who have more significant anxiety or difficulty completing necessary dental treatment.
At St. George Kids Dental, the medication is given in liquid form, so a needle is not needed to administer it.
Your child remains awake during treatment, although they may become sleepy and remember very little about the appointment afterward.
If we recommend oral sedation for your child, we will provide specific instructions beforehand so you know exactly how to prepare.
General Anesthesia
There are also situations where completing treatment while a child is awake may not be the best option.
A very young child may need extensive treatment. A child may have significant anxiety or individual medical or developmental needs. Or there may simply be too much treatment to comfortably complete using lighter sedation.
In those situations, general anesthesia may be recommended.
Under general anesthesia, your child is asleep while their dental treatment is completed.
St. George Kids Dental offers options for general anesthesia both in-office depending on your child and their treatment needs. When treatment is performed under general anesthesia, appropriate anesthesia professionals are involved in your child’s care while our pediatric dental team focuses on completing their dental treatment.
It allows us to get necessary dental work done in a controlled setting without asking a child to push through an experience they are not ready to handle awake.
How Do We Decide Which Option Is Right for Your Child?
This is where having a pediatric dental team matters.
We do not choose a sedation option based on whether a child is “nervous.”
Our team considers your child’s age, medical history, dental care plan, previous experiences, ability to cooperate with treatment, and overall comfort level while in our office.
Sometimes oral conscious sedation makes more sense. Sometimes the answer is laughing gas. Sometimes general anesthesia gives us the best opportunity to safely complete a procedure your child needs.
Pediatric dentists are specifically trained to work with children. We use communication, distraction, positive reinforcement, and other behavior-guidance techniques every day to help kids become more comfortable in the dental chair before ever turning to sedation.
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recognizes both these techniques and sedation as part of the range of approaches pediatric dentists may use to provide safe, effective care for children.
Our job is to help determine which approach makes sense for the kid sitting in front of us.
Keeping Your Child Safe During Sedation
If we recommend sedation, we know one of your first questions will probably be: Is it safe for a child?
Your child’s health history, medications, age, weight, treatment needs, and other important factors are reviewed when determining whether sedation is appropriate.
Different levels of sedation also require different preparation, monitoring, and recovery procedures.
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and American Academy of Pediatrics have established guidelines for safely monitoring children before, during, and after sedation.
Our team will explain the sedation option being recommended, how to prepare your child, what will happen during treatment, and what to expect afterward.
And please ask questions.We want you to understand your child’s treatment and feel comfortable with the plan before we move forward.
What Should Parents Expect?
If your child is scheduled for sedation dentistry, we will give you specific instructions based on the type of sedation they are receiving.
Those instructions may include when your child needs to stop eating or drinking, what medications they should or should not take, what to wear to the appointment, transportation home, and what their recovery may look like.
Following those instructions is an important part of keeping your child safe.
At home, you can keep the conversation pretty simple.
You do not have to explain every detail of the procedure. Let your child know we are going to take care of their teeth and help them feel comfortable while we do it.
We will take it from there.
Helping Parents in Southern Utah Understand Safe Sedation Situations
Sometimes the biggest obstacle to treating a child’s teeth is not knowing what needs to be done. St. George Kids Dental provides pediatric dentistry services for children throughout St. George and surrounding areas.
If you have been searching to have your child’s teeth evaluated and suspect they need treatment that requires sedation, come talk to us. We can help you understand our pediatric safe oral and alternative sedation options.
Contact St. George Kids Dental to schedule your child’s appointment or talk with our team about pediatric sedation dentistry.
