Sedation in Kids: All You Need to Know

Children often experience anxiety and stress during their dental appointments. Sometimes, it gets too overwhelming for them to undergo their dental treatments, which makes sedation necessary during treatment. Most pediatric dentists consider it vital to provide sedation to children. It helps to avoid any discomfort during the oral treatment. At Aurora Children’s Dentistry, our dentists, if needed, provide sedation to children before the treatment with utmost safety.

Benefits of Sedation During Treatments

• Sedation avoids the discomfort experienced during treatments.
• It helps to enhance the quality of the treatment.
• The dentist can complete the treatment in less time.
• The patient will have no memory of the treatment.
• Sedation is beneficial for physically and mentally challenged kids. 

Major types Sedation

Nitrous oxide is a common sedative used during dental treatments. Also known as laughing gas, it is made of nitrogen oxide and oxygen. Nitrous oxide is taken through a mask during the treatment. It helps to calm the child through the entire procedure and remain comfortable. The child can communicate when on nitrous oxide sedative and it wears off immediately after the mask is detached.

General anesthesia is a type of sedative that puts the child to sleep. It is an essential tool for dental treatments that take a long time to complete. General anesthesia is also used for children who have behavioral challenges. Most mentally and physically challenged kids require sedation as there is little chance of them cooperating during the treatment.  

Oral conscious sedation is a sedative provided to children who are highly anxious about their dental treatment. The dentist administers oral conscious sedation, which helps to de-stress the child. It enables communication during the treatment, but the patient will have a vague memory of the entire dental procedure. It also provides comfort to children who have a gag reflex. The dentist can perform the treatment efficiently without the gag reflex disturbing the child or dentist.

Summary

Sedation is an essential part of pediatric dentistry. It enables efficiency in treatment for the dentist and provides comfort during the treatment of the child. Sedation also offers psychological benefits that help to avoid dental phobia.

Aurora Children’s Dentistry, located in Anchorage, AK, is an equipped dentistry with expert dentists that provides effective dental treatments for children. Call  (907) 336-1234 and schedule a consultation at the dentistry for a complete dental checkup for your child.