To try to make your child’s dental experience a pleasant one, your child may be given a mild sedative of
Versed in combination with nitrous oxide and oxygen. Medications are used to help increase
cooperation and reduce anxiety or discomfort associated with dental procedures. Sedation is not
intended to make a patient unconscious or unresponsive; in most cases, the medication will relax your
child and enable them to cooperate for the best possible results. Â
It is extremely important that your child have an empty stomach during the treatment appointment so
the medication can work effectively. For this reason, our office reserves our early morning appointments
for patients requiring sedative use for their procedures. Â
In order to provide these appointments, we must reserve a lot of time and staff members to assist the
doctor. You will need to verbally confirm the appointment, answer screening questions, and receive
important reminders the day before with our treatment coordinator. Failure to do so will result in a
canceled appointment. Â
There is to be no eating or drinking after midnight, except for prescribed medications to be taken with
water. Small amounts of clear fluids (Clear Gatorade, water, or apple juice) may be given up to 3 hours
before the appointment. NO MILK OR ORANGE JUICE CAN BE GIVEN.
Please notify our office if your child develops a fever, a productive cough, and/or heavy nasal drainage
within 24 hours of the appointment. A change in health could indicate a need to reschedule the
appointment. Â
One parent or a legal guardian, with court documents in hand, should bring the patient to the
appointment. There will be consent forms requiring the signature of a parent or legal guardian. Our
treatment coordinator will review the treatment plan with you and remind you of the estimated fee due
at the end of the appointment. Dental insurance does not cover sedation. It will be an out of pocket
expense in addition to any other copays and deductibles.
Please be prompt for the appointment. It will take 20 – 30 minutes for the medication to take effect -Â
that is 1/3 of the allocated appointment time. If you arrive late, there will not be enough time to
accomplish the dental treatment after the sedative takes effect. Â
We kindly ask that all siblings remain in the care of another caretaker, as your child will need your full
attention during the sedation and treatment process. Â
Sometimes, the child can still be uncooperative even while sedated. In this event, the dentist may request the
parent wait in the reception area during treatment so that the team can provide behavior management
techniques to create a safe environment for continued care. Â
Please reserve the remainder of the appointment day to carefully observe and take care of your child.
Following the appointment, your child will be groggy and uncoordinated. We will provide a wheelchair
and assistance to your car. Â
Thank you for allowing us to care for your child.Â