Dental Anxiety is something that a lot of us experience as adults. It’s why we avoid booking an appointment for our annual checkup. But what about sedation dentistry for children? It’s important that they have regular dental exams for preventive care and to promote good oral health. The solution just might be sedation dentistry.
Sometimes children have trouble sitting still for a prolonged period of time and it becomes even more so when they’re afraid. A dentist or a hygienist would need a patient—regardless of age—to sit relatively still in order to do what they need to do.
That’s why you should consider sedation dentistry.
The first question that’s on your mind must be this one: What is Sleep Dentistry or Sedation Dentistry? Well, it’s a procedure that uses sedation in order to relax or calm the patient.
There are different types of sedations that can be used.
One of those just happens to be nitrous oxide or “laughing gas”. The gas is perfectly safe and its after-effects is well-documented in the many after dentist videos that are out there. If you’re still unsure, we should mention that the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry has actually mentioned how safe it is in one of their reports.
The nitrous oxide gas is administered through a mask and the mask is kept on through the dental procedure that your child is in for. It is also mixed with oxygen so your child can breathe comfortably. The gas is fast working and the delivery is painless and it wears off relatively quick.
This method is good for children who are known to be nervous or anxious.
The second type of sedation for sedation dentistry is oral sedation. This method should be employed on children who are much more anxious and are uncooperative. Oral sedatives tend to make a child drowsy and can come in the form of tablets or pills or even liquids.
The third type is the use of general anesthetic. This type of sedation will put the child into deep sleep. And it’s only used when there are safety concerns—the child moving too much or panicking—during the treatment, when the treatment is particularly long, when the treatment is complex or in the case of an oral surgery.
If dental anxiety is an issue for your child, you should definitely consider sedation dentistry. Sedation dentistry will be able to make the experience less scary for them and for yourself.
