Sedation Dentistry

As pediatric dentists, we have the joy of partnering with families to build a strong foundation for lifelong oral health in children. A major part of that foundation is creating positive dental care experiences that help encourage children to visit the dentist regularly and take good care of their teeth in between appointments. For some children, visiting the dentist can be a particularly stressful situation. New sights, sounds and sensations can be a lot for little ones to take in all at once. At the dentist's office, children encounter unfamiliar sensory experiences that can be unpleasant and stress-inducing. In some circumstances, sedation dentistry can help children feel calm and happy during their dental visits while promoting positive associations with dental care.  

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What Is Sedation Dentistry?

Sedation dentistry (also called sleep dentistry) uses a variety of sedative medications to help patients feel calm, relaxed, and happy before, during, and after their dental appointments. Sedation dentistry aims to provide a comfortable dental experience for our young patients.

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The Benefits of Sedation Dentistry

The primary benefit of sedation dentistry is that it helps to eliminate the fear, stress, and anxiety that children often experience as a result of visiting the dentist. Sedation dentistry can help to eliminate these negative emotions and replace them with calm and positive feelings. As a result, children can receive the dental care they need without the negative experience or memories.  

Sedation dentistry is particularly useful for children with special needs and sensory concerns. It is most commonly recommended to alleviate anxiety in children who must undergo a lengthy, complex, or invasive dental procedure. You can talk with your child’s pediatric dentist to determine the best approach to sedation dentistry for your little one.  

Types of Sedation Used in Pediatric Dentistry

Sedation dentistry uses different treatment modalities to offer a variety of levels of sedation in order to meet the needs of different patients. The level of sedation that is right for your child depends on your child's needs, age, and the invasiveness, complexity, and length of the dental procedure at hand.  

Light Sedation

To achieve a light level of sedation, we administer nitrous oxide (laughing gas) mixed with oxygen through a mask. The child breathes in through the mask for a few minutes until they feel calm, relaxed, and maybe a little silly. With light sedation, patients remain fully awake, conscious, and communicative throughout their appointments. The light sedation helps to alleviate anxiety but wears off quickly after the appointment.  

Mild or Moderate Sedation

Also known as oral conscious sedation, mild or moderate levels of sedation are achieved with prescription sedatives that are administered orally. The exact level of sedation depends on the type of medication and dose. With this level of sedation, patients feel sleepy and might doze off during their appointments but they tend to remain mostly awake and able to respond to instructions or answer questions. With oral conscious sedation, patients have a limited memory of their appointments which can help to alleviate future fear and stress.  

Deep Sedation and General Anesthesia

The deepest levels of sedation are only recommended in extreme circumstances such as complex oral surgery or full mouth rehabilitation. This level of sedation is achieved using sedatives administered intravenously under the supervision of an anesthesiologist.  

Is Sedation Dentistry Safe for Children?

We always recommend the lightest level of sedation that will still be effective for your child, helping them feel calm and relaxed during treatment. Additionally, we use high-quality medications with dosages based on your child's weight, age, needs, current medications and supplements, and medical history.  

To ensure your child's safety, it is important for parents to notify our office of any changes in their child's medical history or list of current medications and supplements.  

Additional Recommendations for Helping Children Feel Happy at the Dentist

Consider the following tips to help your child feel calm and relaxed at the dental office:

• Bring along a comfort item such as a blanket, stuffed animal, or favorite toy.  
• Pack distractions to keep your child entertained in the waiting room.
• Bring along headphones for your child to listen to relaxing music or a fun storybook podcast.  
• Make sure your child knows that you will stay with them during their dental appointment.  
• Give your child something to look forward to after their appointment with a special treat or shopping trip.  
• Play dentist at home, taking turns being the "dentist" with your child.  
• Talk with your child about the importance of oral health to help them understand the importance of visiting the dentist.  

If your child is afraid to visit the dentist, we welcome you to reach out to our office. We will take extra-special care with your child to help them feel comfortable when they visit.  

Could Your Child Benefit From Sedation Dentistry in Torrance, California?

Sedation dentistry can help your child receive the dental care and treatments they need without the commonly associated fear, stress, and anxiety of visiting the dental office. We recommend sedation dentistry to help children develop positive associations with dental care especially when children have special needs or must undergo a particularly complex, invasive, or lengthy dental procedure.  

To learn more about sedation dentistry or to find out if it is right for your child, we welcome you to contact our pediatric dental office at Coconut Smiles Pediatric Dentistry TODAY!