Pediatric Dental Sedation: Relieve Kids’ Anxiety for Treatment
What pediatric dental sedation options can I consider? What sedation options are safe? These are some common questions that every parent wants to inquire from their kids’ dentist. Around 10% to 30% of people face anxiety before going for dental treatment.
This blog will help you better understand pediatric dental sedation and which option to choose for your kid.
At Palm Valley Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics, we have a specialized team of dentists and professional anesthesiologists trained to give infants and kids local and general mouth anesthesia.
Moreover, our kid-friendly environment makes your kid feel safe and comfortable before moving on with dental treatment. Book a pediatric dental appointment today and bring your kids a smile back.
Read: 12 Ways To Ease Child’s Anxiety For Their Dental Treatment
What is Pediatric Dental Sedation?
Dental sedation is the use of sedative drugs to manage anxiety, fear, and special needs while you or your kid receive any dental care.
Anesthesia helps with the natural stress and anxiety, especially in kids, before any medical surgery or treatment.
Pediatric dental anesthesia helps the kid to stay calm during surgery or other dental treatment.
It is important to note that sedation does not control pain or discomfort but works temporarily to slow down your brain’s ability to catch signals from the body.
An injection is given before or during the procedure to numb or prevent pain in a specific area.
When deciding to get pediatric sedation services, parents must complete their part of the research by reading the pediatric dental sedation guidelines to know what’s happening with their kids.
Parents can also ask for professional advice from pediatric dentists.
The Benefits and Risks of Pediatric Dental Anesthesia
As far as kids are associated with this procedure, several behavioral and relaxation techniques are beneficial. It has the following benefits associated:
Apart from the benefits mentioned above, there are some risks as well. Here we share a few dangers associated with child sedation dentistry that you must take into consideration:
3 Methods of Pediatric Dental Anesthesia
Pediatric dental sedation has different levels to relax the person who has anxiety and fear of medical treatments. There are different methods to give dental anesthesia to kids, such as:
1: Nitrous Oxide
Nitrous oxide is a laughing gas, which is a very safe and mild sedative that has extensive use in dentistry, especially for kids. It helps keep your kid relaxed during critical dental procedures.
A space mask is used on kids’ faces; it has a sweet smell and works perfectly fine to sedate the kid. After the surgery, the kid will wake up with a happy feeling rather than crying with pain.
2: Oral sedatives
Oral sedation is performed through the mouth or nose, in which pediatric oral sedation drugs are used. In this procedure, the medicine makes your kid drowsy and relaxes them.
Liquid sedation in pediatric dentistry is a 100% effective technique of dental sedation that starts working within 20 minutes and takes time to go away.
3: IV Sedation
The third and last method to introduce pediatric dental sedation is intravenous, which requires a needle and a drug to be inserted into the arm or hand. This is a practical approach for kids of younger age.
A significant advantage of this method is that it keeps the kids relaxed for longer durations, such as during dental surgeries. To introduce this type of sedation, home preparation is much needed for kids.
When Should Kids Be Sedated for Dental Work?
One of the most asked questions about dental sedation is when to give it to kids and infants. Here, we share briefly a timeline to follow for proper results:
For infants under 12 months:
For all children:
Wrapping up:
To sum up, pediatric dental sedation is a much-needed practice as it helps the kid get out of their anxiety.
In addition, with different methods available, it’s now easier than ever to train your kid and help them achieve their dental health goals without pain and discomfort.
Show your dentist your concerns about dental sedation before moving forward with the treatment.
FAQS
Is Dental Sedation Safe for a Child?
Dental sedation is 100% safe if done correctly with the latest technology and new techniques. Visit the most experienced dentist in this field and spend time gaining the necessary knowledge about sedation before moving to the treatment.
Which type of sedation medicine is best for children?
Midazolam is one of the best medicines that is totally safe and used commonly for sedation in kids. It has the advantage that it can be administered orally, intranasally, or intravenously.
What is local anesthesia in dentistry?
Local anesthesia is simple and effective and uses drugs to ease and reduce pain in kids. Dentists mainly inject locally at the extraction site to make dental surgery pain-free and bearable for patients.