Sedation
Young children will naturally be apprehensive about many medical procedures, and this includes various dental operations. Even in some adults, the simplest or most routine approach can often require a certain level of comfort to relax the patient enough to properly carry out what is needed to be done. It is extremely beneficial for children to become used to dental procedures early on in their lives, as it will more likely reduce their anxiety as adults for more complicated operations.
Our team offers the latest techniques in sedation for infants, children, and teens to properly relax them enough to tackle a problem that could become a much larger issue in the future.
What is Pediatric Sedation Dentistry?
Sedation is a common tool that is used in dentistry to relieve anxiety or stress from the patient. This not only makes them more agreeable, but it increases the safety of the procedure so that the patient does not harm themselves or move while state-of-the-art equipment is being used. Children are naturally more apprehensive, and some may be extremely frightened of what is about to happen.
The good news is that the earlier the child is accustomed to dental examinations, procedures, and other forms of preventative or restorative care, the more confident they will become as an adolescent and adult. Pediatric sedation is a much more in-depth solution than sedation that is used for general dentistry or more specialized procedures on adults. Pediatric dentists have undergone additional residency and training to become accustomed to dealing with the unique needs of the child, including the proper dosage.
Pediatric dentists are also well-versed in dealing with patients and children that have special needs and require extra attention. With the dental team at Irving Kids Dentist, you can be sure their care is in the right hands.
What Can My Child Expect?
Pediatric sedation works much like regular sedation, except more care is taken in dosage, administration, and explanation. Your child can expect the following process, regardless of the equipment used.
Explanation
Children require trust to calm their apprehension and anxiety. We will first begin by explaining, using simple and clear language, exactly what the procedure will entail, how the sedation will work, and how they will feel.
Demonstration
We will demonstrate, step-by-step, how the procedure will be executed, and how the sedation will be used. The most common method will usually be a nitrous oxide gas, commonly referred to as happy gas or laughing gas. This is usually used to calm minimal anxiety in both adults and children. All options for sedation will always be discussed with the parent or guardian beforehand.
Execution
We will be doing the operation and carrying it out exactly as demonstrated. Once the child sees that there are no surprises, their trust increases and future appointments will be met with a more effortless approach.
