Is Oral Conscious Sedation Safe For Children?
By Gary Richardson | Published on January 5, 2011 | 0 Comments
A child being nervous about going to the dentist or doctor is certainly nothing new or out of the ordinary. When your child cannot sit still in the dentist’s chair, is visibly shaken, or is brought to tears by the mere thought of a dental cleaning, a visit to the dentist might not be the best experience for her. This doesn’t mean, however, that you should let her skip her appointments altogether. Instead, it means that you may want to look at the alternative solutions that your child’s dentist has available.
Oral conscious sedation has been used widely over the past few years in dental offices across the country. Though you may have previously thought that dentists had little compassion for those who dreaded sitting in the dental chair, the exact opposite turns out to be true. Dentists do understand the apprehension that some patients feel, and because of this, many offer oral conscious sedation in the form of a combination of anti-anxiety drugs and nitrous oxide. Using this method, the patient remains conscious but is completely relaxed during her appointment.
The immediate benefits of oral conscious sedation in the dentist’s office include treating a more comfortable patient, being able to perform more dentistry in a single visit, more extensive restorative cases for patients who were previously reluctant, and little to no post-operative discomfort for patients. In Las Vegas, children’s emergency dentist Gary Richardson recognizes these advantages and offers oral conscious sedation to patients he feels could benefit from undergoing dental procedures this way. At Adventure Smiles, where the staff’s main priority is the comfort of patients, sedation is provided for children who are nervous, anxious, or apprehensive during dental treatments.
Though oral conscious sedation and a caring staff can help a patient feel more at ease, as a parent, there are ways that you can help make your child’s dental experience better. Dr. Richardson says that the best thing you can do for your child during an appointment is to simply be there both during and after the appointment. Following a treatment in which sedatives are administered, he explains, a child will likely be lethargic for the remainder of the day because the sedation will take between four to eight hours to wear off. Since your child will not be able to return to school after a sedation treatment, the best option is to ensure that your child has a quiet, relaxing day at home.
Though you may be hesitant to agree to oral conscious sedation for your child, Dr. Richardson says that the parents of his patients can rest assured. At Adventure Smiles the constant training, preparation, and continuing education that the staff receives make sedation very safe. However, as with all medication, limitations need to be met. The team at Adventure Smiles keeps up-to-date health information for each patient on file, and Dr. Richardson ensures that each child receives the proper dosage.
If your child has shown signs of extreme anxiety before and during her dental appointments, then you may want to discuss oral conscious sedation with her dentist. Going to the dentist every six months is an essential part of maintaining proper oral health, and a visit to the dentist should never be a traumatic experience.
*Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.