For many patients, especially children, a dental chair is far from relaxing and dental treatments can cause a lot of anxiety. Sitting still in a dental chair is especially hard for kids! With the help of sedation dentistry, your child can feel at ease while receiving the dental care that they need. By providing your child with good dental experiences at an early age, you can help them feel comfortable visiting their dentist on a regular basis as they get older.
Sedation can be used during a regular dental visit, as well as during extensive appointments. If your child is in need of dental treatment, sedation dentistry may be recommended. Sedation dentistry allows your child’s dentist to give them exceptional dental care and provide a full treatment in just one visit. Your child’s dentist can accomplish a lot while your child is still and calm.
We offer nitrous oxide colloquially known as ‘laughing gas or gas and air’ as a sedation option to give your child a relaxing dental experience. Nitrous oxide is effective for both children and adults and is administered through a facial mask. Once the mask is placed over your child’s nose, the effects of sedation will begin almost immediately. With nitrous oxide, your child can communicate with their dentist when needed, but will not be startled by surrounding sounds or smells during treatment. Sedation will begin to wear away as soon as the mask is removed.
Giving your child a great dental experience can help them receive the treatment that they need to maintain a healthy smile!
We are happy to offer dental care for special needs children in a personal, warm, caring environment.
We understand that special needs children due to physical, medical, developmental or cognitive conditions require special consideration when receiving dental treatment. This can include people with autism, Alzheimer’s disease, Down syndrome, spinal cord injuries and countless other conditions or injuries that can make standard dental procedures more difficult.
Overcoming/Avoiding Dental Phobias in Children
Studies show that a significant proportion of adults have mild to severe anxiety concerning dental appointments, many of whom avoid dental visits altogether.
One of sedation dentistry’s greatest benefits is that it relaxes and calms the patient. A child undergoing a dental procedure who feels relaxed rather than fearful will usually experience little to no anxiety at future visits and be far less likely to develop a lifelong dental phobia that can have serious consequences to their dental health as an adult. Research show that adults with dental phobias often neglect having regular dental check-ups and suffer from considerably more dental problems because of needlessly avoiding the dentist.
Enhanced Treatment Quality with Sedation Dentistry
In addition to the psychological benefits, the relaxation of the patient during dental sedation also allows your paediatric dentist to perform the dental procedure without interruption or resistance. Some children may reflexively move or pull back during certain aspects of treatment which can cause delays in the procedure. For some young children, sitting still for a lengthy time is extremely difficult. While your dentist is used to accommodating such movements, dental sedation allows the treatment to be completed quickly, efficiently, and uninterrupted.
For children who have a sensitive gag reflex, sedation dentistry can help diminish the sensation of choking or the urge to throw up. Controlling the gag reflex not only makes the patient more comfortable, but helps the dentist perform your child’s procedure smoothly and safely.
More Treatment in Less Time with Sedation Dentistry
For children who need more lengthy, complex, or multiple treatments, sedation dentistry can save both time and money by allowing the dentist to work longer without the patient becoming uncomfortable. It is not unusual for a child’s dental treatment to take more than one procedure due to:
With moderate (conscious) sedation or deep iv sedation, your dentist can accomplish several procedures in one appointment and your child will feel as if little time has passed, having felt no pain, discomfort, or anxiety.
Dental Sedation for Special Needs and Medically Compromised Children
Some children have difficulty holding still during a dental procedure due to emotional, physical, or behavioral disorders. Dental sedation is ideal for children with special needs because the procedure can be done faster and be more comfortable for the patient.
Sedation dentistry also makes the treatment easier for the dentist to perform, especially if the patient is uncooperative or doesn’t fully understand what to expect. In some instances, even a comprehensive oral exam cannot be completed while a patient is fully awake, so dental sedation can be utilized in order to provide necessary routine dental care.
Paediatric sedation dentistry is a method of helping your child reduce dental fears and feel relaxed during his/her procedure. If you are interested in utilizing dental sedation for your child’s next dental treatment or would like to find out if your child can benefit from sedation dentistry, please get in touch.
