Anesthesia and Sedation in the Dental Procedure for Kids: All You Need to Know!

Lot of children suffer from dental infections or dental pain and require treatment. This also means that the child will need to undergo any general anesthesia or sedation to make them still. But how safe are anesthesia or sedation options? Is there a need to use sedative for all dental procedures related to children? Read on to find out.

The Determining Factor:

The location and size of a cavity determines the use of a sedative. Local anesthesia is not needed for smaller cavities. If the cavity is hard to reach or large, making the removal complicated and numbing compulsory, different types of sedation are recommended. This ensures the comfort and reduces the anxiety of the child.

Recommended When?

At Brea Pediatric Dental Practice and Orthodontics we do offer sedation and anesthesia to our patients only when needed. We believe in offering Anesthesia Free Dentistry in Brea for our patients. This information gives you an overview of the sedatives used:

Sedation Options:

Nitrous Oxide:

It is commonly known as "laughing gas". It is a mild sedative. The children will feel more at ease. It is easier for the dentist to operate because most of them get lightheaded and silly.

Oral Sedation:

This is a liquid oral sedative given to make your anxious child calm and comfortable during the treatment. This sedative is not provided routinely as it holds a high level of uncertainty.

Intravenous Sedation:

This sedative is recommended for children with high degree of dental anxiety. It is also called "sleep dentistry". During the treatment, the child's vital signs will be monitored by the anesthesiologist. The child will have no memory of the visit and most importantly the entire treatment is completed in one visit.

Guidelines followed:

Our Pediatric Dentist in Brea follows the instructions laid down by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) for dentists while providing deep sedation or general anesthesia to children.

While providing anesthesia there must be at least two people in the room who have been trained to attend to situations that require advanced life support. They can be the pediatric dentist and an observer. We have an anesthesiologist present for placing the child comfortably asleep for the completion of the treatment.

Takeaway:

Our top priority is to maintain the calmness of the child while providing dental care. We also offer Anesthesia Free Laser in Brea for our patients. And, no physical restraints are used to complete any dental procedures (except during certain emergencies). For more information, call us at (714) 255-8338 and schedule an appointment today.