While it is common for everyone to experience feeling nervous at the dentist, this can be especially true for children. In order to help children feel more relaxed, our office offers dental sedation for your child. Here, our Richmond dentists discuss whether dental sedation is safe for children and what the different types are.
You may know that your child is anxious at the dentist, or they may have special needs and require help to relax before going to the dentist. Dental sedation is one method of helping your child relax. Our Richmond dentist is frequently asked if sedation for children undergoing dental treatment is safe.
When trained and experienced dental professionals administer dental sedation, sedation and anesthesia are a safe way for children to receive the necessary and critical dental healthcare they require.
Because dentist visits are commonly viewed as a negative experience by children, dental sedation can help remove the stress during their visit. By reducing the stress and anxiety levels of a particularly nervous child, sedation can play a key role in providing children with positive dental experiences.
The Different Types of Dental Sedation for Children
There are three types of sedation that are commonly used for children. At Saba Road Dental Center, we only offer oral sedation, but we believe that our clients should know about the three most common types of sedation.
Nitrous oxide, otherwise known as laughing gas, can help to calm young patients who are feeling anxious, nervous or frightened. Nitrous Oxide is delivered via a face mask, and will relax the patient and promote euphoric feelings, but will not make the patient unconscious or impair their reflexes.
Oral sedation can take up to 20 minutes to take effect, so it's given to the patient when they first arrive for their dental appointment. Oral sedation will not make the patient unconscious, but patients often doze off during the procedure.
General anesthesia might be recommended by your child’s dentist if they have high pain sensitivity, serious behavioural challenges, limited understanding, and/or special needs. Under general anesthesia, your child is unconscious so that their reflexes are completely relaxed. Children will have no memory of the procedure once they wake, and will not feel pain during the procedure.
Your child's safety and comfort are our top priorities at our Richmond dental offices. Prior to your child's visit, our team can answer any questions or concerns you may have about dental sedation.
