Sedation dentistry refers to the use of medications to help make dental care more tolerable for anxious or young children. Sedation is most commonly used to accomplish extensive or more invasive procedures. There are different types of sedation, including nitrous oxide ("laughing gas"), oral sedatives, IV sedation and general anesthesia.
We provide this spectrum of sedative options because every child is different and we would like to customize our treatment for his or her needs. The lightest type of sedation is accomplished by using laughing gas help a child who is able to sit calmly and comfortably for about 15-20 minutes and extend their attention span to 30-40 minutes. Laughing gas is always administered with a mixture
of oxygen and has a calming effect that helps children relax during their dental treatment. Because it is only a mild sedative, patients are still conscious and can talk to us during their visit. After treatment, the nitrous is turned off and oxygen is administered for about 5 minutes to help flush any remaining laughing gas. The effects wear off almost immediately. Nitrous oxide rarely has side effects, the most common being nausea during the procedure. If nausea is experienced, we simply turn off the laughing gas and place the patient on 100% oxygen. This treatment usually resolves the feeling of nausea quickly.
For children who do not experience adequate relaxation with nitrous oxide alone, the next option we provide is conscious sedation. In conscious sedation, we use liquid medications taken orally that have a more sedative effect than laughing gas, but are not strong enough to force children to fall asleep. Then lastly, for children who are profoundly fearful, very young, or have extensive required treatment we also have an anesthesiologist come to our office IV sedations where children are asleep for the dental care. Alternately, Dr. Rob is on staff at Phoenix Children's Hospital and can also care for our patients there under general anesthesia.
On your consultation appointment, we will discuss these varying modes of treatment and together decide what is best for your child.