Sedation Dentistry

The goal of sedation dentistry is to establish a relaxing and anxiety-free experience during dental treatment. Sedation is endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Dental Association. The Kids’ Dentist provides sedation options for your child that range from the use of nitrous oxide or “laughing gas” to general anesthesia in a hospital setting that puts your child to “sleep” during their treatment. One of the major benefits of sedation dentistry is that children often feel like their dental procedure lasts only a few minutes and they have limited or no memory of the visit. 

Children can benefit from sedation if they experience one or more of the following: 

• Dental fear or anxiety of dental care
• Complex dental problems (severe decay, need for several extractions, etc)
• Too young to understand treatment
• Previous traumatic experience, either medical or dental
• Difficulty in achieving “numbness”

Dr. Winn will evaluate your child’s dental needs individually and make the appropriate recommendation for a safe and effective treatment option.  The Kids’ Dentist is happy to have specially trained team members serving as sedation coordinators to help guide parents through the sedation experience with their child.

TYPES OF SEDATION

1. Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas)

Sedation Level:
Child is mildly sedated, breathing, on his/her own, can talk throughout appointment

Indications:            

• Children with very small amount of decay
• Slight-moderate anxiety
• Age 3 years or older
• Healthy with no medical issues

Benefits:           
Effects wear off almost immediately, rarely has side effects           

Please Understand:

• Risk with any medication
• Child may refuse to keep mask on his/her nose
• Child may still fuss and cry
• Cost for medication and monitoring

2. Oral or Nasal Sedation in our office administered by Dr. Winn

Sedation Level:
Child is lightly sedated, breathing on his/her own, responsive to voice commands but can still be responsive to dental stimuli.

Indications:            

• Children with very small amount of decay
• Slight-moderate anxiety
• Age 3 years or older
• Healthy with no medical issues

Benefits:           

• Almost no memory of procedure, significant level of pain relief
• Increased safety

Please Understand:

• Risk with any medication
• Child may refuse to drink medication and can not re-dose on same day!!!
• 10% of kid’s have “angry child reaction” afterwards
• (can last 1-2 hours which your child will not remember, but YOU will!)
• Child may still fuss and cry
• Cost for medication and monitoring

3. Sedation at our office with Dental Anesthesiologist 

Sedation Level:
Child is deep-moderate sedated, but breathing on his/her own and responsive to voice commands, but not very responsive to dental stimuli.

Indications:           

• Children with small-moderate amounts of decay
• Slight-moderate anxiety
• Physical, mental, or behavioral challenged
• Children with medical concerns
• Very young children

Benefits:            
All dental procedures accomplished in 1-2 visits

Please Understand:

• Risk with any medications
• Cost to pay anesthesiologist & nurse 

4. General Anesthesia

Sedation Level:
Child is “completely out” or “asleep” with breathing tube in place

Indications:            

• Children with lots of decay
• Moderate –severely anxious children
• Physically, behaviorally, or mentally challenged children
• Children with medical concerns
• Very young children

Benefits:           

• All dental procedures accomplished in one visit
• Total dissociation of dental procedures from the office setting

Please Understand:

• Risk with anesthesia
• Cost to pay hospital plus anesthesiologist