Oral Sedation
Our office offers three types of sedation: Nitrous, Oral Conscious Sedation and IV Sedation.
Nitrous gas
Most children feel comfortable when visiting the dentist. Early exposure to the dentist helps younger patients to associate the dental office with a feeling of relaxation. Some children, however, may feel nervous before their visit or while sitting in the dental chair. Sometimes they need more than gentle care to feel relaxed. Nitrous gas is a safe sedative used to help your child relax during the dental visit while allowing the doctor to effectively treat your child.
Nitrous gas is a blend of oxygen and nitrous oxide. Before the procedure, a fitted mask is placed over your childs nose and as they breathe, the blend is absorbed through the lungs. At the end of the treatment, the nitrous gas is removed and has no lingering effects. One of the side effects during treatment is a sense of contentment and relaxation one of the reasons why nitrous gas is also known as laughing gas.
The use of nitrous gas is very safe as it is rapidly absorbed, is reversible, and can be adjusted in concentration. Your child is fully conscious and keeps all of their natural reflexes while absorbing the nitrous gas.
Oral Conscious Sedation
Another alternative for helping nervous children relax at the dentist’s office is the use of oral conscious sedation. When your child becomes so anxious that cooperating becomes difficult for them, sedation is an option. Oral conscious sedation is a method in which medications are used to help your child relax during the dental visit and allow the doctor to effectively treat your child. Oral conscious sedation tends to produce feelings of drowsiness and relaxation and is not meant to make your child unconscious. Sedation is also a way for the dentist to provide more effective treatment along with preventing that may result from uncontrolled movements in an anxious, uncooperative child.
When administered according to the sedation guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry by a pediatric dentist, sedation is a safe, effective option.
IV Sedation
Another option is IV Sedation, which is recommended for children that are fearful, apprehensive, and very young. Children with special needs that do not work well with oral conscious sedation may use IV Sedation as well. The dental treatment would be done in our office by the dentist, and a dental anesthesiologist would be administering and monitoring the child.
If you live in or around Irvine and are interested in learning more about the use of nitrous gas during your child’s visits, oral conscious sedation, or IV sedation, please contact our offices to answer any of your questions or schedule an appointment to find out if these options are suitable for your child.