Sedation during dentistry

For a child, visiting the dentist can be stressful. Just sitting for any length of time is a challenge for some kids. Parents who may be reticent for their child to see a dentist regularly due to these factors may find relief in sedation dentistry.

Full sedation dentistry is an alternative to the norm but keeping the dental experience positive for your child is a major reason to consider this method. By reinforcing good habits of oral health care, including regular visits to the dentist, they can avoid more expensive procedures later in life.

Another reason for parents to choose to sedate their child is to ensure they will receive the best care possible. While dentists may seem superhuman in their abilities, it takes undivided concentration to do the best dental work. Having to contend with an energetic patient can be distracting. Under full sedation, the child is completely relaxed.

Some young kids may develop more cavities if not diligent with brushing. If a child needs multiple cavities filled, being fully sedated will allow for more work to be completed in less time. Since children do not want to be in a chair a long time, conscious patients usually need to return a second or a third time to complete the work.

One thing a parent should consider and discuss with their dentist is the level of sedation. It can range from laughing gas, or a relaxed feeling, to general anesthetic, or in layman’s terms, “fully asleep.” When general anesthesia is used, kids are the most easiest to monitor. Managing the medication for a conscious sedation case requires constant maintenance of sedative balance and is not consistent from patient to patient. While “going under” may seem risky, it is safe for children. To see the available levels of sedation visit: http://www.dawsondental.ca/sedationchart.

Dr. Edward Gelfand is founder of Dawson Dental Centres. There are several locations in the Greater Toronto Area.