Imagine it’s one of the two times a year when your little one needs dental cleaning.
So, the day before the dental appointment, you tell your child you’ll visit the dentist with them the next day. But as soon as they hear the news, they become sad, tearful, or even fearful. They may also sweat, become restless, or be unable to sleep.
Those are signs your little one has dental fear and anxiety (DFA).
The good news is that pediatric dental sedation is a safe and effective way to help children with DFA. However, it still has a few drawbacks, something parents must consider, too.
We’ll walk you through the pros and cons of sedation dentistry for children, so please read on.
Pro: Helps Children Relax
According to researchers, DFA in the early childhood stage affects one in three kids worldwide.
Children with DFA may cry, shiver, worry, panic, or be uncooperative before and during dental treatment. In many cases, they feel this way because they’re afraid of feeling pain during a procedure.
Pediatric dental sedation can help counter those symptoms of DFA by making patients feel more comfortable. Depending on your child’s level of fear or anxiety, a pediatric dentist may recommend one of the following types of sedation.
Nitrous Oxide Sedation
Also known as “laughing gas,” nitrous oxide is a colorless gas often used as a surgical and dental anesthetic. Administered correctly, it can help in the safe management of anxiety and pain in patients.
To administer nitrous oxide, the dentist will ask your child to wear a small, comfortable-fitting mask over their nose. Once inhaled, the gas works fast, calming a child’s fear or anxiety within a few minutes. It also helps minimize gag reflex, which can interfere with pediatric dental care treatment.
Oral Conscious Sedation
With oral conscious sedation, the pediatric dentist will give your little one a sedative medication. The medicine will make your child feel more relaxed and less anxious. They’ll remain conscious and breathe on their own.
As the dentist performs the procedure, they’ll continuously monitor your child’s vital signs. Doing so lets them ensure that your little one is still comfortable.
General Anesthesia
Is your little one too anxious or need extensive dental work?
If so, the pediatric dentist may recommend treating your child under general anesthesia in a surgery center or hospital. The dentist will work with an anesthesiologist to ensure your little one remains comfortable. Your child will sleep, allowing the dentist to complete all necessary procedures.
After the procedure, your child will wake up as the medication wears off. They’ll have no memory of the procedure.
Con: Potential Reactions and Side Effects
Some children may have sensitivities or allergies to the medications used in dental sedation. They may experience the following symptoms:
- Skin itchiness, rashes, or hives
- Chills
- Wheezing
- Fevers
Highly experienced pediatric dentists aim to minimize such reactions by thoroughly screening patients. So, if your child has a medication allergy or sensitivity, please let the dentist know. They can determine if your little one’s condition affects their eligibility for dental sedation.
Other side effects, such as drowsiness, confusion, sluggishness, and slow reflexes, are also possible. They’re more likely to occur in children who’ve had oral conscious sedation or general anesthesia. However, they should improve within the day or after a good night’s sleep.
Pro: Helps Address Dental Problems
Maintaining your child’s dental care and oral health can be challenging if they have DFA. Their fear or anxiety may make them want to skip dental visits or delay necessary treatment. That can lead to poor dental hygiene and oral health, making them more susceptible to tooth cavities or decay.
Left untreated, tooth decay can cause pain and more severe infections. These include gum disease and dental abscesses, which can lead to preventable tooth loss.
Even if that tooth is a baby tooth, its premature loss can lead to short-term problems like speech distortion. In the long run, it may cause tooth impaction, crowding, and malocclusion or misalignment of the adult teeth.
Pediatric dental sedation can help your child have lower risks of oral diseases. Since it helps make them feel more relaxed and comfortable, they’ll be more cooperative in the dentist’s chair. That allows the dentist to assess their oral health and address existing issues.
Con: Potential Downtime
Most children recover from nitrous oxide within 15 minutes to half an hour. So, if they have school the next day, then it’s safe for them to attend class.
If your child needs oral sedation or general anesthesia, though, they may need at least a full day to recover. If you can’t schedule their treatment on a weekend, they may have to be absent from school the next day. Your pediatric dentist will discuss all these with you beforehand so you can work around your and your child’s schedules.
Pro: Better Dental Experiences
Some children may be afraid of the dentist due to a fear of the unknown. That can happen if they’ve gone too long between visits or can’t remember what happened during their last dental trip.
Other children may develop DFA because they already have an oral issue that’s causing them pain. So, they might think it’ll hurt even more during a procedure.
Since sedation helps make treatments more comfortable, it can help kids overcome dental anxiety or fear. It helps them realize that dental procedures don’t have to be painful. Once they have positive experiences, they’ll likely be more cooperative in their succeeding trips to the dentist.
Pediatric Dental Sedation for Anxiety-Free Dentistry
Pediatric dental sedation is a safe way to make children feel more relaxed during dental visits. It helps them be more cooperative so dentists can complete procedures and improve their oral health. While it has potential side effects and downtime, the dentist will discuss everything with you beforehand.
At Kentuckiana Pediatric Dentistry, we aim to help children experience anxiety-free dentistry. Our dentist, Dr. Matt Mitchell, completed several years of pediatric dental training and residencies after dental school. We’ve also designed our dental offices in Shepherdsville and Mt. Washington, KY, to be as relaxing as possible.
So, contact us today! We look forward to helping your child enjoy better dental experiences and oral health with sedation dentistry.
Recent Comments