Sedation Dentistry – Garland, TX
Safe, Gentle Sedation
Dentistry for Children
At The Dental Specialists Pediatric Dentistry, we understand that children often feel nervous before and during a dental appointment. While we strive to provide a kid-friendly atmosphere with a caring, friendly staff to help ease their anxieties, we also offer sedation dentistry for children in our Garland dental office to help them feel even more comfortable and relaxed during certain dental procedures. We offer different forms of sedation dentistry in our Garland, TX dental office by request, ranging from nitrous oxide (laughing gas) to oral conscious sedation and IV sedation.
Why Choose The Dental Specialists Pediatric Dentistry
for Sedation Dentistry?
- Plenty of Experience with Special Needs Patients
- Sedation Options Tailored to Every Child
Nitrous Oxide
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recognizes the proper usage of nitrous oxide as a safe, effective way to calm a child’s fear of visiting the dentist while also enhancing effective communication. This type of gas is inhaled through a nicely scented, comfortable mask that’s placed over the nose. It allows your child to feel calm and relaxed during their appointment. Once the appointment is over and after a couple of minutes of regular air, your child will feel normal and ready to go home or back to school.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Nitrous Oxide?
Nitrous oxide is known to be a safe option for young patients because of its mild yet fast-acting effects. However, it is important that before any type of sedation is provided, Dr. Preece or Dr. Hui meet with your child to discuss their medical history, and the reason nitrous oxide is being suggested.
Generally, this method of sedation can be helpful if your child has:
- Mild to moderate dental anxiety
- A strong or sensitive gag reflex
- Difficulty with other numbing agents
- Difficulty sitting still in the treatment chair
- Sensitive teeth
- A fear of needles
If your child is dealing with sinus congestion, has some sort of respiratory illness, or is taking certain medications, we may recommend holding off on treatment until these issues clear up. If it is the medicine they’re taking that could interfere with sedation, we might suggest an alternative technique or solution to ensure their safety and comfort.
How Does Nitrous Oxide Work?
The process of administering nitrous oxide is quite simple. Our dental team will begin by placing a nasal mask over your child’s nose so that it remains covered throughout treatment. Once the mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen is turned on, we will instruct them to inhale. In just minutes, the effects will start to kick in, leaving them to feel more relaxed and even slightly euphoric. They may even begin to giggle (hence the popular term “laughing gas” as nitrous oxide is more commonly known).
The use of this type of sedation will help dull your child’s senses so that they feel no discomfort or fear during their visit. This can be extremely helpful for those who previously experienced dental trauma at another practice.
Aftercare for Nitrous Oxide
After treatment is complete, our team will turn off the gas and remove the mask. Within minutes of breathing pure oxygen, your child will feel like their normal self. This is one of the added benefits of nitrous oxide is that it has no lingering side effects.
We will likely have your child stay in the treatment chair for a few minutes to ensure they feel fine after the mask is removed, but they should be free to resume normal activity after leaving our office.
If there are any aftercare instructions for the treatment they received, our team will make sure to provide them so that your child heals without issue.
Oral Conscious Dental Sedation
Oral conscious sedation is an excellent option for children with a high level of anxiety that may prevent good coping skills, those who need an extensive dental treatment, and very young children who may not be able to cooperate during an appointment. It can also be helpful for patients with special needs. At The Dental Specialists, we determine the dosage by your child’s weight and monitor their vitals during their entire visit.
Oral conscious sedation causes drowsiness, but your child will remain awake with this option. Once their appointment is over, they will need to remain in the office until their dentist feels it is safe for them to go home. Once discharged, they will need to relax for the remainder of the day to allow the effects of the sedative continue to wear off over the next few hours.
What is Oral Conscious Sedation?
Oral conscious sedation is sedation via a pill prescribed by your child’s dentist and picked up before you arrive at their appointment. Because it is in pill form, it requires no needles or face mask, and is typically recommended for children who have nervousness, anxiety, fear, a weak gag reflex, or who have trouble sitting still for a dental treatment.
Typically, your child’s dentist will prescribe one pill that they’ll take when they arrive at our office, or just before their appointment. The effects are usually long-lasting, and usually take effect within about 15 minutes, depending on the sedative used.
How Does Oral Conscious Sedation Work?
The effects of oral sedatives will linger throughout your child’s entire appointment. Once they kick in, the patient will feel a deep sense of calm and relaxation. Many patients don’t even remember their appointment after the effects wear off, which can be beneficial for some.
Your child’s dental team will continue to monitor their vitals throughout the entire treatment to ensure they are safe at all times. They will still be conscious, so they will be able to respond to instructions, but they will remain in a relaxed state throughout the entire appointment.
Is Your Child a Good Candidate for Oral Conscious Sedation?
Oral conscious sedation is an excellent option for children who:
- Suffer from dental fear, anxiety or nervousness.
- Have a sensitive gag reflex.
- Are receiving multiple treatments or one longer treatment in one appointment.
- Have difficulty keeping their mouth open in one sitting in the treatment chair.
- Have difficulty getting numb with local anesthesia.
- Have had bad dental experiences in the past.
- Cannot sit still for long periods of time.
- Have special needs that may prevent them from sitting still for treatment.
IV Sedation Dentistry
For children with special care needs who have extensive oral healthcare needs, or children who need more invasive dental procedures, we may recommend IV sedation.
Sedation Dentistry FAQs
Is dental sedation safe for children?
Many kids experience anxiety or distress when it comes to dental visits, and although dental sedation can potentially help, it’s natural to want to ensure that it won’t put your child’s health at risk. Thankfully, dental sedation is considered safe for most people, including children, as long as a trained professional administers it.
Before proceeding, our dedicated team in Garland will update your family’s medical history to include any more recent diagnoses, procedures, prescription medications, or new supplements that your child might be taking regularly. This helps us avoid doing anything that might adversely affect their general well-being.
Will my child remember their procedure after sedation?
Most dental sedatives don’t render patients unconscious; instead, they’re usually intended to help them feel calm and comfortable but awake enough to respond to their provider’s questions or instructions. It’s natural to wonder whether your child will recall the details of their procedure afterwards, but in many cases, these medications cause a temporary amnesia that makes it difficult to remember.
Many parents of kids with more severe dental anxiety consider this short-term memory loss to be another benefit of sedation because it can help their child feel less anxious about future visits.
What does dental sedation feel like?
Our team in Garland offers three types of medication: nitrous oxide (laughing gas), oral conscious (in pill form), and IV sedation. Laughing gas typically induces a sense of relaxation or euphoria, and your child might experience lightheadedness or tingling in their limbs.
Meanwhile, oral conscious medications tend to produce a deeper sense of calm as well as a weighted sensation that can make your child feel drowsy enough that they naturally doze off during their procedure. IV sedation produces similar feelings, but more intensely.
Does insurance cover dental sedation?
Dental insurance can often be a simple and effective way to reduce your out-of-pocket expenses for dental services for your family. However, these plans tend to categorize sedatives as a luxury rather than a necessity and often don’t cover the cost. With that said, there may be exceptions, like if your child has a disability or health condition that makes it impossible for them to receive dental care without being medicated.
Every plan is slightly different, so it’s worth checking the details of your policy to understand more about what’s included. If you’re struggling to find the information or need help with paperwork or claims, please don’t hesitate to let us know! Our friendly office staff are familiar with different policies and can help you maximize your family’s available benefits.