We base our decision with anesthetics upon the personal needs of each child patient, always leaning towards safety and caring, and usually away from sedation. However, when a child does need anesthetic treatment, be assured we offer several professional options with qualified experience for the anxious and nervous child. Only after we have exhausted all of our other caring options, will we move forward with sedation, which is offering your child a particular medicine or a combination of medicines that will relax your child enough to allow our Pediatric Dentistry Team to do the necessary dental work. Sedation is used when a child has a significant amount of dental work and would not tolerate well several return visits to complete the work. As a pediatric dentistry team, Dr. Shepherd and our other team professionals are well trained in various sedation techniques. Below is a list of different types of sedation as one of the children’s dental services that we offer. What we use for your child will depend on their dental needs, age, and medical history. Regardless of the type of sedation the child needs to have an empty stomach for at least 6 hours.
Pediatric Dental Anesthetic Options at Pediatric Smiles and Braces
Oral Sedation is where your child will drink a medicine that will make them sleepy. It is well received by most children as all they do is drink the medicine and watch a movie until they become sleepy. The onset of the medicines used is delayed because the drug has to go from the stomach to the intestine to the liver and then to the blood stream. This takes between 30 minutes to an hour depending on what meds are used. The medicines can sometimes cause vomiting and therefore your child is not allowed to have anything to eat or drink after Midnight the night before sedation. Because of the unpredictability of the drug absorption, some children do not become sleepy enough and we have to use an alternative method. Many children’s teeth are fixed by using this method without an issue.
Intra-Nasal sedation administers the medicine by using a misting device into a child’s nasal passage. This method is used when the child is not likely to drink the medicine because of taste, age of the child or the child’s general unwillingness to drink the medicine. The advantage to this route of administration is fast onset since the drug is absorbed through the nasal mucosa and is directly in the bloodstream. Less drugs are given and the child recovers more quickly.
IV or intravenous sedation is where a member of our Pediatric Dental Professionals or an Anesthesiologist will start an IV. The medicine to sedate the child is given through the IV line. This route of drug administration has several advantages over oral and Intra-Nasal sedation. The drug effect is almost instantaneous, less drug is used and Dr. Shepherd or the anesthesiologist can keep the child safely sedated until all work is done. The child is hydrated throughout the procedure with the IV fluid. Once the dental work is done there is no more drug given and the child recovers quickly. The difficulty of this sedation route is getting the IV started in a child. This is usually accomplished by giving the child a low dose of medicine to help slow them down enough to get an IV started. Once the IV line is in this becomes the most controlled form of sedation.
“Smart Step” Sedation at Pediatric Smiles and Braces
With “Smart Step” sedation, we start with the most conservative sedation option, and “step up” to the next level only when necessary, based on your child’s unique needs. This can include the specific dental challenges, age, medical history, temperament or special needs of your child, among other factors.
Don’t wait to get the treatment you child needs.
Give your child the gift of a healthy smile with our pediatric dental sealant services. Contact Pediatric Smiles of Orem today to schedule a consultation for pediatric dental sealant treatment. Protect your child’s teeth from decay. Book an appointment now and let our skilled pediatric dentists apply high-quality dental sealants for long-lasting cavity protection. If you have any questions about any of our treatment options, please give us a call at (801) 434-5437.
