Is It Safe To Sedate a Child for Dental Work?

Many children experience anxiety visiting the dentist, and such anxiety only worsens when they know sedation may be necessary. Dentists use sedation for more in-depth or serious procedures, so it’s easy to see why knowing they’ll be sedated beforehand can make a child much more nervous. As such, it sparks the question of whether it is safe to sedate a child for dental work. Allow us to explain the process.

Types of Sedation

The first thing to cover is the different types of sedation that may be considered for a child’s operation. These include:

• Oral Sedation: The patient takes a solid or liquid sedative beforehand to help them relax during their operation. Your pediatric dentist will prescribe what type of medication your child should use based on their medical history.
• Nitrous Oxide: A type of gas that is administered through a mask connected to a tube that is placed over the patient’s nose. This may be the most familiar form of anesthesia and is often nicknamed “laughing gas” because patients often feel a sense of giggly euphoria, which wears off very quickly as soon as the patient stops breathing the gas.
• General Anesthesia: Of all the types of anesthesia pediatric dentists use, this is by far the least common. In fact, it’s generally reserved for hospitals because it renders the patient completely unconscious. A common example of general anesthesia used in dentistry is when your child needs to have their wisdom teeth removed.

Uses for Sedation

The type of sedation used will be informed by the necessary procedure. For minor dental work, like filling cavities or crowns, nitrous oxide may be the most applicable because it’s effective and wears off very quickly after the procedure ends, meaning the patient can resume their daily life almost immediately. Because of how easy it is to control and how quickly it wears off, nitrous oxide is considered the absolute safest method and thus the most common. An oral sedative is less controllable and a dentist will likely prescribe that if your child requires something more extreme like tooth extraction or oral surgery.

Concerning Medical Histories

For most patients, the answer to whether it is safe to sedate a child for dental work is yes. The only time there may be risks to consider is if your child has a medical history indicating there may be some kind of complication that interferes with anesthesia. Your pediatric dentist will always review your child’s medical history before deciding.

See also: Richmond Sedation Dentist for Kids