Is Dental Sedation Okay for Kids?

As a parent, you likely want your child to get excellent dental care. After all, healthy teeth and gums will make their life easier! This goal is tricky when your little one has dental anxiety, though, as they might refuse treatment out of fear. Fortunately, sedation dentistry is an option – it’s safe for children and calms them for dental procedures. If you’d like to learn more, your Plano dentist has the scoop. Here’s why dental sedation works safely on kids, including how best to care for them before and after the process.

Dental Sedation *is* Safe for Kids

When done by a qualified dentist, dental sedation doesn’t harm kids. Far from it – the service makes dental work more effective and thus improves their oral health.

For starters, dental sedatives seldom cause lasting side effects. Nitrous oxide is mild and will only calm your child’s nerves. Similarly, oral conscious sedation just results in deep relaxation.

Dentists also take specific precautions for pediatric sedation. According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, two trained staff must be in the room when a child receives sedatives. These professionals will monitor the kid’s vitals and perform lifesaving measures if necessary. As a result, your little one won’t be in any danger.

Care Tips for Before & After Sedation

Just because sedation is safe for children doesn’t mean there aren’t other ways you can help your child through it. To ensure a smooth outing, you could do a few things for them before and after the process:

Before Sedation

It’s best if your child doesn’t face obstacles prior to sedation. As such, dress them in loose-fitting clothes for treatment and don’t let them eat solid foods beforehand. Also, tell the dentist about any prescriptions or medications they’re taking. Another good idea is to bring their favorite toy to the visit, which can calm them.

After Sedation

No matter their age, patients often experience grogginess, coordination loss, nausea, and even giggles after sedation. Your child will thus need rest and special care when their procedure is over. So, remember to:

• Monitor your child after the treatment.
• Give them soft foods – lukewarm soups, mashed vegetables, smoothies, etc. –  to avoid discomfort in the mouth.
• Encourage your child to stay hydrated by drinking water.
• Use an ice pack to help with any swelling.

As you can see, sedation dentistry can safely treat your child’s dental fears. Therefore, consider adding it to your tyke’s next dental appointment!

About the Practice

Parkway Vista Dental is based in Plano, TX. Led by Dr. Bita Kamali, our practice offers high-quality dental care to patients of all ages. To that end, we perform preventive, cosmetic, and restorative dentistry, not to mention emergency oral procedures. Naturally, you can also count on us for dental sedation that uses the latest dental technology! For more information or to book a visit, you can reach us on our website or by phone at (972)-818-1300.