Dental Sedation for Kids

Dental procedures that are either extensive or a bit more intense will often require anesthesia. Dulling pain and sedating a patient can help dentists achieve better results. This can get tricky when it comes to helping kids with their oral health issues. Sedation dentistry most commonly involves forms of local anesthetics, which doesn’t necessarily cause the patient to sleep. This may help when it comes to receiving treatment.

Conscious sedation is often used in these instances. This will allows kids to relax and become sleepy without sacrificing the ability to respond to stimulation. This may be necessary in special instances when the dental treatment is intensive. Now sedation can occur in several ways. It can be inhaled as a gas. Syrup or pills sometimes have to be swallowed. Injections have been a common method and also receiving the meds intravenously.

Most of the time, this will be used for children when it’s difficult to tolerate being awake. These procedures must be carried out by one of the following three: an anesthesiologist, a dental anesthesiologist, or an oral/maxillofacial surgeon. These trained professionals deliver the medicine and then monitor the child throughout the procedure. Following the guidelines given by professionals can make all the difference in how the procedure goes and how well the child heals afterwards. It’s important to note that sedation has lasting effects that linger for hours. It may be difficult to eat, speak, or drink. Knowing what’s coming and taking extra precautions can help with a child’s experience when it comes to dental sedation.

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