Did you know that as much as 80% of the population in the United States alone suffers from some degree of dental anxiety or dental fear? Dental anxiety often begins during childhood. More often than not, it stems from a bad experience at the dentist, and it can often stick with a child into adulthood. Fortunately, Beaumont Family Dentistry is all about making patients feel as comfortable as possible during dental procedures.
If your child suffers from dental anxiety and you don’t know what to do, a kid-friendly dentist might be able to administer a sedative to your child to keep them calm and fear-free during a dental procedure.
But what does sedation dentistry involve, and how can you know if it’s the right choice for your child? Keep reading and learn more about it below.
What Is Sedation Dentistry?
Finding the best dentist for kids means finding a dentist that will keep your child calm while also improving the child’s dental health. You will find these qualities in your Lexington pediatric dentist.
Sedation dentistry is a method that is used for both adults and children who may be nervous about a certain dental procedure. Sedation dentistry is also important if the dental procedure in question will be painful.
For example, the procedure needed to fill a cavity or remove a tooth will be painful, so to render the experience pain-free, the best pediatric dentist in your area will provide some kind of sedative which often acts as a painkiller as well.
Children tend to be more afraid of the dentist than adults, and children are also more likely to act out of fear. For example, they may start crying or throw a fit because they don’t want to go through with a dental procedure, even if the procedure is necessary for the child’s dental health.
Often, the child will have some irrational fears about your Lexington kids’ dentist.
If you are unable to calm your child down, sedation dentistry may be the solution. You shouldn’t let the term frighten you because sedation dentistry is a very safe method, and it can make the dental procedure easier for everyone. More often than not, the kids’ dentist in Beaumont will administer nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, to your child.
Nitrous oxide is the mildest sedative there is. Your child will not fall asleep when under the effects of this gas, but he will become more relaxed.
The child will also be less aware of any discomfort during the procedure. This is ideal if your child is primarily afraid of pain.
More Types of Sedation Dentistry
As mentioned before, nitrous oxide is one of the mildest forms of sedation dentistry that your pediatric dentist in Lexington can administer. It is great for simple procedures such as teeth cleaning and cavity fillings. You also don’t have to worry about the gas staying in your child’s system.
After the procedure, your kids’ dentist in Lexington will provide your child with pure oxygen. After your child inhales the oxygen for a few moments, the oxygen will clear out any nitrous oxide still in the child’s system. This way, your child won’t be under the effects of nitrous oxide for long, and he can go back to his daily life.
However, nitrous oxide is not a good idea for more serious or painful dental procedures. It may also not help if your child has an extreme fear of the dentist. The next sedation option is oral sedation.
Oral sedation usually comes in the form of a pill. Your child will need to take the pill 30 minutes to an hour before the dental procedure. Otherwise, the pill will not have enough time to kick in.
Oral sedation is a lot stronger than nitrous oxide. As such, your child should not feel any pain at all during the dental procedure, although he may feel some pressure. Oral sedation is also not enough to render your child unconscious.
Rather, it may make the child very sleepy. They may also drift in and out of sleep, but your dentist will easily be able to wake the child if it is necessary. More often than not, it is not necessary to seek sedation that is any deeper than oral sedation.
Oral sedation can calm the nerves of most children and ensure that the dental procedure is painless.
General Anesthesia
General anesthesia is the strongest form of dental sedation, and, as such, it is not used all that often. Most dentists will only use general anesthesia if a serious dental procedure is required. Usually, dentists use it before dental surgery.
Your child may need dental surgery to correct a misalignment of the jaw, to remove wisdom teeth from the jawbone, or for other reasons. Whatever the case, oral sedation will not be strong enough to cover the pain of the procedure.
When under general anesthesia, your child will be unconscious. The dentist will not be able to wake up the child until the anesthesia is no longer administered. He will not be aware of the procedure or the pain of the procedure.
For the same reason, general anesthesia may stay in your child’s system for quite some time, often around a day or two. So, if your child requires general anesthesia for a procedure, it is best to do it on the weekend, so your child has time to recover.
Sedation from Beaumont Kids Dentistry
There are many forms of sedation dentistry from Beaumont Kids Dentistry. From nitrous oxide and oral sedation to general anesthesia, there is a form of sedation to treat the most severe dental fears and serious dental procedures.
If you think your child’s dental anxiety is going to be a problem at the dentist, sedation dentistry may be the perfect option. It is safe and can make the procedure a breeze for everyone involved.
To learn more, don’t hesitate to click here.