Experiencing fear at the dentist's office is something that can happen to patients of any age, but it can be especially acute for children. Sedation dentistry is an effective means of countering that anxiety through the use of anesthesia, whether local or general. Depending on the age of the child and their level of fear, different sedation procedures are utilized.
Children may be fearful of a dentist for a number of reasons. Whether it's the general foreign atmosphere of the office, the needles or other implements, or the dentists themselves, the causes of a child's fear are varied. The most pronounced among them include the fear of:
* The dentist's demeanor, name or unfamiliarity
* Lying down underneath lights
* Pain from needles or other tools
* Embarrassment among strangers
* The sights, sounds and smells of the office
* Previous bad experiences
Family dental services are equipped to provide solutions to help children cope with their fears. Sedation dentistry uses one of several methods to put the child into a state of deep relaxation in order to take their minds off their fears and allow the work to take place. A professional will typically consult with the child's parents and medical doctor to determine if sedation is appropriate, and to get more information about the extent of the fears before recommending sedation or sleep dentistry.
Depending on the age and previous experience of the child, different types of sedation are recommended. Aside from localized, topical anesthetic administered to patients receiving non-sedation dental work, there are four basic types of sedation available: oral, intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM) and nitrous oxide or "laughing gas." Nitrous oxide is commonly administered to help older children relax during the procedure. Full sedation requires an IV or IM method that follows the administration of an oral sedative and/or laughing gas to reduce initial stress. Once in effect, a child is completely relaxed and will have little memory of the procedure.
Children older than six with prior dental experience are usually eligible to receive some type of oral sedative. Occasionally, the use of a physical restraint is necessary to prevent children from disrupting the process. For younger children, full sedation or general anesthesia may be the only successful approach since they are too young to understand the process or cooperate. In addition, since some procedures are lengthy, keeping young children still for long periods of time is difficult for everyone involved.
When using general anesthesia on children, dentists rely on a trained and certified dental, medical or nurse anesthesiologist to administer the sedation and fully monitor the young patient. The child is in good hands, and the professional can perform the dental work with the least amount of stress on the child, the parents and the office staff. It can be a win-win for everyone.
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