Before introducing kids’ dental sedation, Junior Smiles® pediatric dentist uses coaching and other techniques to reduce your child’s dental anxiety.
Our pediatric dentist may discuss kids’ sedation dentistry if a child’s anxiety makes dental treatment unsafe.
Our goal is to provide necessary treatment in a way that protects your child’s psyche and doesn’t scar them in having life-long dental phobia.
When dental anxiety prevents a child from accepting dental treatment, it may be necessary to consider other options to help them get through the appointment.
At Junior Smiles®, these options include Conscious Sedation (Laughing Gas) or General Anesthesia. Pediatric dentists call these techniques ‘Pharmacological Behavior Modification.’
When a child’s dental anxiety requires a ‘Pharmacological Behavior Modification,’ Junior Smiles® has progressive sedations we will speak with you about:
Conscious sedation (laughing gas),which is delivered through a nose piece, lowers the child’s anxiety and fear. It also reduces the pain perception from the injection.
For this reason, we recommend this on almost every child we treat unless there are underlying medical issues.
The child can breathe normally, is fully awake, and can follow instructions. In most cases, this is all children need to get through an appointment and to help build their confidence in the chair.
More information about laughing gas and your kid’s dentist appointment.
Jr. Smiles® provides General Anesthesia, which can be compared to going to sleep.
With General Anesthesia, the child does not breath on their own, will not remember anything leading up to treatment and right after treatment, and will not be able to follow instructions.
This behavior modification is more controlled. The child is put fully to sleep and a breathing tube / respirator is placed so we can ensure the child is breathing the entire time. This is called ‘Protecting the Airway.’ Moderate and Deep Sedation do not protect the airway.
For all our General Anesthesia cases, we bring in a pediatric anesthesiologist (a doctor who only focuses on putting children to sleep and waking them up safely) while your dentist performs the treatment needed on your child.
More information about General Anesthesia and kids dentist appointment.
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