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Children make great candidates for sedation dentistry. Just like adults, most children experience some degree of anxiety when it comes time to visit the dentist. Some children have such extreme fear of the dentist that they make it nearly impossible to treat them. In cases like these, there may be no other option but sedation. Most pediatric sedation dentists will avoid using sedation if possible – to keep the patient costs down and to avoid any potential complications. Positive verbal reinforcement and other techniques are often enough to calm an apprehensive child. However, sedation is often necessary in the following cases: • A child who has an over-active or sensitive gag reflex. • A child who has had a previous traumatic experience in the dentist’s chair. • A child who has medical problems or is mentally handicapped – particularly children with cerebral palsy and other neuromuscular conditions that may limit their ability to control their movements. • A child who needs invasive or otherwise extensive dental treatment, or whose treatment requires several hours in the dentist’s chair. • Infants or very young children who need extensive dental work. This is a good idea as a way of preventing future dental anxiety. If sedation is chosen, your pediatric dentist will communicate with the child’s physician to ensure that sedation is safe. Which sedation method is appropriate will vary from child to child, and depend largely on the extent of work that needs to be performed. Sedation medications come in a variety of forms: pills, intravenous, intramuscular, or in the case of nitrous oxide, inhaled. If you think your child would benefit from sedation dentistry, you will need to find a dentist trained in pediatric sedation dentistry. This certification requires three years of additional training beyond regular dental school. Using sedation with children tends to be more unpredictable and challenging than with adults. Children respond differently to sedatives. What works on one child may not work on the next and there is no way to predict what will and what will not work. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry has strict guidelines governing what doses are safe for children. If a child does not respond to a maximum safe dosage level, then other options such as general anesthesia may have to be used. If you live in the Kansas City area and think your child might be a good candidate for sedation dentistry, please contact Dr. Castaneda today to arrange an appointment.
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