Some children benefit from sedation prior to receiving dental treatment in order to calm their anxiety and allow us to provide the best dental care possible. These children are prescribed a mild sedative to relax and enable them to cooperate. In our office we provide oral and inhalation sedation (such as nitrous oxide or "laughing gas"). These sedatives are commonly used by pediatric dentists to aid children in providing a tranquil setting for therapy.
It is extremely important your child has an EMPTY stomach during the treatment so the medication will work best. Your child may have nothing to eat or drink after midnight the night prior to the appointment. For this reason, our office reserves the earliest morning appointments for our patients requiring sedative procedures.
The medication will be provided by us and administered by an assistant in our office ONE HOUR before the scheduled treatment time. A member of our clinical staff will bring you and your child into a treatment room where they will administer the medication to your child. We will then bring you back to the reception room where your child can play with a favorite toy from home or watch a movie. Your child will be taken into a treatment room again approximately 45 minutes to one hour after the medication has been given.
Your child may be groggy after the appointment. It is advisable you come to the appointment only with your child. We recommend no heavy activity for your child for the remainder of the day. Your child may or may not sleep for a few hours after the appointment.
****Please inform us of any medications your child is taking.****
Special Needs Patients