If your child or loved one needs several dental procedures, special needs, dental anxiety or not able to still for an extended period of time, dental sedation may be recommended. As a parent or guardian, you want the appointment to go smoothly and painlessly as possible.
Does My Child Need Dental Sedation
Dental sedation has helped thousands of children receive the oral health care they need. A traditionally safe practice that has become very common.
Often times if the dentist is performing intricate or lengthy treatments, they will advocate for IV sedation. Especially if a child has a fear of the dentist or experiences anxiety. It is also recommended the sedation is performed by a Certified Registered Nurse Anethentist, to ensure the highest level of safety.
Before the Appointment
Provide your CRNA with a complete medical history for your child or loved one. Including any over the counter and prescription medications.
Your child should not have anything to eat or drink after midnight the night before your sedation is scheduled. Before they are discharged from the office they must be able to drink a small amount of water.
At the Appointment
As the parent or guardian, should be calm model, speaking in a soothing, comforting tone.
You may want to bring the child’s favorite blanket or stuffed animal.
Dress them in comfortable clothes.
The sedation will be individually tailored for your child, a combination of medications that are selected based on your child’s individual needs.
This combination of medications prevents your child from recalling the dental procedure and most of the time the injection as well.
Once comfortably placed in the dental chair and all of the very same monitors used in the hospital will be applied, monitoring every breath and heartbeat throughout the entire procedure.
After the Appointment
At the end of the dental procedure all sedating medication will be stopped, and as soon as the nurse anesthesiologist feels it is safe to remove the monitors, your child will be brought directly to you.
Your child will be drowsy and still slightly sedated when you first see them after the procedure. Within 30 to 60 minutes, your child will be safe to go home, but still may be drowsy for up to 3-4 hours.
Before you go home, you will be provided with written discharge instructions from your nurse anesthesiologist.
For the rest of the day you should encourage your child to rest and drink lots of fluids as the medications they were given are broken down in the liver and excreted in the urine.
You can expect a follow-up phone call later that day from the nurse anesthesiologist that provided your child’s sedation to answer any questions, make sure the sedation was to your satisfaction, and that your child is recovering well.
For More Information On Dental Sedation, Contact Blue Sky Solutions
