Imagine, a dental procedure that may take hours, feel like it just took a few minutes to complete. Instead of multiple appointments for adults and children who require complex dental treatments, a smile makeover, or those who have dental anxiety, everything can be performed in just one visit with the help from a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist.
Don’t Panic
Studies show there are many reasons why both adults and children have not seen a dentist in the last 12 months.
The anticipation of pain, embarrassment, feelings of helplessness, negative past experience, complications from a disability, and dental phobia.
“Anesthesia continues to play an important role in dental practices today as we all strive to provide humane, compassionate treatment to our patients. In addition, the number of patients who need anesthesia seems to be on the rise, such as patients with dental phobias and the inability to cooperate due, for example, to severe autism or developmental delay.” California Dental Association.
Safety First
According to the guidelines jointly written by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Academy of Pediatrics, to ensure the safety of children when IV sedation is being considered, there are several factors that must be carefully weighed and following protocols are critical.
The safe sedation of children for procedures requires a systematic approach that includes the following:
no administration of sedating medication without the safety net of medical super- vision,
careful presedation evaluation for underlying medical or surgical conditions that would place the child at increased risk from sedating medications,
a focused airway examination for large tonsils or anatomic airway abnormalities that might increase the potential for airway obstruction,
appropriate training and skills in airway management to allow rescue of the patient,
age- and size-appropriate equipment for airway management and venous access, appropriate medications and reversal agents,
sufficient numbers of people to both carry out the procedure and monitor the patient,
appropriate physiologic monitoring during and after the procedure,
a properly equipped and staffed recovery area,
recovery to pre- sedation level of consciousness before discharge from medical supervision, and appropriate discharge instructions
IV Sedation
Intravenous sedation is a moderate sedation, used for both adults and children. A Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), administers medication directly into the bloodstream of the patient. The level of sedation is specifically tailored to the patient by the CRNA and can be adjusted at any time.
They also monitor all the vital signs and breathing, while the dentist concentrates solely on the procedures. This is a preferred choice for those with extreme anxiety because the patient typically does not remember the appointment and feel as though they slept right the entire procedure. Patients will need a driver to transport them back home.
