If you are looking for a better dental experience for your child, IV sedation may be the answer. This type of sedation is considered conscious sedation, it helps children stay relaxed and calm during dental procedures.
The medication is administered through a small needle directly into the bloodstream. Allowing the medication to take effect quickly, within minutes your child will feel relaxed. They will remain awake and able to answer any questions, but they will feel comfortable and at ease throughout the treatment. They won’t feel any discomfort or fear during the appointment.
The safety of IV sedation for dentistry has come under fire, with children suffering serious complications under IV sedation during dental procedures.
Complications are associated with the single “operator anesthetist”, something that doesn’t happen in medical practice. It can be compared to a surgeon doing an operation on a patient while administering the sedation. This only occurs in the dental field, everywhere else must involve a nurse anesthetist or qualified anesthesiologist.
Safety should be the top priority. A dentist who is doing too much at one time, even if it is directing the actions of a medical assistant, can compromise the safety of the patient.
Pediatric dentistry has made significant strides, but children with a sensitive gag reflex, have difficulty keeping their mouth open for the length of the procedure, difficulty remaining still, or have needs, can make receiving dental treatments difficult. IV sedation is a great option for a child to receive quality dental care without compromising their level of comfort or negative memories associated with the dentist.
It Is Important To Understand Sedation Dentistry
Younger children are at a greater risk for adverse conditions. Smaller airways, less of an oxygen reserve as older children, enlarged tonsils, and spasm of vocal cords, all play a role.
Experience in sedation matters. Dr. Deborah Studen-Pavlovich, the director of the pediatric residency program at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, told The New York Times, “Classroom training is not enough.”
To ensure safety, a specifically trained and experienced nurse anesthetist is the safest way to have sedation administered. This will allow the dentist to concentrate on the treatments, while the nurse anesthetist constantly monitors the vitals, breathing heart rate.
