Managing dental anxiety, fear, and pain is not easy, especially for children. So, why worry them and even traumatize them, taking the chance of creating a lasting and detrimental effect on their oral health care and negatively impact their lifetime relationship with dental care. Which is why so many parents are choosing IV sedation for their children.
It’s also important to have a specially trained Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) come to your dentist office to bring hospital level sedation and ensure all safety precautions are taken.
Frontiers published a review on procedural sedation in pediatric dentistry:
Continual evaluation of the extent of sedation is of paramount importance in detecting the patient’s transition into profound sedation and the concomitant risk of impaired protective reflexes. The guidelines established by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAPD) and the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) dictate that the depth of sedation be persistently monitored throughout the procedure.
In this regard, the BIS monitor can furnish an additional, objective criterion for measuring the depth of sedation and thereby enhancing patient safety.
It gathers processed EEG parameters to provide a numeric measure of the hypnotic effect of anesthetic or sedative drugs on brain activity. The utility of the BIS monitor during general anesthesia has been validated in multiple pediatric studies.
It is crucial for the clinical team to be able to identify signs of a deteriorating patient and respond appropriately. While monitoring equipment is essential, there is no single piece of equipment that can replace the role of a capable and vigilant sedation provider who is responsible for monitoring the patient during the sedation procedure.
Pediatric dental providers should exercise caution in case selection and customize the route, medication, and dosage based on the patient and procedure. Patient safety should be the top priority, and providers should adhere to established best practices for sedation. The key to safe sedation lies in the early detection and management of potential adverse events.
When it comes to your child you can never be too safe
Which is why it is important to have a specially trained and certified nurse anesthetist bring hospital-level sedation to your dentist’s office. A nurse anesthetist will have proper training, experience monitoring all the vital signs, fully up-to-date on all related safety protocols and established emergency procedures, this will allow the dentist to focus all his/her attention on your child.
