Sedation Dentistry in Parker, CO
It’s common for children to feel anxious before a dental appointment, especially if it is their first time visiting the dentist. Our pediatric dentists are here to help. To help ease some of your child's worries, we may opt for sedation dentistry. There are different ways to be sedated, depending on the treatment that your child will be receiving.
What Sedation Options are Available?
Here are 5280 Pediatric Dentistry, we offer multiple sedation options depending on the type of procedure to be performed and the needs of your child.
Nitrous Oxide
Our most mild sedation option is nitrous oxide or laughing gas. Nitrous oxide is administered through a small mask that fits over your child’s nose and it is an effective way to calm anxiety. As your child breathes through his or her nose, the gas will produce a calming feeling. Your child will remain awake and will still be able to talk to the dentist. We often describe the affects of nitrous oxide as the warm and fuzzy feeling a child gets when tucked away in a sleeping bag on a camping trip! At the end of your child’s appointment, he or she will breathe pure oxygen for several minutes and the effects of the nitrous will disappear.
Oral Conscious Sedation
For some children where the mild affects of nitrous oxide alone are not strong enough, we offer an oral conscious sedation option. In addition to breathing nitrous, your child will drink a liquid medicine that will make them feel drowsy and “woozy.” One of the greatest benefits of this option is that many children will not remember the visit due to the amnesia properties of the medicine. Dr. Derek and Dr. Craig are certified in sedation continuing education and follow all protocols developed by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. For an oral conscious sedation visit, your child is not allowed to eat or drink 8 hours prior to the visit in order to assure the stomach is empty. For the rest of the day after the appointment, your child will be sleepy and we recommend minimal activity and resting at home.
IV Sedation/General Anesthesia
IV Sedation, also called general anesthesia, uses medications to allow your child to go to sleep for his or her dental treatment. Children with special needs or high levels of anxiety may benefit from IV Sedation. General anesthesia can also be a good option for patients with extensive tooth decay or for patients who are undergoing surgical dental procedures. During these procedures your child’s breathing, heart rate, and other vital signs will be carefully monitored by a dental anesthesiologist. Dr. Derek and Dr. Craig can discuss the risks and benefits of general anesthesia to help you decide if this is a good choice for your child. Our office is unique in that we exclusively offer our anesthesia services during weekend hours, the only office in the state of Colorado able to do so. This reduces time lost from school for your child and time away from work for parents.
How do We Help Patients with Dental Anxiety?
Many children reel at the idea of seeing the dentist and a lot of young patients actually don’t get the proper dental care they need because they are fearful. Whether your child has had bad experiences with dentists in the past or have heard stories that have scared them away from the dentist, it’s time your child had a good dental experience. Here at our office, our goal is to make sure that each patient has a compassionate, gentle dental experience regardless of why they are coming in.
The minute you and your child walk through our doors, it’s our job to make you feel comfortable. Before your visit let us know about any reservations or concerns you and your child may have so that we can properly address them when you come in. After all, we want your child to feel at ease here.
When children visit the dentist for the first time, they may worry that the procedures will be painful or invasive. Our dentists, Dr. Derek and Dr. Craig, are always as gentle as possible. We strive to improve your child's oral health and their smile’s appearance without causing discomfort or stress. Dentistry has come quite a long way over the decades and the technology and techniques we offer are designed to give your child the best care possible that is both gentle and painless. Dentistry doesn’t have to be synonymous with pain.