Does your child only feel a little anxious during their dental visits? If so, then nitrous oxide sedation may be exactly what they need. A small mask is placed over the nose, and a child simply breathes in the “laughing gas” to make any nerves seemingly melt away. The mask stays on for the entire appointment, and once it’s off, a child should feel completely normal and be able to go straight back to school.

For children who have moderate-to-severe dental phobia or require an involved procedure, their dentist can administer them an anti-anxiety medication prior to their treatment. That way, before treatment is started, they will already be more mentally and physically relaxed. They should remain awake the entire time and be able to respond to simple commands, but the appointment will go by very fast for them, and they will likely have a fuzzy memory of it afterward.

General anesthesiology, otherwise known as “sleep dentistry,” is recommended for children with extreme dental phobia, special needs, or those in need of multiple complex procedures in a single appointment. This enables a child to literally sleep through an entire appointment and wake up with no memory of it afterward. We will take a complete medical history of your child before recommending this treatment to ensure everything is safe and sound. While your child is under, we will monitor their breathing and heart rate the entire time. Our doctors are both credentialed with hospital privileges at Children’s Health Medical Center in the case your child’s needs are best suited for care in a hospital setting. Together, our doctors work with pediatric anesthesiologists to ensure that you child’s dental treatment is completed safely while your child is comfortably asleep. You can be assured knowing that your child has a team of expert doctors specializing in pediatric dental surgery and anesthesiology working in unison to deliver the highest safety and quality care for your child.