Many parents have children who dislike going to the dentist just as much, if not more, than they do.  As you probably know children fear uncertain circumstances more than the average adult and the dentist's office is no exception.  Just as with adults, children fear the pain, anxiety and discomfort that accompanies a visit to see the dentist.  Some children fear the experience so much that they will not cooperate during the visit and their dental health concerns cannot be addressed.  Other children are unable to understand instructions given or cannot sit still for the period of time needed for more time consuming, technical, or difficult dental work.

Is sedation dentistry safe for children?
According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Dental Association, the American Medical Association, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, when a child needs extensive dental treatment, general anesthesia is an accepted standard of care. Of course levels and potency of the sedation will vary depending on the age and health of the child receiving the treatment.

Do dentists need special training to administer sedation to children?
Pediatric dentist must study two to three years after dental school in specialty child dentistry education.  This special education includes training in the safe administration of sedation to children.  In addition to receiving educational training real life training and practice takes place in a hospital environment before a pediatric dentist is allowed to administer sedation in his own office.  The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry encourages all dentists to follow the Guidelines for the Elective Use of Conscious Sedation, Deep Sedation and General Anesthesia in Pediatric Dental Patients.  These guidelines recommend such procedures as patient evaluation, informed consent, monitoring, and back-up emergency services.

As with any profession, pediatric dentists take part in periodic continuing education courses offered by The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, along with a number of dental universities, which keeps those working in the dental profession well informed of developments in safe sedation techniques.

Have there been any cases where sedation dentistry has harmed a child?
According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, pediatric dentists have an extensive safety record in sedation procedures. To date the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry is "not aware of a single case of morbidity or mortality in a pediatric dental office when the AAPD Guidelines have been followed conscientiously."

Is sedation the only option to calm my child at the dentist's office?
Sedation is one valuable option that you have as a parent to make your child's experience with the dentist more bearable.  Within the realm of sedation dentistry are several different types of sedation that can range from completely knocking your child out for hours to calming them with sedation enough to remain awake but no longer anxious about the experience.  Obviously the necessity for more or less dramatic sedation techniques will vary by situation.  A good rule of thumb is that the more extensive and painful a procedure is the more effective the sedative should be. 

Are there sedation options for a person of any age with a disability?
Sedation dentistry is an option available to all people who would not otherwise seek treatment for a serious dental concern.  Of course as individual cases differ, so too will sedation methods.  But the disabled, those who cannot control themselves, or those who cannot communicate effectively, do have options available to them.  Your dentist will be best suited to discuss your options and to give recommendations to you.

For some the dentist's office is the scariest place they know of.  It is not uncommon for individuals to put of necessary dental work because of their fear and anxiety of seeing the dentist.  More specifically than fearing the dentist himself is the fear that patients have of discomfort, pain, jaw soreness, the sound of the drill, the feeling of ice cold water being squirted right in the exposed nerves, etc.  The dentist's office is certainly no vacation.

So some patients who recognize that they need to take care of their oral health issues but still can bring themselves to calm down enough to actually make it into the office find their answers with sedation dentistry.  Sedation dentistry offers several options that can help patients feel more relaxed and at ease while they receive their needed dental care.

Sedation dentistry offers several different sedation options.  The first is sedation as most people know it where the sedative is administered through an IV and the patient sleeps through the entire procedure.  IV sedation works quickly and additional medication can be administered while the patient is still under the influence of the medication.  You can sleep comfortably through your entire dentist's appointment.  The one main drawback to IV sedation dentistry is that the effects of the sedative will linger and impair the patient's ability to think clearly and function confidently.

Another type of sedation dentistry can be administered orally.  With an oral administration of a sedative the effects are usually not as extreme as the effects of the IV sedative.  Instead of being completely knocked out, the oral sedative will usually just calm and relax a patient to the point that they feel like they could fall asleep easily.  Although many patients who take an orally administered sedative do fall asleep, they are able to breath on their own and awake with more alertness than had they been given IV sedatives.  It is however more difficult to administer more medication orally if the patient has fallen asleep.

The third type of sedation dentistry used is done through inhaling the sedative.  More commonly known as laughing gas, the effects of inhaling the sedative are milder than the previous two methods.  The inhalation of Nitrous Oxide/Oxygen is intended to calm the patient to the point that they are in an extremely relaxed sleep-like state.  Patients who are given laughing gas do not always fall asleep as a result, but many patients do not remember their procedure once the sedative has worn off.  The laughing gas does not necessarily make one giggle, but rather makes the patient comfortable enough to be able to have a good time in the dentist's chair.

Sedation dentistry is also a good option for children that have a fear of going to the dentist.  Children usually fear the dentist more often than adults.  Therefore, many pediatric dentists have received the training necessary to be able to administer the appropriate amount of sedative to younger individuals.

Sedation dentistry is widely accepted by the medical community as a safe and valuable option for those who put of necessary dental procedures due to fear, anxiety or immunity to pain reducers or numbing agents.  Sedation dentistry is certainly a better option than neglecting the health of your teeth and gums.  Remember that different people will react differently to the various kinds of sedation dentistry so it is important to talk to your dentist about the concerns that you have so that together you can choose a course of action that you are both comfortable with.