If you’re considering pediatric sedation from Dr. Julie Hantson, you may be wondering if it’s safe for your child. At our office, we prefer to use nitrous sedation, which is 100% safe and ideal for kids of any age. Learn everything you need to know about this sedation method below.
Why Consider Nitrous Sedation? Understanding The Benefits
First, you may be wondering why you should consider sedation for your child. Here are a few of the benefits.
- Eliminates anxiety & fear – With nitrous sedation, your child will not feel scared or anxious, and will remain fully alert and conscious, so they can still respond to commands and interaction from you and their dentist.
- Reduces pain & discomfort – Nitrous oxide has an analgesic (pain-relieving) effect, particularly when combined with local anesthesia. This helps ensure that your child won’t feel any pain or discomfort.
- Can help with fear of needles – If your child is scared of numbing needles, sedation dentistry may help mitigate this fear and allow them to get the treatment they need.
- Ensures your child can stay still & comfortable – Young kids may have trouble staying still for a 1-2 hour dental appointment. But with nitrous sedation, your child will be much calmer, and will be able to stay still and remain comfortable throughout their procedure.
- Depresses strong gag reflex – If your child has a strong gag reflex, it can be hard to work on their rear teeth. Nitrous oxide suppresses the gag reflex, allowing Dr. Hantson to provide treatment on rear teeth more easily.
How To Prepare For Sedation
We recommend restricting food and water for 2-3 hours before your child’s appointment. Eating and drinking won’t interfere with nitrous oxide sedation, but some patients can become nauseous after treatment.
A full stomach can make nausea worse, or even result in vomiting in rare cases, so have your child eat a light meal and hydrate a few hours before their appointment, then avoid letting them eat or drink anything else.
In addition, your child should dress in comfortable, loose-fitting clothing so they stay comfortable. You should also bring in your child’s full medical history and records and give them to your dentist.
Post-Treatment Aftercare For Your Child
After the flow of gas is turned off, it only takes about 5 minutes for nitrous oxide sedation to wear off. Once your child’s sedation wears off, they may feel a bit confused and “fuzzy.” This is normal.
In addition, younger kids may exhibit symptoms like shivering, headaches, or nausea. They may also exhibit slow reflexes and motor control difficulties. These are all normal side effects, and will wear off after only a few minutes.
Because nitrous oxide sedation wears off so quickly, you can get back to your day-to-day routine right away. There is no prolonged recovery time for your child, and they should be feeling totally normal within an hour at the most.
Get The Care Your Child Needs At Marshfield Pediatric Dentistry!
Fear and anxiety don’t have to stop your child from getting the dental care they need. With sedation dentistry from Dr. Julie Hantson at Marshfield Pediatric Dentistry, we can ensure your child gets the care they need for a healthy mouth. Learn more and get started by contacting us online or giving us a call at (781) 205-1124.
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