{"id":39,"date":"2024-02-12T16:39:52","date_gmt":"2024-02-12T16:39:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.trinitypediatricdentistry.com\/blog\/?p=39"},"modified":"2024-03-11T16:42:49","modified_gmt":"2024-03-11T16:42:49","slug":"soothing-sedation-is-it-safe-for-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.trinitypediatricdentistry.com\/blog\/soothing-sedation-is-it-safe-for-children\/","title":{"rendered":"Soothing Sedation: Is It Safe for Children?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"Little<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

If your child is particularly anxious about visiting the dentist, you might feel tempted to skip their appointments. Unfortunately, this can have a detrimental impact on their oral well-being. It\u2019s important that kids have their first dental visit by the time they\u2019re one year old, and then every 6 months after that. This allows their pediatric dentist to monitor their teeth to ensure they don\u2019t develop any issues in their still-developing mouths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many dentists offer sedation options<\/a> as a result, but is this safe for your little one? Keep reading to learn more about it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What are the Types of Sedation?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When discussing dental sedatives, there typically are three options. They are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Nitrous oxide (laughing gas).<\/strong> This medication is administered in-office once your child arrives for treatment. They\u2019ll wear a small mask over their nose that dispenses a colorless, odorless gas that alleviates worry. They\u2019ll remain conscious the entire time, and the impact wears off almost as soon as the mask is removed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Oral conscious sedation.<\/strong> For this method, your kid will be prescribed a pill that you\u2019ll be instructed to give them before bringing them in for their appointment. They\u2019ll be awake for their checkup or procedure but may not remember it afterward. They may be drowsy for several hours afterward, so you may want to keep them at home to recover for the rest of the day.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. IV sedation.<\/strong> This is typically considered the strongest of the options and is administered intravenously. Your child probably won\u2019t remember much of their visit with this technique.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Is Sedation Dentistry Safe for Children?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    In general, the medications used for dental sedatives don\u2019t have long-lasting or detrimental impacts on adults or children. That means they\u2019re generally considered safe for most people. That said, there are a few risk factors to be aware of. Your little one might have a greater risk of adverse effects from sedation if they:<\/p>\n\n\n\n