Sedation

Some children who are very young or have a high level of anxiety that interferes with the cooperation necessary for us to perform treatment, may require more support to feel more comfortable. For this reason, our office provides two forms of sedation depending on your child’s level of anxiety.

Nitrous Oxide Sedation

Nitrous oxide, more commonly referred to as “laughing gas,” is a combination of two gases, oxygen and nitrous oxide. When inhaled, it effectively calms your child`s fears allowing a more positive experience while receiving dental care. The effects of nitrous oxide wear off quickly and your child should recover shortly after leaving the office. Nitrous oxide sedation is a very safe and mild of sedation. Nitrous oxide sedation is not effective for children who have severe anxiety, extensive treatment needs or inability to wear a nasal mask. For those patients, we offer IV Sedation.

IV Sedation

IV sedation allows your child to sleep through the entire treatment, thus allowing all treatment needs to completed in one visit without any traumatic experience. This form of sedation is administered by a trained and experienced dental anesthesiologist who administers the anesthesia and monitors your child throughout the duration that your child is receiving dental care.

Once we have completed a complete examination, we will discuss the risks, benefits, and reasons for choosing one form of sedation over the other.