Sedation for Dentistry is a Safe Bet!

Sedation is administering a sedative drug to produce a state of calm or sleep. Most kids in the dental operatory are anxious to undergo the treatment procedures.  Sedative drugs reduce the anxiety of the child patient and make them more cooperative. Sedative drugs can be given orally as syrups, via injection into muscle or vein, pumped via a spray into the nostril or as inhalational gas via nasal mask/hood.

Levels of sedation:

The level of sedation reflects the child’s ability to feel and respond to pain and verbal commands.

Mild/Moderate: your child will be able to respond to questions and follow instructions as needed. At this level of sedation, the child is able to breathe without assistance.

Deep sedation is delivered in the vein through an IV Catheter. Deep sedation is delivered under anaesthetist care in a hospital setup. Deep sedation reduces the likelihood of recalling a painful procedure.

Conscious sedation is a mild sedative that alters the state of consciousness of the child making him less anxious and more acceptable to the treatment procedure. This sedative is delivered in the form of gas through the nose mixed with oxygen via nasal hood just like a nebulizer. Paediatric dentist commonly names it happy gas or laughing gas as the component of gas that is mixed with oxygen is nitrous oxide.

Under General anaesthesia, your child will be completely asleep and pain-free. This is undertaken by a team of highly trained professionals (anaesthetist, paediatrician) who will administer anaesthetic medications and monitor your child while the paediatric dentist performs the dental procedure or surgery.

As per the guidelines of the dental practice, informed consent is provided to the parents/ guardian of the child undergoing sedation informing the risks and benefits of the treatment procedure. Please ensure you have duly understood and signed the form

How safe is sedation for my child???

Steps that we take to ensure the safety of your child during the procedure are:

1. A pre-sedation assessment is done by your paediatric dentist reviewing the medical condition and physical examination of your child.
2. Allergies, history of adverse reaction to drugs or any prior sedation history should be clearly mentioned by the parents of the child.
3. Pre-operative dietary instructions (like clear juices up to 2 hours, light meal up to 6 hours before the procedure) as instructed for patients undergoing sedation are to strictly adhere. You can ask your doctor for the list of preoperative instructions.
4. Appropriate dosing as per the age of the child is considered. Medications intended to accomplish procedural sedation must not be administered without the safety net of direct supervision by trained medical/dental personnel.
5. Regular Assessment of vital signs via emergency equipment to check oxygenation, ventilation and circulation are done in between the procedure.
6. Postoperatively after assessing the state of the child, safe discharge under doctors’ supervision is done.
7. Sedation minimizes physical discomfort and pain to the child during and after the procedure.
8. Sedation also controls the behaviour and /or movement of the child allowing for the safe completion of the procedure.
9. Recalls of your child will be easy as the procedure gives a pleasant experience due to the loss of memory of the events at the time of sedation.

Providing quality dental treatment to paediatric patients can be challenging. Sedation as such is considered as part of the management of pain and dental anxiety, to make the treatment a pleasant learning experience. Paediatric dental sedation also allows the clinician to provide treatment in a way that is minimally traumatic and preserves the child’s trust.

Dr Pallavi Hasija

Pediatric dentist

To find a kids dentist near you – www.finddentistforkids.com