Many kids feel anxious over dental visits, which is why we offer sedation dentistry for our NYC client’s children who feel nervous about seeing a dentist. Sometimes this isn’t quite enough to keep them comfortable during treatment, in which case sedation dentistry can help tremendously. Modern sedation techniques are safe and effective, and your child will be closely monitored at all times. You can rest assured that Dr. Lauren Feldman and her staff are fully trained and licensed to administer sedation, and can keep your child relaxed and comfortable during treatment. Sedation dentistry helps prevent children in NYC from becoming fearful of visiting the dentist in the future through providing them with a positive and comfortable experience.

There are several different levels of sedation that can be administered, depending on your child’s needs, and the amount of treatment required. Most types of sedation are known as conscious sedation which means your child will simply feel relaxed and will not be anxious over receiving treatment. They will still be fully conscious during the procedure with the exception being general anesthesia. Methods of sedation dentistry in our dental clinic in NYC include:

  • Nitrous oxide (laughing gas)
  • Oral sedation
  • Intravenous sedation
  • General anesthesia

Laughing Gas

The most common type of sedation dentistry is nitrous oxide, more usually known as laughing gas. Many people will be familiar with this type of sedation and it’s extremely light and safe. The laughing gas is a mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen and is inhaled through a small, comfortable mask that fits over your child’s nose and the gas is exhaled through the mouth. Laughing gas takes effect very quickly, and in no time at all your child will feel relaxed. They will still be able to communicate with your pediatric dentist, but should have a light, airy sensation. Treatment is incredibly gentle, and once the mask is removed the gas is soon eliminated from the body. It just takes a few minutes to recover.

Oral Sedation

Oral sedation is provided in the form of a pill or liquid that is taken shortly before the dental appointment begins. Your child will still be awake during treatment but will feel pleasantly drowsy. Oral sedation provides a greater sedative effect than laughing gas.

Intravenous Sedation

Intravenous sedation is administered through a vein in the arm. This is quite specialized treatment as it has to be administered by an anesthesiologist, and is a deeper level of sedation than oral sedation.

General Anesthesia

This might be necessary if your child needs a substantial amount of dental work, for example several extractions. A general anesthetic is given in a hospital setting, and your child will be asleep for the entire procedure.

It can be worrying for parents to think their child needs sedation dentistry, but it is very safe. We will discuss the treatment with you, and can give you instructions on how to care for your child before and after treatment. Once your child has had treatment, we will want to keep a close eye on our patient, and will not send them home until they are recovered from being sedated.

Many of the medications used for sedation have a a side effect in that they create amnesia so your child is unlikely to remember much about treatment. Contact us to discuss sedation dentistry in NYC  to prevent children from becoming fearful of visiting a dentist’s office in the future through providing them with a positive and comfortable experience.