Pediatric Sedation / Hospital Dentistry
We provide sedation with laughing gas, at our office, to help patients remain calm during their visit. For children who require more advanced anesthesia, we offer hospital dentistry at the Doctors Outpatient Surgery Center where your child is safely under general anesthesia for their dental work.
Pediatric Dental Sedation
Pediatric sedation dentistry is used to alleviate physical pain or anxiety during your child’s dental visit. We understand that many children feel anxious or nervous when visiting the dentist. We are here to help you ease these fears at Dr. Marty’s office. Our team provides options such as nitrous oxide (also known as laughing gas) and local anesthesia for sedation, which are both safe and effective in calming children.
Additionally, we can set up appointments at the Doctors Outpatient Surgery Center so a child’s dental treatments can be performed under general anesthesia. Learn more about this option below.
Thanks to these techniques and our friendly staff, we can guarantee a comfortable appointment for absolutely everyone who comes to see us, ensuring follow-up visits are even easier. We want you to feel comfortable and at ease during your visit, so please don’t hesitate to let us know how we can best support you.
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What is hospital dentistry?
Dr. Marty also offers what is commonly known as hospital dentistry. Hospital dentistry involves performing dental treatments at a hospital or outpatient surgery center so that a child can receive general anesthesia safely before their dental work is performed. We schedule all of our appointments at the Doctors Outpatient Surgery Center. There are many factors that go into the decision to take a child to the surgery center. Their age, how many cavities they have, and their anxiety / other medical conditions are all factors in deciding if the surgery center is the best option for them. When kids are too young or they have disabilities that prevent them from being able to sit still for an extended period, we have the option to take them to a surgery center to complete their dental treatment under general anesthesia. This allows us to complete treatment and X-rays in a safe and comfortable environment.
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What is nitrous oxide and what does it do?
Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, is an excellent way to help children feel more comfortable during dental appointments.
Your child inhales the gas before and during the procedure through a small nasal mask. Almost immediately, they should feel calm and happy in the dental chair. The mask remains on for the entire visit, and once it is removed, your child should feel completely normal. After a few minutes, your child should be able to resume their regular routine.
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Is anesthesia safe for children?
Local anesthesia and general anesthesia are both safe options for children.
- Local anesthesia involves injecting a numbing medication directly into the area that needs to be treated, such as the gums around an infected tooth.
- General anesthesia allows a child to sleep through their appointment and wake up with no memory of it later. To ensure the safety and well-being of our patients, licensed anesthesiologists always administer general anesthesia in a hospital setting. We recommend this approach for children who have extreme dental anxiety, require multiple complex procedures, have special needs, or face behavioral issues that make sitting through an entire appointment difficult.
More questions?
If you have more questions about dental sedation and the procedures used by Wilderness Station Pediatric Dentistry, please contact our office and we will be happy to discuss further. You can also request an appointment or see the other services we provide using the links below.
