There are several levels of sedation that our dentists commonly use on children and adults alike. Determining which type of sedation your child might need is more of an art than a science. To understand the sedation levels, think of it as a ladder where each step up is a deeper level of sedation and is added on from the baseline. The lowest rung of the ladder is numbing (local anesthetic). We can also add nitrous oxide or "laughing gas" when needed. If this isn't enough, the dentists rely on an oral sedative, which is also known as conscious sedation since your child will remain conscious or awake throughout the procedure. If this isn't effective, your dentist may recommend general anesthesia for a child’s dental work. When any dental procedure is needed, the trusted dental team will provide feedback on what level they think would be most appropriate.
To understand these sedation options more clearly, a more thorough description of what we commonly use is listed below.
- Local Anesthesia- lidocaine or articaine injected in the “traditional method”. We discourage you from discussing this in detail with your child as even the most relaxed and inquisitive child can become alarmed when they find out they are going to have a shot in their mouth. We describe it to the patient as “sleepy juice” and it will feel like we’ve blown a bubble on your lip. Or we tell the child that their lips will feel cold and wobbly like jello and it makes it so we can remove your cavity bugs without you feeling anything.
- Nitrous Oxide- also known as Happy Air or Laughing Gas. Most kids can’t wait to wear the spaceman mask and float off into space. The beautiful thing about this medication is it is quick to start working and it wears off within a few minutes. It helps with mild anxiety and it is a pain killer and helps with gag reflexes. Dr. Babot calls it “Gods gift to dentists” due to how well it works and its safety profile. Many people will confuse this with general anesthesia but this is not at all like general anesthesia. Your child will be wide awake and able to respond while breathing nitrous oxide.
- Oral/Conscious Sedation- for mild to moderate anxiety, extensive or difficult treatment plans, and young children. We are licensed to use several different types of oral sedatives (taken by mouth) that will result in a more relaxed child who will then be more likely to be able to tolerate a long or difficult appointment. This type of sedation requires an empty stomach and waiting in the office for the medicine to take effect- often about an hour. Your child will not be able to go back to school after being sedated even though they will likely be back to normal just a few hours after leaving the office. As the name implies, our patients remain conscious and responsive to this form of sedation.
- General Anesthesia- while this is our last resort, this is actually a fairly common procedure that has gained much popularity lately. Decades ago, general anesthesia for children was much riskier and as a result, many children were held down or strapped onto a board and had dental work completed while they screamed at the top of their lungs. No wonder so many adults today are horrified of the dentist! Now we have the ability to complete complicated treatment while your child is “asleep” under general anesthesia. We can do this either at Dell Children’s Hospital, Bailey Square Surgery Center, or in our office with a traveling Dental anesthetist. While this is never our first choice, sometimes it is the only way to perform the work without mentally traumatizing your child.
At Austin Kids Teeth, we encourage you to ask questions about our decision to recommend a certain method and are always open to trying to complete the work according to your preferences.
