Sedation

Sometimes despite everyone’s best efforts, a patient may not be able to cooperate safely for dental treatment. This is most common for our very youngest of patients. In some cases these children may be a good candidate for treatment under general anesthesia. With general anesthesia, the child’s dental care will be delivered in a hospital setting.

All necessary treatment will be performed in one visit while the child is placed under general anesthesia by an anesthesiologist on the hospital staff. You may hear people refer to this as having their child be ‘asleep’ for their dental work. Our dentists will help you determine if this is a good treatment option for your child.

Minimal sedation with nitrous oxide

• Nitrous oxide is a safe and effective sedative agent for those patients who need help relaxing.
• Nitrous oxide is one of the safest anti-anxiety agents used in dentistry and has very few side effects and risks.
• Nitrous oxide is non-addictive, and the patient remains fully conscious during treatment.
• Administration is comfortable and painless, involving no more than a mask over the nose. This makes it an excellent option for children with dental anxieties or individuals with mental or physical disabilities.
• Feelings of calm and relaxation are felt almost immediately and breathing pure oxygen for several minutes after treatment completely reverses the effects.
• We at Children’s Dentistry of Middletown are certified in giving nitrous oxide.

Talk to us to see if nitrous oxide is a good option for your child.

Dentistry in operating room under general anesthesia

If your child needs to be referred to the hospital for their dental needs, we have a certified staff member that goes with you and your child and helps assist in the procedure. Hospital Dentistry includes comprehensive, preventive, restorative, and oral maxillofacial surgical procedures. These services are available for healthy as well as medically compromised and handicapped children.