![child with a nasal mask on in the dental chair](https://www.kidsdentalspace.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/AdobeStock_478716094__1717080443_88175-300x200.jpg)
Does your child feel anxious about getting dental work done? Do they have trouble sitting still for a long period of time? Does your child have special needs? Sedation dentistry can help in all these situations, but as a loving and responsible parent, you’re concerned about their safety. Is sedation dentistry safe for kids as well as adults?
Looking at the mildest and strongest forms of sedation (i.e., nitrous oxide and general anesthesia respectively), you can see that their use can help your child safely have a more positive experience with their pediatric dentist.
How Nitrous Oxide Works
This gentle, odorless gas is given to the patient through a nasal mask. As they breathe it in, within minutes they can have a warm, calm feeling. Despite its nickname, laughing gas doesn’t always make the patient laugh, but it can help them feel much more at ease, which makes treatment more pleasant and less stressful.
After the dental work is complete, the nasal mask is taken off, and just as quickly as they kicked in, the effects of nitrous oxide wear off. Within minutes, the child should be back to their normal selves, ready to return to usual activities.
How General Anesthesia Works
For more advanced or longer procedures, your pediatric dentist may recommend general anesthesia. This sedation option requires going to the hospital, where a board-certified anesthesiologist will administer the sedative and keep a close eye on your child throughout the procedure.
A child under general anesthesia will be put to sleep by the medication, but their vitals and well-being will be monitored and managed by a specialist in this type of sedation. If something does go wrong, being in a hospital setting provides all the resources needed to address the child’s health needs. Although coming out of general anesthesia can take a few hours, this option is a completely safe way to enable anxious or antsy kids to undergo more complex treatment.
Perfectly Safe for Your Little Loved One
Although extremely different from each other, both nitrous oxide and general anesthesia are safe for children. Very few people have a negative reaction to nitrous oxide, and the anesthesiologist is highly trained to perform anesthesia safely on kids. Either way, you can rest easy when it comes to your child’s well-being.
In the end, whether your pediatric dentist recommends nitrous oxide or general anesthesia, you can feel confident about your child’s safety while improving their oral health.
About the Author
After working for a couple of years as a general dentist, Dr. Roxanne Clarke completed a fellowship program in serving the developmentally disabled at Stony Brook University in New York. Following this, she returned to her alma mater, the University of Maryland School of Dentistry for a specialty program in pediatric dentistry. At Kids Dental Space in Towson, she offers nitrous oxide and general anesthesia. To learn more about taking advantage of sedation dentistry, contact Kids Dental Space online or call the office at 443-241-7575.