General Anesthesia
Children who are very young or who have a high level of anxiety that interferes with the cooperation necessary for the dentist to perform treatment may require some level of sedation.
Conscious sedation is an option for children who are older and mildly apprehensive. This highly effective method can be administered in oral form or in an inhalation method using nitrous oxide (N20-02).
Deep sedation or general anesthesia is sometimes necessary for children that are unable, by either age or maturity level, to cooperate during dental treatment. Our practice works with board-certified medical anesthesiologists for cases when the patients may pose a threat to their own safety during treatment. We will discuss with parents and answer all of the questions before treatment to ensure the optimum beneficial outcome.
General anesthesia is most helpful for:
- A child who requires extensive dental work
- A very young child at the pre-cooperative stage and needs major treatment
- A very anxious child who needs immediate dental treatment
- Children who have had traumatic dental experiences (sound and smell aversion)
- Children with a strong gag reflex
- Children who are medically compromised or have special needs
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