Dental Sedation Options For Children

Is Sedation Right for Your Child?

Each child is different, and certain children simply feel more anxious or uneasy about visiting the dentist than others. This is understandable, as visiting the dentist can be a bit intimidating, even for adults! All the mysterious, cold metal tools, the big chair, and unfamiliar surroundings can be scary for children.

The Smile Town Burnaby dentists and team members always do their best to make children feel comfortable, by giving them a tour of the dentists office, and always providing gentle care and plenty of distractions. But for some children, these types of efforts aren't sufficient to make them feel at ease.

Some children also have special needs that can't be overcome with calming techniques, games, or quiet persuasion.

For children who need more than just our usual methods in order to receive dental care calmly and comfortably, we offer some safe and effective sedation and anesthesia options.

Sedation is very safe. Our experienced pediatric dentists have received comprehensive, in-depth training in the administration of sedation medications, and our team will thoroughly discuss all the best sedation options for your child with you ahead of time.

Special Needs

According to Statistics Canada, there are more than 155,000 kids in Canada living with disabilities. Parents of children with special needs may feel uneasy about visit the dentist with their children, but it's highly important not to delay preventative dentistry.

Our caring team is experienced in working with children across a wide range of needs, and that fact, in combination with the safe, effective sedation options we offer, means that your children can receive quality dental care, no matter what their needs. > Learn More

Your Options as a Parent

Nitrous Oxide

Also known as 'laughing gas', nitrous oxide is a combination of nitrous oxide and oxygen. This form of sedation calms nervous and anxious patients, but doesn't hinder their natural reflexes, or render them unconscious. This patients will still be able to talk and interact with the people around them.

Nitrous oxide is not addictive, and it's effects leave the body quickly. However, it is a very effective sedative because not only does it relax patients, but it also blunts pain and affects patients sense of time, making the dental procedure seem to go by faster.

Oral Conscious Sedation

Oral Conscious Sedation actually refers to a number of different medications that achieve the same effect. The dentist will discuss all the options with you ahead of time, and together you'll make a choice based on your child's needs.

Patients under the effects of oral conscious sedation don't typically become unconscious. Rather, they become relaxed and drowsy enough to drift off a little. Many oral conscious sedation patients don't remember their treatment at all. The effects of oral conscious sedation typically take 2-6 hours to wear off.

General Anesthesia

Anesthesia, which renders patients completely unconscious, may be recommended for children with limited comprehension, physical hanicaps, extreme behaviour challenges, or who are highly sensitive to pain.

It will also typically be used for dental procedures that are technically very complex, that take a long time, and that would therefore be difficult to perform on a conscious patient.