Does Sedation Dentistry Involve Additional Credentials?
Parents are usually concerned about the safety of sedation dentistry for their children. We always emphasize that as specialists, our office has specific education and training that allows us to be specially licensed to sedate our patients.
(There is a second license requirement for dentists who want to do sedation in their offices, apart from the regular dental license.)
We are also equipped to address dental emergencies in our office. If ever the safety of our patients is in question, we work with an anesthesiologist (who has specialized training) to work with our children.
For parents that might have apprehension about sedation, what are their main concerns?
Parents are also concerned about how to explain a sedation appointment to their children. I always encourage the parents to allow our team to explain the procedure to them. We are experts in explaining procedures to our children in language and techniques that they can understand. We do it every day and our explanations are comforting to your child.
What do most children think of a sedation appointment?
We encourage each parent to think of their child’s sedation appointment as a “special day”! Each child should be able to look forward to wearing their pajamas, bringing their favorite stuffed animal and blanket to their appointment, and relaxing at home with their favorite movie, favorite meal, and ice cream! Somehow all of those things will help your child look forward to spending some quality time with you after their appointment!
How much longer does a sedation appointment take versus a non-sedation one for similar procedures?
A cleaning is always quick and depending on how much treatment needs to be done, a sedation appointment can last anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes. Since a child is fully awake when they are sedated, we never allow a sedation appointment to last longer than 45 minutes since we know how hard it is for them to sit through long procedures.
What do parents think/say about these appointments afterward? Are they relieved? Do they praise the difference it made for their child?
Going through a sedation appointment is very hard for our parents. We try to make our parents calm by keeping them informed and making ourselves available to answer their questions. Every parent is always glad when this is over. The children usually respond great, with more energy after a great nap after being spoiled for the day!