Dr. Travis Lee at Ocean Breeze Dental Care in West Los Angeles has experience in pediatric sedation dentistry to help children with dental anxiety relax and comfortably undergo dental procedures. With over 20 years working with patients in the diagnosis and practice of pediatric sedation dentistry, Dr. Lee considers the patient’s age, health and procedure to recommend the following options for young patients with dental anxiety.
Sedation methods & types
There are two main ways in which sedation is administered with young patients: inhalation or oral medication as detailed below.
Inhaled sedation is the most common and mildest form of sedations. It’s also known as laughing gas and its effects wear off quite quickly after the procedure.
Oral sedation administered with a medication called Halcion. The medicine is given an hour before the procedure and will create mild to moderate sedation depending on the dose.
When is pediatric sedation dentistry beneficial?
Pediatric sedation dentistry can help young patients with anxiety to get better treatment quality while giving them a comfortable and pain-free experience that will help them achieve oral health. As anesthetic injections are provided after sedation, young patients with fear of needles benefit from anesthesia that prevent pain while skipping the anxiety and pain of the needle. As young patients sleep through a pediatric sedation dental procedure, they won’t feel any pain or discomfort. As a result, one of the main benefits of pediatric sedation dentistry is that it allows better treatment quality as the dentist can work more quickly and effectively without having to worry about shifting & anxious patients. In the long term, young patients who no longer associate pain & anxiety to dental procedures are able to maintain long-term oral health that contributes to their long-term health & wellbeing.
Dental anxiety is a prevalent condition for many Americans. Please contact our General & Cosmetic Dental Practice in West Los Angeles to understand your options for a more comfortable and anxiety-free way to achieve your oral health.