Sedation Dentistry
Easing Your Children's Fears
When and if your child has a cavity, it is our priority to make the treatment process as smooth and easy as possible. Here at LeBlanc and Associates, we focus largely on positive reinforcement with the use of TV’s, toys and ice cream for a job well done. When a little extra care to calm the nerves is necessary, we offer several forms of sedation to help ease your children’s fears.
We offer four types of sedation dentistry depending on the individual needs of your child:
- Nitrous Oxide
- Oral Sedation
- IV Sedation
- General Anesthesia for patients younger than 2 years old
Nitrous Oxide
Nitrous Oxide is the most commonly used method for conscious sedation. Often referred to as “laughing gas”, Nitrous Oxide is administered in titrated doses through a nasal hood placed on your child’s nose. During the use of Nitrous Oxide, your child will be awake and responsive, but may seem noticeably relaxed and experience a tingly or heavy sensation in their hands and feet. Once treatment is completed, we flush 100% oxygen through the nasal hood for 5 minutes, which completely removes the Nitrous Oxide from your child’s system before they leave our office.
Oral Sedation
Because Nitrous Oxide is a gas that must be voluntarily breathed in, it may not be effective enough in delivering relaxation for a patient who is extremely anxious about treatment. If so, the next method the Doctor may recommend is referred to as an Oral Sedation. In this case, a small dose of Versed, based on your child’s weight, is administered by the doctor to help relax the patient prior to the administration of Nitrous Oxide. The combination can be very effective at helping the patient achieve enough relaxation and cooperation to allow the doctor to complete treatment. A Health History and Physical completed by your child’s pediatrician within 90 days is required for this method of treatment.
IV Sedation
A third option we offer to complete treatment is IV Sedation. During an IV sedation, your child is fully sedated and monitored by an Anesthesiologist or Nurse Anesthetist in our office. This method is preferred for a young child or a child with special behavioral needs or who requires multiple areas in the mouth to be treated, because it allows all the dental treatment to be completed in one visit. During an IV Sedation, the Anesthesiologist or Nurse Anesthetist focuses solely on closely monitoring the patient’s vitals while the dentist completes all diagnosed treatment. While scheduling an IV Sedation, you will work closely with our surgery coordinator who will walk you through the entire process from scheduling to billing, to communicating with the team of sedation providers. A Health History and Physical completed by your child’s pediatrician within 12 months is required for this method of treatment.
For children younger than two, or those with specific medical concerns, our doctors may recommend completing dental treatment at Children’s Mercy Hospital. During a Same Day Surgery visit, your child will be sedated in the operating room under General Anesthesia. One of our Pediatric Dentists will complete all the dental treatment needed at this one visit.
Meet our Surgery Coordinator
Breana Anderson
If you have questions about any of the sedation dentistry options available, or questions about oral surgery in general, feel free to reach out to our Surgery Coordinator, Breana Anderson. She is also your contact for returning your information packet, along with a front and back copy of your child’s medical insurance card.
Her contact information:
Direct Phone Line: 913-583-5325
Direct Email: surgery@kidsmilekc.com
Fax for Physicals: 913-378-9611
Download our In-Office Sedation Information Sheet
We have specific instructions for before and after sedation that need to be strictly followed. A Pre-Op nurse from the anesthesia group will reach out to you via your provided number to discuss these instructions with you. If they do NOT speak to you, your child’s appointment will be removed from the schedule.
But Wait! There's MORE!
Preparing for an IV Sedation Dentistry Treatment
There are some specific things that parents need to do before their child undergoes IV Sedation for a dental procedure. Some of them may sound a little strange, but they’re all incredibly important.
- No Eating – your child must not eat or drink anything after midnight on the night before their procedure. This is also common with adult dental and medical procedures involving sedation, and is a huge safety concern.
- No Brushing – this might be the ONLY time that we’ll tell your child not to brush their teeth. No brushing the morning of the procedure.
- Healthy Bodies – we can only create healthy smiles on healthy bodies. If your child feels sick, has a sore throat, or is feeling congested, we may need to reschedule the procedure.
- Extra Clothes – we ask that you please bring an extra set of clothes for your child, just in case they have an accident. (Hey, life happens!)
- Blankie or Bear – your child will need to be entertained for a little bit before the procedure, as well as afterwards as the anesthesia wears off. Bring their favorite blanket or stuffed animal to help them feel secure.
- Parental Patience – your child will need to be patient, but parents also need to be patient, too, as sedation procedures can take several hours. We ask that you also be flexible, as some procedures may take longer than expected. Be sure to bring a book, or be prepared to entertain any other children with you for 2-5 hours.
