Find out if sedation dentistry is the best option for your child’s next dental visit.
It can be a challenge to get your little one to visit the dentist, especially if they have multiple cavities or other issues. This may be a scary 
time for them because they don’t understand much about their upcoming procedure. However, there is a way that our South Miami pediatric dentists, Dr. Mark Webman, Dr. Mario Martinez and Dr. Rebecca Lenard, can ease their fears. It’s called sedation dentistry and it might be the best option for alleviating dental fears.
This might sound too good to be true, but sedation medication has made it easy for your South Miami children’s dentist to provide the dental care needed to maintain good oral health in a calm and relaxed atmosphere. Whether your child needs to have a tooth filled or a tooth removed, anesthesia along with some form of sedation can help to ease their nerves and help them relax.
Sedation often comes in either a pill or inhaled form (however, sometimes IV sedation is also used) and can create anywhere from minor to deeper levels of sedation. Sometimes referred to as conscious sedation, many children can immediately enjoy calming effects by taking an anti-anxiety medication that we prescribe. This helps to greatly reduce their stress and anxiety during their procedure.
For children who need more invasive or time-consuming procedures we may opt for more moderate forms of sedation, like nitrous oxide (also known as “laughing gas”). Nitrous oxide is a great option as it immediately delivers sedative effects but will quickly wear off once it is no longer administered.
Of course, sedation dentistry is designed to reduce phobias and anxiety not pain, so your family dentist in South Miami will still need to administer a local anesthesia to numb the area prior to treatment. But with sedation, this task is so much easier.
Since the effects of sedation may last a bit longer, especially if they are getting sedation orally or through an IV (used for dental surgeries like wisdom tooth extractions), your little one will most likely need to take the day from school and will need supervision.
Have questions about sedation dentistry or need to schedule your child’s next dental visit in South Miami? If so then call South Miami Pediatric Dental Associates today.