General Anesthesia or I.V. Sedation
IV Sedation is sometimes necessary for children that are too young to cooperate, have special health care needs, or are older but are uncooperative due to apprehension. IV Sedation may also be an option for a cooperative but very young child with extensive dental needs and whose parent prefers to treat their child with one visit instead of four or more separate visits. Sometimes with multiple visits a cooperative patient can become uncooperative due to burnout. Complete dental treatment will be done but the pediatric dentists at LLCDG with your child anesthetized under IV Sedation, which is administered and monitored by our amazing Dental Anesthesiologist. Our goal is to make sure your child will have a great experience so they can go a lifetime without fear of the dentist.
General anesthesia with I.V. renders your child completely asleep. This would be the same as if he/she was having their tonsils removed, ear tubes placed, or if you were to have your wisdom teeth removed. This is performed in a outpatient setting only here at our office. While the assumed risks are greater than that of other treatment options, if this is suggested for your child, the benefits of treatment this way have been deemed to outweigh the risks. Most pediatric medical literature places the risk of a serious reaction in the range of 1 in 25,000 to 1 in 200,000, far better than the assumed risk of even driving a car daily. The inherent risks if this is not chosen are multiple appointments, potential for physical restraint to complete treatment and possible emotional and/or physical injury to your child in order to complete their dental treatment. The risks of NO treatment include tooth pain, infection, swelling, the spread of new decay, damage to their developing adult teeth and possible life threatening hospitalization from a dental infection.
Prior to your appointment
- Please notify us of any change in your child’s health and/or medical condition. Do not bring your child for treatment with a fever, ear infection or cold. Should your child become ill, contact us to see if it is necessary to postpone the appointment.
- You must tell the doctor of any drugs that your child is currently taking (prescribed, over-the-counter, or herbal medications) and any drug reactions and/or change in medical history.
- Please dress your child in loose fitting, comfortable clothing.
- Please make sure that your child goes to the bathroom immediately prior to arriving at the office.
- Your child should not have milk or solid food after midnight prior to the scheduled procedure and clear liquids ONLY (water, apple juice, Gatorade) for up to 6 hours prior to the appointment.
- The child’s parent or legal guardian must remain at the office during the complete procedure.
After the sedation appointment
- Your child will be drowsy and will need to be monitored very closely. Keep your child away from areas of potential harm.
- If your child wants to sleep, place them on their side with their chin up. Wake your child every hour and encourage them to have something to drink in order to prevent dehydration. At first it is best to give your child sips of clear liquids to prevent nausea. The first meal should be light and easily digestible.
- Because we may use local anesthetic to numb your child’s mouth during the procedure, your child may have the tendency to bite or chew their lips, cheeks, and/or tongue and/or rub and scratch their face after treatment. Please observe your child carefully to prevent any injury to these areas.
- If your child vomits, help them bend over and turn their head to the side to insure that they do not inhale the vomit.
- Prior to leaving our dental office, you will be given a detailed list of Post-Op Instructions and an emergency contact number if needed.
