Sedation Options

Most pediatric dental services and procedures can be completed without sedation. But, if we feel that it’s necessary or your child has extreme dental anxiety, we do offer sedation options.

Nitrous Oxide

You might know nitrous oxide as laughing gas. This is a gentle sedation given to your child through a small breathing mask. Adverse reactions are incredibly rare, and the effects wear off quickly after the procedure, even before getting out of the dental chair. Nitrous oxide helps put your child at ease during a procedure while still allowing them to be mentally aware throughout. This sedation option is great for a mildly anxious patient.

In-Office IV Sedation

This type of sedation is only offered when necessary. Your child will be administered a general anesthesia through an IV and will be monitored closely by a licensed anesthesiologist or anesthetist. This will allow your child to be asleep during their procedure. We might recommend this for an invasive procedure or for a child with extreme dental anxiety who would be otherwise untreatable.

Hospital General Anesthesia

At times, it may be necessary for you and the dentist to meet at the hospital in order to utilize their anesthesia services. This also allows your child to be asleep for their dental treatment. We recommend the hospital for general anesthesia for children with special needs, qualifying medical conditions, severe dental anxiety, or if they are very young.

If you are unsure whether your child needs sedation or not for a procedure, contact Kalamazoo Pediatric Dentistry and we will be more than happy to consult you about what the best option might be.