Oral Sedation
Our office offers three types of sedation: Nitrous, Oral Conscious
Sedation and IV Sedation.
Nitrous gas
Most children feel comfortable when visiting
the dentist. Early exposure to the dentist helps
younger patients to associate the dental office
with feeling of relaxation. Some children
however, may feel nervous before their visit or
while sitting in the dental chair. Sometimes
they need more than gentle care to feel relaxed.
Nitrous gas is a safe sedative used to help your
child relax during the dental visit while
allowing the doctor to effectively treat your
child.
 Nitrous
gas is a blend of oxygen and nitrous oxide.
Before the procedure a fitted mask is placed
over your child’s nose and as they breathe, the
blend is absorbed through the lungs. At the end
of the treatment, the nitrous gas is removed and
has no lingering effects. One of the side
effects during treatment is a sense of
contentment and relaxation one of the reasons
why nitrous gas is also known as “laughing gas.”
The use of nitrous gas is very safe as it is
rapidly absorbed, is reversible, and can be
adjusted in concentration. Your child is fully
conscious and keeps all of their natural
reflexes while absorbing the nitrous gas.
Oral Conscious Sedation
Another alternative for helping nervous
children relax at the dentist’s office is the
use of Oral conscious sedation. When your child
becomes so anxious that cooperating becomes
difficult for them, sedation is an option. Oral
conscious sedation is a method in which
medications are used to help your child relax
during the dental visit and allow the doctor to
effectively treat your child. Oral conscious
sedation tend to produce feelings of drowsines
and relaxation and are not meant to make your
child unconscious. Sedation is also a way to for
the dentist to provide more effective treatment
along with preventing that may result from
uncontrolled movements in an anxious,
uncooperative child.
When administered according to the sedation
guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatric
Dentistry by a pediatric dentist, sedation is a
safe, effective option.
IV Sedation
Another option is IV Sedation, which is
recommended for children that are fearful,
apprehensive and very young. Children with
special needs that do not work well with oral
conscious sedation may use IV Sedation as well.
The dental treatment would be done in our office
by the dentist, and a dental anesthesiologist
would be administering and monitoring the child.
If you live in or around Irvine and are
interested in learning more about the use of
nitrous gas during your child’s visits, oral
conscious sedation, or IV sedation, please
contact our offices to answer any of your
questions or schedule an appointment to find out
if these options are suitable for your child.
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