Oral Sedation
Another alternative for helping nervous children relax at the dentist’s office is the use of oral sedation. When your child becomes so anxious that cooperating becomes difficult for them, sedation is an option. 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. Sedations tend to produce feelings of drowsiness and relaxation and are not meant to make your child unconscious.
During sedation, although patients are not asleep, many benefit from an amnesia-like experience induced by the medication. This technique does not benefit everyone with dental anxiety, since limited cooperation is still necessary to deliver safe, quality dental care. Through additional training, Dr. McPherson has earned pediatric conscious sedation credentials and can determine if your child would be assisted by this option. Sedation is also a way for the dentist to provide more effective treatment along with preventing injury 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. If you live in or around Jersey City and are interested in learning more about the use of sedation during your child’s visits please contact our offices to answer any of your questions or schedule an appointment to find out if sedation is a suitable option for your child.
