Sedation for Kids Ann Arbor, MI
Your child’s safety and wellbeing is of the highest importance while in our care. We believe in using the minimum amount of dental sedation for the most effective results. This includes taking both the kind of treatment needed to be done, and the amount of time it can take, into consideration before we begin. At Everwell Dentistry we are able to provide conscious sedation options while in our office, or make arrangements for unconscious sedation when needed. We are happy to review and discuss the sedation options prior to treatment.
We believe in gentle care. We want to provide treatment that is both healthy for their body, and healthy for their mind. In general, dental treatment has a long history of trauma. This can affect how a person feels about dental care throughout their life. We want your child to feel safe and comfortable. Finding the right sedation option is a great first step when treatment is needed.
Sedation offers multiple benefits to our patients including:
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Calming, reduced anxiety
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Pain relief
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Allows more work to be completed
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Leave feeling less impacted |
Pediatric sedation plays an extremely important role in the work that we do. We want to provide treatment to our young patients without causing them distress. We offer multiple options including:
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Local Anesthesia: The most common pain relief option we provide is known as a local anesthetic. It provides localized numbing or the temporary loss of sensation in the specific area it was administered. Local anesthesia is very safe and broadly used to help the patient feel more comfortable while work is being completed.
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Nitrous Oxide: The next most commonly used sedative is known as nitrous oxide, or by its nickname of laughing gas. This is inhaled through a mask that is placed over the nose. The gas used today is blended with oxygen to provide just enough sedation giving the patient a slight euphoric feeling. Parents love that the effects of nitrous oxide wear off almost immediately after the mask is removed.
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Oral Sedative: An oral sedative can be delivered either through a pill or a drink. It will help the patient relax, often causing them to fall asleep, but they are not in an induced sleep. Oral sedatives are nice because the patient is often so relaxed that they are unaware of the work being done, helping them not feel discomfort from either the treatment or from being in the chair so long. We are often able to complete many more steps in one appointment than without an oral sedative.
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IV Sedation: We can administer sedatives through the use of an IV. This is not general anesthesia, it will not put the child in an induced sleep. Sedation through an IV is a great option when the ability to adjust medication can be beneficial. It is generally recommended for children who are very young, have special needs, or have a severe gag reflex. |
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