Feeling nervous or anxious about visiting the dentist is completely normal, especially for children. That's one of the reasons why choosing a pediatric dentist to care for your little one's smile can be so beneficial. Pediatric dentists are trained to help children comfortably receive routine dental care and, when needed, complex procedures. Pediatric dentists also specialize in caring for children with emotional, mental, physical, and behavioral special needs.
If your child needs a little extra care to complete their procedures, we also offer sedation dentistry for kids at both our San Jose and Mountain View pediatric dental offices. Here's what you should know.
Understanding Dental Sedation for Children
At Forever Smiles Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics, we offer a couple of levels of sedation depending on your child's needs.
Mild Sedation with Nitrous Oxide
Our dental office is equipped to provide mild sedation with nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, which doesn't leave children with lingering side effects. We deliver laughing gas through an inhalation mask that children wear during their procedure, and it quickly helps them relax and feel at ease. We can use it during most procedures, and it leaves their systems quickly once we remove the mask so that they can get back to school or their normal daily activities.
Deeper Relaxation with IV Sedation
Intravenous (IV) sedation is ideal for children with severe anxiety or a phobia of the dentist, kids with special needs, or children with complex treatment procedures to complete. We work with an anesthesiologist who comes to our dental office and will administer the medication while continually monitoring your child's heart rate and vital signs throughout their procedures.
Your child will feel like they're sleeping yet remain responsive, and our anesthesiologist can adjust the medication as needed throughout their procedure.
Talk with Our Team
If your child has anxiety, we're here to help! Talk with your San Jose pediatric dentist about their dental sedation options at (408) 726-8241.