Here at Five Towns Pediatric Dentistry, Dr. Yehuda Marciano DDS is proud to offer sedation to give our patients a stress-free visit.
One of the most commonly used types of sedation is nitrous oxide, which is also known as laughing gas. This helps many children relax during their procedure.
Nitrous oxide is a combination of two different gases–-oxygen and nitrous oxide. We administer the gas through a small mask placed over your child’s nose. The gas will make your child relax without the full effect of anesthesia.
Nitrous oxide is so commonly used that even the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recognizes it as an effective way to treat children. It is very mild and safe. Children will wake up quickly after we remove the mask.
If you want to use nitrous oxide on your child, you need to let us know if there have been any changes to his or her health or medical condition. If your child has any trouble breathing, let us know because the gas won’t be as effective. We also need to know if your child is taking any medications to make sure that there are no reactions.
Conscious sedation is also commonly used. We use it on children who are really afraid of the dentist. It is also helpful for young children who won’t sit still and children with special needs.
When we use conscious sedation, your child will be very sleepy. Some children even fall asleep, but they will not lose consciousness.
We use a variety of medications for conscious sedation. After discussing your child with you, we will determine which medication (or mixture of medications) will work best for your child. This will depend on your child and what procedure we are doing.
Before your appointment, it is important to let us know if your child has any changes to his or her health. If your child has become ill with a fever, infection, or cold, we may need to postpone treatment. It is also important to let us know what medications your child is taking. If your child has reactions or allergies to drugs, we need to know about it too.
There are many forms of sedation to help your child through his or her appointment. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us today at (516) 295-3733.