Sedation Dentistry

If your child is nervous about coming to the dentist, we at Infinity Pediatric Dentistry may be able to provide the care they need. Sedation, like all of our services, is patient specific. Some reasons to consider sedation for dental procedures include relief from anxiety, fear of needles, strong gag reflex, or inability to perform traditional dentistry safely due to cooperation, medical history, or age. We offer different levels of sedation to best fit your child’s needs to ensure a safe and comfortable experience. We also offer many treatment options with no sedation at all. Your child’s safety is our number one concern, so we are sure to review the risks and benefits of all options together prior to making a decision.

Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas)

Laughing gas is a very common mild sedation method for children. Your child will wear a mask over their nose and breath in a mixture of the laughing gas and oxygen. The gas will make your child feel “floaty” and “silly.” They will be awake for the procedure but will decreased anxiety, discomfort, and the gas helps to minimize the gag reflex.

Laughing gas rarely causes any side effects which is why it is so commonly used with children. Side effects are typically mild and include nausea, headache, or dizziness. We provide 100% oxygen at the completion of the procedure prior to taking off the mask to ensure that any gas is flushed from their system prior to leaving the office.

General anesthesia is a common option for pediatric dental patients that are very young, require a lot of dental work, or require invasive and complex dental work. This is a sedation method involves two doctors. There is an anesthesiologist present to ensure your child’s safety while the dentist completes any necessary dental treatment. Your child will be completely asleep for the procedure and will not feel or remember their treatment just as with any surgery.

We offer this option in the office for healthy children but also at the hospital for our medically complex children or children whose parents would prefer the hospital setting. If your child has many teeth that require dental treatment or extractions or are simply unable to tolerate dental treatment while awake, general anesthesia may be the best way to successfully complete their dental treatment.

General Anesthesia