Bringing a child to the dentist is always a bit stressful, but it can seem almost impossible if your little one has special needs. Due to a variety of factors, children with special needs tend to experience much higher levels of dental anxiety, and coupled with sensory issues, this can lead to a less-than-ideal experience for everyone. Thankfully, sedation dentistry is a safe and proven way to calm even the worst dental nerves, and one of the simplest forms is oral conscious sedation. It may be able to give you the peace of mind you deserve while ensuring your child is able to relax while receiving their much-needed dental care.
Who Should Use Oral Conscious Sedation?
Oral conscious sedation is used in dental practices around the world, and it is often a go-to solution for patients who:
- Have moderate to severe dental anxiety
- Experience sensory issues that make even routine dental work uncomfortable
- Become very nervous in a new or unfamiliar environment
- Have a strong gag reflex
- Develop neck, back, shoulder, or jaw pain when sitting still for a long time
- Can’t sit still for very long
- Require an invasive procedure like an extraction or root canal
- Need to undergo multiple treatments in a single sitting
- Don’t respond well to anesthetic or other forms of sedation (i.e. nitrous oxide)
How Does Oral Conscious Sedation Work?
Oral conscious sedation is very straightforward, in that the patient will take a pill or drink a small cup of medicine either at home or in the dental office on the day of their appointment. It will be a form of anti-anxiety medication, and the dentist will talk with someone’s caregiver beforehand to make sure it doesn’t have a negative interaction with anything else they might be taking.
Once the medicine kicks in, the patient will feel very warm and relaxed, and they’ll most likely remain awake and be able to respond to simple commands from the dentist and team. To them, time will fly by extremely quickly. Afterward, they may feel a bit groggy as the medication wears off over the course of several hours, but they will be completely normal by that evening or the next morning.
Is Oral Conscious Sedation Right for Your Child?
If you believe that your child would benefit from oral conscious sedation, the best thing you can do is talk to their dentist, ideally one with a lot of experience treating patients with special needs. They’ll be able to answer all of your questions, talk you through each step of the process, and make any other accommodations necessary so you both remain as comfortable as possible on the day of their visit.
Sedation can remove barriers between your child and a healthy smile, so don’t hesitate to ask their dentist about it. They’ll be happy to do anything they can so you can finally breathe easy at your child’s next visit.
About the Practice
At Disability Dental Services, Dr. Frank E. Ford, Dr. Pat Robinson, Dr. H. Whitney Payne Jr., and Dr. Glynn Solomon are dedicated to providing high-quality dentistry to their patients with special needs in a friendly and welcoming environment. With decades of experience, endless compassion, and countless hours of additional training in modern dental anesthesia and sedation techniques, the team is well-equipped to provide a safe and anxiety-free experience. To schedule an appointment for your loved one or learn about our other services, visit the website here or call (972) 296-0101.