SEDATION
Conscious
Sedation / Outpatient General
Anesthesia
Conscious Sedation
Conscious
Sedation is recommended for apprehensive children, very young children, and children
with special needs. It is used to calm your child and to reduce the anxiety or
discomfort associated with dental treatments. Your child may be quite drowsy,
and may even fall asleep, but they will not become unconscious.
There
are a variety of different medications, which can be used for conscious sedation.
The doctor will prescribe the medication best suited for your child’s overall
health and dental treatment recommendations. We will be happy to answer any questions
you might have concerning the specific drugs we plan to give to your child.
Prior
to your appointment:
-
Please
notify us of any change in your child’s health and/or medical condition. Do not
bring your child for treatment with a fever, ear infection or cold. Should your
child become ill, contact us to see if it is necessary to postpone the appointment.
-
You
must tell the doctor of any drugs that your child is currently taking and any
drug reactions and/or change in medical history.
-
Please
dress your child in loose fitting, comfortable clothing.
-
Please make
sure that your child goes to the bathroom immediately prior to arriving at the
office.
-
Your
child should not have solid food for at least 6 hours prior to their sedation
appointment and only clear liquids for up to 2 hours before the appointment.
-
The
child’s parent or legal guardian must remain at the office during the complete
procedure.
-
Please
watch your child closely while the medication is taking effect. Hold them in your
lap or keep close to you. Do not let them "run around."
-
Your
child will act drowsy and may become slightly excited at first.
After
the sedation appointment:
-
Your
child will be drowsy and will need to be monitored very closely. Keep your child
away from areas of potential harm.
-
If
your child wants to sleep, place them on their side with their chin up. Wake your
child every hour and encourage them to have something to drink in order to prevent
dehydration. At first it is best to give your child sips of clear liquids to prevent
nausea. The first meal should be light and easily digestible.
-
If your
child vomits, help them bend over and turn their head to the side to insure that
they do not inhale the vomit.
-
Because
we use local anesthetic to numb your child’s mouth during the procedure, your
child may have the tendency to bite or chew their lips, cheeks, and/or tongue
and/or rub and scratch their face after treatment. Please observe your child carefully
to prevent any injury to these areas.
-
Please
call our office for any questions or concerns that you might have.
Outpatient
General Anesthesia
Outpatient
General Anesthesia is recommended for apprehensive children, very young children,
and children with special needs that would not work well under conscious sedation
or I.V. sedation. General anesthesia renders your child completely asleep. This
would be the same as if he/she was having their tonsils removed, ear tubes, or
hernia repaired. We perform these procedures at St. Christopher’s Hospital for
Children and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. This is performed in a
hospital or outpatient setting only. While the assumed risks are greater than
that of other treatment options, if this is suggested for your child, the benefits
of treatment this way have been deemed to outweigh the risks. Most pediatric medical
literature places the risk of a serious reaction in the range of 1 in 25,000 to
1 in 200,000, far better than the assumed risk of even driving a car daily. The
inherent risks if this is not chosen are multiple appointments, potential for
physical restraint to complete treatment and possible emotional and/or physical
injury to your child in order to complete their dental treatment. The risks of
NO treatment include tooth pain, infection, swelling, the spread of new decay,
damage to their developing adult teeth and possible life threatening hospitalization
from a dental infection.
Prior
to your appointment:
-
Please
notify us of any change in your child’s health. Do not bring your child for treatment
with a fever, ear infection or cold. Should your child become ill, contact us
to see if it is necessary to postpone the appointment.
-
You
must tell the doctor of any drugs that your child is currently taking and any
drug reactions and/or change in medical history.
-
Please
dress your child in loose fitting, comfortable clothing.
-
Your
child should not have milk or solid food after midnight prior to the scheduled
procedure and clear liquids ONLY (water, apple juice, Gatorade) for up to 6 hours
prior to the appointment.
-
The
child’s parent or legal guardian must remain at the hospital or surgical site
waiting room during the complete procedure.
After
the anesthesia appointment:
-
Your
child will be drowsy and will need to be monitored very closely. Keep your child
away from areas of potential harm.
-
If
your child wants to sleep, place them on their side with their chin up. Wake your
child every hour and encourage them to have something to drink in order to prevent
dehydration. At first it is best to give your child sips of clear liquids to prevent
nausea. The first meal should be light and easily digestible.
-
If your
child vomits, help them bend over and turn their head to the side to insure that
they do not inhale the vomit.
-
Prior
to leaving the hospital/outpatient center, you will be given a detailed list of
"Post-Op Instructions" and an emergency contact number if needed.
