Patient Forms 
Sedation dentistry is designed to alleviate the fear and anxiety of a dental patient immediately before and during a procedure. It allows the patient to relax, which allows the dentist to relax and safely and quickly perform the procedure. Fearful children can be especially difficult for a dentist – and a parent! Sedation dentistry may be able to help.
Children who cannot be still during the examination and are anxious and squirm in the chair risk injury to themselves or to the dentist or dental technician. Younger patients need to be able comply with instructions without continued crying or movement. Time is wasted trying to comfort the child, and safety issues can rapidly arise.
Even children who are able to be still can have other issues, such as an over-active gag reflex. Many children fear vomiting during a procedure, and an acute gag reflex can lead to a complete inability to perform some treatments, such as taking impressions for dental molds or working on the back teeth. Sedation dentistry allows these children to greatly reduce their gag reflexes, especially if they are worsened by fear and anxiety.
If you child has a special need such as Down syndrome or autism, or any mental or emotional problem, dental visits may become especially problematic. Other issues such as Cerebral Palsy or any other central nervous system disorder can be solved by sedation dentistry. Involuntary muscle movements are stopped, allowing the dental professional to complete the work in safety.
Sedation dentistry allows the dentist to proceed with necessary treatments to a child without the use of traumatic physical restraints. Such restraints can cause emotional trauma to children that lead to adult dental fears and phobias.
Your child’s visit to the dentist for maintaining dental health should be comfortable and feel safe to the child – and to you! Ask your child’s dentist to see what can be done to make your child’s dental visit as stress-free as possible with the aid of sedation dentistry.
