Sedation for children
For the child who cannot get through treatment with talking, breaks and a parent nearby.
It is a medical choice, so here it is in full. We try the gentler things first. If they are not enough, Dr. Yates will talk with you about nitrous oxide or a medicine by mouth, what each does, what each risks and what happens if you wait. You decide.
Nitrous oxide: your child stays awake
A medicine by mouth: relaxed and drowsy
No promise about what your child remembers
Before, during and after
The same steps for every sedation visit.
- 01
Step 1: A talk first
Dr. Yates reviews your child's health, medicines and past visits with you, and what each choice would mean.
- 02
Step 2: The day before
Written instructions on eating, drinking and medicines, with the times for your child.
- 03
Step 3: The visit
Dr. Yates gives the sedation. A second trained team member watches breathing, pulse and oxygen from start to finish, and you wait in the building.
- 04
Step 4: Going home
An adult takes your child home, with a second adult if your child rides in a car seat, and stays with them for the rest of the day.
Before you decide
What we tell every parent, in the same four parts.
Comfort
Your child is numbed for treatment just as without sedation; sedation does not replace it. We use the lightest level that fits the visit.
Without sedation
Treatment can wait, be done in shorter visits or be done with nitrous oxide alone. A hospital team is another route. Dr. Yates tells you the trade-offs of each.
Risks and after-care
Sedation can cause nausea and drowsiness and, rarely, trouble with breathing. We check health first, watch your child throughout and keep emergency equipment sized for children in the room. Call us or 911 if you are worried at home.
How it is billed
Sedation is a separate line in your written estimate, and plans cover it differently. Sade checks before the visit.
How fees work
Questions about sedation for children
Who gives the sedation?
Dr. Yates does. The permit the Alaska Board of Dental Examiners requires for the level she gives is in her credentials once the practice adds it.
How is my child watched?
A second trained team member watches breathing, pulse and oxygen from start to finish, and emergency equipment sized for children is in the room.
Who has to come with us?
A parent or guardian, who stays in the building and takes your child home. Bring a second adult if your child rides in a car seat.
Can my child eat or drink first?
Not for the time in your written instructions, which you receive the day before. If your child eats or drinks by mistake, call us before you leave home.
How drowsy will my child be?
Children react differently. Some get quiet and drowsy and some stay alert. We cannot promise how drowsy your child will be or what they will remember.
Provided by a pediatric dentist
Dr. Linda Yates, DDS, pediatric dentist, licensed in Alaska. Her training and board are on her profile.